Linh Trinh was drawn to medical imaging in 2021 after her father nearly died from COVID-19. Radiography holds a special place in her heart because it was seeing the daily improvements on her father’s chest x-rays that gave her and her family hope.
The Beloit native is the recipient of the Blackhawk Foundation’s Diversity Scholarship. The meaning of the scholarship is certainly not lost on Linh and she doesn’t feel it’s just for herself.
“This scholarship is a win for all people of color, women and non-traditional students in the medical field,” she said. “We have to encourage each other, lift each other up and show the world we are capable and have the ability to do and be great.”
Before coming to Blackhawk, Linh graduated in 2015 from UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree but says she didn’t know how to study. She could read a whole chapter and not remember anything she just read.
“I rushed through school in a major I had no interest in so I could graduate,” she said.
Following a diagnosis of ADHD a couple of years ago, Linh wanted to return to school. She chose Blackhawk for her second educational journey because of the small class size, one-on-one opportunities and effective teaching strategies, including the ability to be a hands-on learner.
“I like being able to practice, practice, practice and learn from my mistakes at school with my instructors, then master the skill directly in the field,” she said.
While college can be difficult and stressful, Linh says the most important thing she’s learned at Blackhawk is to ask for help because you don’t know what resources are available unless you take the initiative to seek them out.
By following that very advice, Linh has found there’s always someone available to answer her questions or give her guidance in the right direction if she needs help.
Linh urges potential students who are uncertain of what they want to major in to come to Blackhawk and find what they’re interested in.
“Don't waste the money going to a university if you are unsure,” she said. “You will have hands-on experience exploring many career fields at Blackhawk.”
With her eye on graduation in 2024, Linh then plans to apply for Blackhawk’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Vascular Technology program.
For more information on scholarships offered at Blackhawk Technical College, visit blackhawk.edu/scholarships.
Diversity Scholarship
The BTC foundation established the Diversity Scholarship to foster an environment that appreciates and values an increasingly diverse student body; to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation of a diverse student body; and to develop student interest, involvement, and leadership in diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility initiatives at the College. The scholarship is, in part, funded by the proceeds of the annual Soul Food Luncheon held every year in February by the BTC Foundation. Scholarship amounts from $250 to $1,000 are awarded to multiple students each semester. Students can be enrolled (or will be enrolling) in any program at Blackhawk and are a member of an underrepresented or marginalized group. Students can either be enrolled as part-time (minimum six credits) or full-time students and must be in good academic standing. This scholarship is available to new or continuing students.