Be a Gift to the World – Give the Promise of Success
Why Mitchell Field Rotary Supports the MATC Promise
Be a gift to the world. That is this year’s Rotary theme and a personal goal for many of us. Recently, the Mitchell Field Rotary Club learned about the MATC Promise from Christine McGee, the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Foundation executive director. The MATC Promise offers Rotarians and others a chance to make a true difference in the lives of students. The effort is a perfect fit for Rotary since it involves both helping to raise funds for low-income students and the opportunity to mentor students to ensure their academic and career success.
The MATC Promise, provides free tuition and fees, after federal and state financial aid has been applied, for area 2016 high school graduates who meet program eligibility requirements. Students would start at MATC in August of 2016. The MATC Promise will help area high school students realize their dream of attending college and preparing for a career … at no cost to the student. The entire southeast Wisconsin area will benefit from the MATC Promise as more residents will now have the opportunity to receive the education and training necessary for so many careers that are essential for our region’s economic prosperity and vitality. The MATC Promise is made possible through the generosity of MATC Foundation donors.
“The MATC Promise is a program designed to help young people be successful,” said Dr. Mark Felsheim, vice president of MATC’s Oak Creek Campus and vice president of the Mitchell Field Rotary Club. “Some of the eligibility requirements for students in the MATC Promise include participation in service learning projects, tutoring support, career planning and mentoring for success.” Mentors will be recruited from among MATC employees and the Greater Milwaukee business community. “Mentoring a student to be successful certainly fits with the Rotary tradition and so is contributing to a great cause,” noted Dr. Mark (as he is known to fellow Rotarians and the community).
“We are preparing for 1,000 new students who might not otherwise have gone to college,” McGee said, “but we estimate that there are several thousand students who could benefit. The numbers served will depend partially on how good a job we do getting the word out and how many partnerships we can build with community organizations.” By being a Gift to these students, Rotarians will have the opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of students.
For more information about how you can support the MATC Promise, contact Dr. Mark at 414-571-4616 or felsheim@matc.edu, or Christine McGee at 414-297-7997 or mcgeecm@matc.edu. Or visit the MATC Promise website - www.matc.edu/promise.