Aiden Murray would describe his educational road as a little bumpy. He headed into a four-year college with every intention of graduating and then suffered from the same challenge we’ve all faced, COVID. “During my second semester, Platteville’s campus shut down due to COVID-19. During this time,” he said, “I had no interest in school and was thinking about dropping out.”

Back home with his family, Aiden found himself thrust into the job of a tutor. “My stepbrother, who was in 4th grade at the time, was struggling with his classes,” Aiden recalled, “so I would help him with his homework. While helping him in his classes, I enjoyed being his teacher.” With this newfound spark for education, Aiden was turned down for admission to UW-Whitewater’s education program due to his grades. Undeterred, he looked at the other colleges in the area and found BTC, where he was accepted. “Blackhawk’s Early Childhood Education program completely transfers to UW-Whitewater, which will help me with my final goal of becoming a teacher.”

With a sister teaching English in China and a brother who went to school to become a youth pastor, Aiden realizes that teaching is in his blood. He’s currently the only male student in the ECE program and takes that responsibility seriously. “Being a male role model is important to me because with children not always having a male figure in their life,” Aiden said. “I want to be someone they feel comfortable talking to and asking questions of. I am very lucky to have a father in my life who goes above and beyond for me. I want everyone to reach their top potential and to be the best version of themselves.”

Michelle Weirich, Early Childhood Education instructor at Blackhawk, saw this potential in Aiden as well. “Males in ECE are uncommon,” she said, “Aiden embraces the challenges he faces as often the only male in the classroom. He recognizes his potential to make a difference in a life of a child. The children light up when they see him arrive in the morning. The children are naturally drawn to him.”

Along with his family, Aiden appreciates the work that Blackhawk instructors have done to help him succeed. “Every teacher I have had at Blackhawk has wanted each of their students to succeed. They are accommodating and take time to make sure the students are understanding and learning what they are teaching,” he said. “I found a new desire for learning thanks to Blackhawk Technical College.”

While COVID has brought many challenges to our community, it helped Aiden find his path.