Honoring our Veterans
Last Thursday, November 11th, I attended a number of Veterans Day services, including one hosted annually by the Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated School District and another one hosted by Wilmot High School. Duane Van Wei, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific during World War II delivered the keynote address during the Trevor-Wilmot program.
Mark Robbins, a retired U.S. Navy Seal who served in Iraq, was the keynote speaker during the program held at Wilmot High School. He told a very moving story about his calling to serve in the military and how he had been wounded during a battle with insurgents in Iraq. He has since recovered from his injuries, and his story was retold by U.S. Senator John McCain during the 2008 Presidential Election.
On Veterans Day and everyday, veterans like Duane Van Wei and Mark Robbins serve as an inspiration to all of us. I thank them and all of our veterans for their service to the United States, and hope they had a special and memorable Veterans Day this year.
Rep. Kerkman is pictured with retired U.S. Navy Seal Mark Robbins (left) and Wilmot High School teacher Lt. Col. Rich Borkowski, who serves in the U.S. Army National Guard (right).
UW-Parkside Hosts Legislative Breakfast
This week, Senator Bob Wirch, Representative Robin Vos, Representative John Steinbrink, and I met with Chancellor Deborah Ford of the University of Wisconsin - Parkside during the legislative breakfast and forum hosted by the university. The topics of discussion included the 2011 - 2013 state budget, which is confronting a nearly $3 billion deficit as we approach the next fiscal biennium, and state funding for higher education. According to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, state funding for higher education in Wisconsin has increased by 6.2 percent over the last five years.
We also discussed the articulation agreements that Chancellor Ford signed earlier this year with Gateway Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Waukesha County Technical College, and Moraine Park Technical College. They went into effect in September. The purpose of these articulation agreements is to provide a more seamless process for transferring credits from either of the four technical colleges listed to UW-Parkside. From what I've been told by university officials, this is one of the biggest challenges facing higher education today - transferring credits from one school to another - particularly for students looking to pursue a Bachelor's degree after they've earned an Associate's degree.
To use a couple of examples of how this credit transfer process would work, a student who completes an Associate's degree in Civil Engineering Technology - Freshwater Resources at Gateway Technical College can transfer up to 72 credits to UW-Parkside and apply them to a Bachelor of Science degree in geosciences. A student who completes an Associate of Applied Science degree in Water Quality Technology at Moraine Park Technical College can transfer up to 67 credits to UW-Parkside. These credits will then be applied to a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Management at UW-Parkside. The potential advantage of this process is that it will allow participating students to combine theoretical backgrounds while working toward a Bachelor's degree with the technical training they already received at schools such as Gateway Technical College.
Chancellor Ford recognized the financial support that made the articulation agreements possible. Funding was provided by the Regional Workforce Alliance, the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Program, the Milwaukee Water Council, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Chancellor Ford and my colleagues to discuss the relationship between UW-Parkside and the Legislature, as well as the university's key initiatives in successfully preparing students for the increasingly advanced 21st century job market. The 66th Assembly District has certainly reaped the rewards of having residents who are either alumni or students of the UW-Parkside. Presently, there are 354 alumni and 122 enrolled students from Burlington; 146 alumni and 65 students from Bristol; 157 alumni and 107 students from Salem; 30 alumni and 23 students from Silver Lake; 21 alumni and 4 students from Somers; 83 alumni and 63 students from Trevor; 99 alumni and 36 students from Twin Lakes; and 4 alumni and 1 student from Wilmot.
Rep. Kerkman is pictured with Duane Van Wei, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and his wife, Shirley.
Happy Thanksgiving and Deer Hunting!
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving next week! For the deer hunters, I wish you a safe and happy hunt beginning this weekend.
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