Many students and staff were wearing t-shirts that stated, “SWTC—We’re In Our Aspen Award Era,” on Saturday, Sept. 27, as Southwest Wisconsin Technical College held a community celebration and campus open house to celebrate the college’s Aspen Prize.

This past April, the Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world, named Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, one of 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System, the winner of the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition for high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

Southwest Tech stood out from the pack of 150 technical and community colleges from around the nation invited to apply for the prize out of around 1,000 colleges nationwide, for its strong completion rates––including for lower-income students––and exceptional wage outcomes for graduates.

Five years after completion, graduates earn nearly $14,000 more than the average new hire in the region.

The college’s celebration day couldn’t have asked for better weather as many students, staff, alumni, donors, community members, and potential future college attendees turned out for Saturday’s celebration which included college program demonstrations, campus tours, family friendly activities such as face painting, inflatable bounce house, and more.

Live music was provided throughout the day by area bands, The Michael Mikrut Band and The Wundos, and there was an array of food trucks/stands including  Myson’s Tacos and Burritos, BK Bundt Cakes, D’Lish Ice Cream, Halo Halo, Runnin’ On Empty, and Backroad Bar.

There were several breaks during the day’s activities for Southwest Tech to “toot their own horn” in the form of guest speakers.

  Caleb White, Interim President at Southwest Tech, was the first to speak Saturday stating, “We’re the best two year college in the nation, here, in southwest Wisconsin. Crazy right?”

White also referenced a quote from former President Barack Obama who referred to the Aspen Prize as “the Oscar of great community colleges.”

“Aspen isn’t the pinnacle,” White went on say. “We’re going to keep raising the bar.” 

Brad Biddick, Southwest Tech donor and board member of the Real Estate Foundation, stressed to the audience to continue to support the school. 

“I’ve found the more I give, the more I get out of it,” Biddick explained. “I suggest you all do the same. The dollar amount doesn’t matter, it’s the act of giving.”

Current Southwest Tech Board Chair Chris Prange informed the crowd gathered that the board “didn’t hesitate” in their decision to use the $700,000 cash awarded to the college “100 percent back into students by funding scholarships.”

Board member, and board chair when the Aspen Prize was awarded to Southwest Tech, Chuck Bolstad told a “heck of a story,” rather than giving a speech.

Bolstad stated that the Aspen Institute, “believed in our story,” and that “students are the most important part of our story. The second most important part is the staff.”

“We’re an institution that cares,” Bolstad finished with. “That’s the story.”

Bolstad then introduced, Layla Merrifield, Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) President, who stated that when the Aspen Prize “became a thing, we knew it was a matter of time before one of our colleges won the prize.”  Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay was also nvited to apply this round for the Aspen Prize.

“Aspen saw the really high quality education happening,” Merrifield stated.

She went to say “the incredible devotion of staff, talented faculty, committed administration, and incredible, engaged board sets out to see every single student is valued and graduates.”

The last to speak Saturday was Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly,who stated that Southwest Tech’s partnership with the state’s K-12 school system affirms that “real success doesn’t start in college, it starts way before.”

Underly touted the college’s partnership with high schools through dual credit and dual enrollment programs, referring to them as “a game changer for so many,” while pointing out that 79 percent of students who complete those programs go on to enroll at Southwest Tech.

Underly finished by telling the crowd gathered that Southwest Tech has “made Wisconsin proud and set a new standard for what technical/community colleges can be.”