I’ve had this dream of going to MATC (Milwaukee Area Technical College) since I was in the sixth grade. My heart was set on becoming a baker and nobody could change my mind. So when the time came for everyone to start applying to all their top choices, I only applied to one. It was risky, but it is a technical school and they basically accept everyone.
I walked in on my first day and looked around at everyone who was gathered by the table, they all appeared to be my age so I was excited. As I started making friends with some of the girls I soon learned that I was the youngest. Pretty much the youngest out of all my classes.
There are some things I’m sad about missing out on.
The dorms. Because MATC is mainly two year programs and is a technical school, they don’t have dorms. When I met with an advisor she told me they do have a program with UW-Milwaukee where we could stay in their dorms, but that would mean more money and living with people who don’t go to the same school as me and wouldn’t have anything in common. So I turned that offer down.
Greek life. That’s something I never thought I’d want to be apart of, but when everyone started posting photos of them pledging different houses it made me sad that I couldn’t experience that. Or get the opportunity to pledge.
College football games. Getting to connect with the entire campus and cheering on your team. Even if you really don’t like football you still manage to have an amazing time because your roommates and friends just make the experience better.
Going to school with people my own age. All my friends and the people in my classes are older. Because this is a technical school they get a bunch of adults into their programs, and it was weird at first knowing I was the youngest, but I got used to it. I went into my first class thinking everyone was going to be fresh out of high school, I was wrong.
All of these are things, and so many more, I miss out on.
But the best part about going to technical school is that I graduate in half the time of a normal university. It’s also not just my baking classes, the school requires us to take gen-ed classes. At first I wasn’t happy about that, but this way we have credits that would transfer over if we ever decided to go to a regular university.
The programs we all choose train us to go right out into the working field after graduation and that is exactly what I wanted out of my education. All hands on and training me to become a better pastry chef I know I can be.
