A Community of Higher Education

Published on 1/24/13

If you walked into La Crosse Milling Company in Cochrane, Wisconsin and mention Southeast Technical you’ll hear, "I went there. I went there too. A guy in the loading department went there. My husband went there. My son went there. My niece is going there now!" There is a whole community of Southeast Technical alumni working in and around La Crosse Milling Company. Interestingly enough these communities made up of Southeast Technical graduates are all around Winona, Red Wing and beyond. Darlene Auer and Michelle Kosidowski are just a couple of those people. They have been working alongside each other in the office for years, though they graduated 15 years apart.

Darlene Auer has been at La Crosse Milling for nearly 15 years as an Accounting Assistant, working with accounts receivable and collections. She graduated from the Accounting program in 1978 and has been working with numbers ever since. Darlene was surprised to hear that now, if students choose they can earn a two year A.A.S. degree in accounting entirely online. "Now that would be an entirely different experience," she said. Darlene’s son is also an alumnus of Southeast Technical. He graduated from the Auto Body Collision Technology program in 2010. While he was making his decision on where to go, Darlene toured the college with him for the first time since her graduation, "I was really impressed with the updates they made to the college since I graduated. And the instructors were very good with lots of real world experience."

Michelle Kosidowski joined the La Crosse Milling team nearly 13 years ago. She works under the VP of Sales as the Sales Assistant/Logistics Coordinator. Michelle really enjoys working with all types of people in her current job. She graduated in 1993 from the Word Processing Secretary program, which has evolved into the current Office Specialist program. "At Southeast Technical I think you get more hands-on experience in your field," Michelle added, "They gave me the skills and tools I needed to succeed in my career." She says she would definitely send her daughter there someday, though at 11 years old she has several years to go before she is ready. "My niece is going there now to take her general education courses in the Individualized Studies program before she moves on to a four-year university to study for a bachelor’s degree."

Michelle and Darlene found focus in their work and they got their start at Southeast Technical. What’s your Southeast Technical story? Join graduates like Michelle and Darlene at this year’s first-ever Alumni and Friends Reunion.

Read more alumni stories.