Fall 2025 Commencement to be held at SWTC

FENNIMORE, WIS. (WRCO / WRCE) The Fall 2025 Commencement at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College will be held Friday, December 12. There will be ceremonies at 1:00p and 3:00p in the campus auditorium. This semester, 111 students are eligible for graduation, while 83 students have indicated they will be participating in one of the ceremonies. Those numbers could change prior to December 12.

The speakers have been selected for this semester’s ceremonies. They include at both ceremonies, State Student Ambassador, Kajal Patel from Richland Center. She graduated from the graphic and web design program at Southwest Tech in May 2025 and have since transferred to Franklin University to pursue her bachelor’s degree in marketing. Kajal’s goal is to pursue a career in the marketing field, where she can combine creativity with analytical thinking to make an impact. She hopes to find a role that challenges and allows her to grow both professionally and personally.

Kajal’s message for the graduates is that getting involved on campus is one of the smartest and most rewarding choices you can make as a student. Beyond the classroom, involvement helps you grow personally and professionally. It allows you to gain practical experience, strengthen your communication and teamwork skills, and build a network of peers and mentors who will support you throughout your academic and career journey. Whether you join a student organization, volunteer in the community, or take on a leadership role, every experience contributes to your growth. The more you engage, the more opportunities you’ll find, and those experiences often become the ones that shape your future the most.

Ashley Yager of Highland will Emcee the 3:00 Ceremony. Southwest Tech was an easy choice for Ashley because it is only 20 minutes from home. The convenient location, price point, and class schedule played a huge role in her decision to pursue cosmetology there.

She says the cosmetology program is fast-paced and the instructors are fantastic. They bring real-world knowledge and experience in many different areas of the field. Her message will be centered around building relationships and never losing the hunger to do something you are passionate about.

Lauren Adkins of Fennimore will be held Student Speaker. She is majoring in Liberal Arts.

When asked what her message to graduating students will be, Lauren replied:

Life can be hard and discouraging. There will always be someone smarter, someone more experienced, and someone who seems to have it all. Do not let this get you down. Not many people in this world won’t work hard. If you keep up the good work that you did in school, I promise you will be rewarded. If you push yourself, outwork the competition, and put your heart into it I promise your dreams will come true. When you get set back, keep going. Brains can only get you so far but work ethic can get you anywhere. 

The ceremonies will be streamed live on the college’s Facebook page. Additional information is available at swtc.edu/graduation.

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named the winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format

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