When Vernon Wilkinson graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College’s (MATC) Liberal Arts and Sciences’ teacher education track in 2004, he followed a different career path than that taken by most others in his program. Many go on to earn bachelor’s degrees and then teach in grade schools, middle schools or traditional high schools. But Wilkinson has another passion.
He wants to work with a special group of students who have slipped through the cracks – high school dropouts. He plans to help students who return to obtain their GEDs or enroll in adult high school programs.
“We’re all born with potential, but some students get lost along the way,” Wilkinson says. “I came from the inner city. I know what those kids face. I want to help those who didn’t make it through the first time, to give them a second chance. I feel I can reach some of those who are lost and turned off in school and make a difference.”
In particular, Wilkinson is deeply concerned about the large percent of African-American students who never finish high school. In Milwaukee Public Schools, that is more than 50 percent of the students.
Also important to him is encouraging more African-American males to teach, especially at the elementary school level. Wilkinson says that the vast majority of elementary school teachers are white females. There are very few African-American males teaching in elementary schools. “Ideally, I’d like to see the proportions of members of the community be reflected in the teaching community,” he says. “These young boys need role models.”
The father of six children, Wilkinson spent 20 years working in sales at radio stations before he decided to return to college. Several of his children earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, one started work on a doctorate and the others enrolled in community colleges. It was then that both he and his children decided it was the time for Vernon to continue his education.
“I made sure all my kids got a good start on their education first,” Wilkinson says. “But then my children pushed me back into school. I was the first family member of my generation to go on to college.”
He enrolled at MATC in 1999 and earned an associate degree in marketing. An exemplary student, he was selected Commencement speaker in 2001 and won many college awards – among them, the Outstanding Student Award, placement on the All USA Academic Team, a third place finish in the President’s Award contest, the Torch Award and first place in the Felber and Riley Speech Award. After finishing his marketing degree, he felt he needed to do something that would be more personally meaningful for him. So he returned to MATC in 2002 and enrolled in what was then called CUTEP (Cooperative Urban Teacher Education Program). After graduating from the program, Wilkinson went on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education. He continued his studies at UWM, earning a master’s degree with a focus on administrative leadership, adult and continuing education in December 2008.
He is currently waiting to hear if he’s been accepted into the doctoral program at UWM to continue his studies in adult education, and is taking pre-requisite classes that would apply to his doctorate.
Wilkinson is very grateful to those who run MATC’s Teacher Education Program (TEP) for the support they give their students. “They helped us in every way they could think of,” Wilkinson says. “For instance, they hired tutors to help students struggling with math. They were the first program at MATC to arrange semester-long ‘computer loans’ to those who couldn’t afford to buy their own.” In addition, they offered guidance. “Whatever problems you were having, school related or personal, you could always go to the office and talk about it with Eva Hagenhofer (MATC’s TEP faculty coordinator) and her staff. That kind of support goes a long way in helping students succeed.”
For Vernon Wilkinson, MATC not only gave him the opportunity to pursue a college education, it is enabling him to make a difference in the lives of people seeking a second chance. |
