Gateway Early Childhood Education graduate Alishah Miller said Gateway has provided her with the skills to begin her career at a local company.
“I felt college would give me a better way of life. And it’s true, it has. Gateway Technical College has given me a better way of life.”
— Alishah Miller, Early Childhood Education program graduate
Alishah Miller moved from across the country to Racine during the COVID-19 pandemic, looking for a new beginning.
Once she arrived, she turned to Gateway Technical College to provide her with the map to find that.
“I wanted to be the first in my family to go to college,” said Miller. “I felt college would give me a better way of life. And it’s true, Gateway Technical College has given me a better way of life.”
Graduate already in workforce
Miller earned her Early Childhood Education associate degree and has already entered the workforce, working at a local daycare taking care of young children. It’s work she said she’s passionate about and very proud of.
“I’m a little bit of a planner,” said Miller. “I wanted to go to college, then get married and then be a mom. I’ve done all three — I’ve earned my Gateway degree, gotten married and I have a child I love very much.
“Gateway gave me the confidence to continue with my plans after I earned my degree there. I feel I wouldn’t be as confident as a mother as I am without my degree. I wanted to have the education and tools to be able to support my child, to make sure they are safe and well taken care of. The skills I learned at Gateway helped me in my career, and they also helped me as a parent.”
Gateway grad benefits from early experience in chosen career
Miller said she loves many things about Gateway, but three rise to the top for her: flexibility, dedicated instructors and the ability to experience a future career through hands-on work in the classroom and work-based learning opportunities.
“I like that Gateway has flexible hours and flexible courses — there are some I could take online, which allowed me to work,” said Miller. “I think the hands-on portion was great, too, because it really showed me what I was about to get into and made me really want to pursue this career. I loved that aspect of Gateway.
“I feel sometimes four-year college graduates regret getting their degree because they really didn’t know what they were getting into when they were earning it. They didn’t have the same hands-on and work experiences as you get at Gateway. You pretty much know what you are getting into at Gateway.”
Miller said the hands-on work also prepared her well for her career. It gave real-world experience and a little something else — those social and soft skills needed to succeed.
“I am a little shy, and this pushed me out of my comfort zone; it really opened me up. Every class I took — whether it was in my degree area or a general education class — helped build me to where I am today.”
Miller also adds that Gateway provides resources that helped her earn her degree, namely its tutoring services as well as two scholarships — the Albrecht Family Scholarship and Racine Oasis/Dex Scholarship from the Gateway Technical College Foundation.
“I struggled a little bit in college and the tutoring services were great. They were very receptive, patient and taught me the skills I needed,” said Miller.
