SE-Tech Criminal Justice students hear from Alexandria Technical College Dean Scott Berger about officer skills training opportunities.

The Southeast Technical Criminal Justice Program recently hosted Scott Berger, Dean of the Law Enforcement program at Alexandria Technical College, to speak with Criminal Justice students about an articulation agreement between the two colleges. Through the partnership, graduates with Southeast Technical’s two-year Criminal Justice A.S. degree can seamlessly enroll in Alexandria Technical College’s Career Transition Program, a ten-week intensive skills training program that prepares students for the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) exam. Successful completion of this exam is a hiring requirement for numerous agencies.

Mr. Berger noted that he enjoys visiting southeast Minnesota to talk about the opportunities available for skills training at Alexandria Technical College and to answer student questions. Alexandria Technical College’s skills training program is very well respected at both the local and national levels, and according to Mr. Berger, over 90% of all counties in Minnesota have an Alexandria Technical College Law Enforcement graduate working in the criminal justice profession. Students who complete their skills training program at Alexandria Technical College also benefit from the college’s ability to attract national agencies to career fairs, including the U.S. Secret Service, where they can recruit graduates.

If you have questions about Southeast Technical’s Criminal Justice Program or the college’s partnership with Alexandria Technical College, please contact Criminal Justice instructor Greg Cady at [email protected].

SE-Tech alum Jeremiah "Jay" Kropidlowski displays a project produced by the college's 3D printing equipment, which makes models based on drafting designs.

Jeremiah Kropidlowski

Like many college students, Jeremiah “Jay” Kropidlowski’s career path took several turns before he finally found the right fit in Southeast Technical’s Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. For Jay, finding that perfect fit was the culmination of several life experiences, plus a result of discovering a talent for design and drawing.

Learning "how things work"
With a grandfather, father, and brother who all worked in construction, Jay became curious at a young age about how things are assembled and work. After graduating from high school, Jay, a native Winonan, followed the traditional path to a four-year college, completed several general education courses, and then decided to enlist in the Air Force Reserves to help further finance his education. Jay enlisted shortly before 9/11, but was located state-side during his tour as a military aircraft mechanic, a position that helped him continue developing his mechanical aptitude.

Finding the creative spark
Jay returned to school in Milwaukee after completing his tour, and through a chance encounter, realized he didn’t just have mechanical know-how; he also had the ability and desire to create. An acquaintance, who happened to be blind, asked Jay to help draft house plans. The experience of envisioning a design and transforming it into a functioning plan was both challenging and rewarding. He soon began evaluating CAD programs and, with a strong program in his hometown, transferred to Southeast Technical in Winona. Jay even entered the CAD program at the same time as his younger brother Gus, who is 10 years his junior, and both enjoyed having this shared experience.

Getting the skills, exposure to technology at Southeast Technical
As part of his coursework in the Computer Aided Design (CAD) Drafting Technologies A.A.S. degree program, Jay received training in drafting fundamentals, best-practices, and industry-standard software, including the latest version of Solid Works for 3D designing. Jay also enrolled at Southeast Tech right when the college obtained state-of-the-art Z-Corp 3D printing equipment. The hands-on skills Jay acquired at Southeast Tech plus exposure to the latest technology helped him land an internship with Winona Lighting, a local commercial lighting fixture manufacturer, where Jay helped design intricate lighting fixtures featured in buildings across the country. Winona Lighting was so impressed with their intern’s work that Jay was offered a full-time job before he even graduated!

Jay completed his degree this spring and is excited about his new career. Jim Ziegler, Jay’s instructor in Southeast Tech’s CAD program, attributes Jay’s success to his character and innate talent. “Jay was a very engaged and energetic and interesting person. He brought integrity and abilities with him to our program and it was my pleasure to help him harness them and use them to procure a good job.”

The WSU Inclusion and Diversity Office, WSU International Services Office, WSU VOCES, Southeast Technical College, and Anoka Ramsey Community present On the Border of a New America: Wall of Shadows with guest speaker Barbara Martinez Jitner. The event will be held in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. Further details are available below.

Winona State University Event

• Topic: On the Border of a New America: Wall of Shadows
• Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
• Location & Time: Winona State University, East Hall Kryzsko Commons – 7:00 p.m.
• Co-Sponsored by: WSU Inclusion and Diversity Office, WSU International Services Office, Southeast Technical College, Anoka Ramsey Community College and WSU VOCES
• Contact: Mr. Alexander Hines at (507) 457-5595 or by email at [email protected]
• Free and Open to the Public
• Guest Speaker:  Barbara Martinez Jitner

Anoka Ramsey Community College Event

• Topic: On the Border of a New America: Wall of Shadows
• Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2011
• Location & Time: Anoka Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids Campus – Courtyard Commons at 10:00 a.m. & Cambridge Campus – G-202 at 1:30 p.m.
• Contact: Mr. Marcellus Davis at (763) 433-1695 or by email at [email protected]
• Free and Open to the Public
• Guest Speaker: Barbara Martinez Jitner

About On the Border of a New America: Wall of Shadows

Latinos are transforming the face of America and have made enormous contributions to our national heritage in the arts, sciences, and military. The history of Latinos in America even predates the founding of the United States. Latinos are one of the oldest and newest residents of this country. On the Border of a New America: Wall of Shadows tells the story of two such Americans. Jose has lived in the U.S. his entire life, but was wrongfully deported and is now trapped on the border. Manuela must cross the border because of an economic crisis in her homeland and come to the U.S. Barbara Martinez Jitner’s presentation explores the remarkable legacy of Latinos in the U.S. and how what is happening at our southern border has not only effected this community, but has penetrated the entire country, creating a new dichotomy in the Latino national identity.

About Barbara Martinez Jitner

The real life hero of Jennifer Lopez’s film, Bordertown, Martinez Jitner posed as a factory worker on the U.S./Mexico border in order to uncover a dark world of grueling poverty and sexual abuse that leads to murder. Bordertown is a political thriller about the murdered factory workers in Juarez, Mexico. The film was inspired by Martinez Jitner’s critically acclaimed documentary, La Frontera which was released in 2007.

Barbara Martinez Jitner is one of the first Latina executive producers of a prime-time network television series. The Emmy-nominated American Family made history when it debuted in 2002 as the first Latino drama on broadcast television. Writer/director Martinez Jitner wrote the PBS premiere episode that garnered unanimous critical acclaim including, USA Today calling it "a rare dramatic hour," TV GUIDE saying, "this series premiere packs a wallop," and garnering a People magazine "Pick of the Week." Martinez Jitner went on to write 10 and direct 7 of the show’s first 22 episodes.

Martinez Jitner is also the first Latina ever to be nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy as an executive producer/writer/director for a miniseries, which she received for American Family. She is currently slated to executive produce and write the HBO miniseries Rain of Gold, adapted from Victor Villasenor’s original text. She is also going to be the executive producer and writer of a miniseries for ABC starring Jimmy Smits, which discusses the themes of immigration and the border. She is currently penning a script for Antonio Banderas about last spring’s infamous immigration march, A Day Without An Immigrant. A collaborator of Academy Award nominee Gregory Nava (El Norte, Mi Familia), Martinez first began working with Nava on his feature film Selena, based on the life of the slain Tejano superstar, and directed the music videos for the feature. She served as the 2nd Unit Director and the Visual Effects Production Supervisor on both Selena and Nava’s Why Do Fools Fall In Love starring Halle Barry.

Governor Mark Dayton joined Southeast Technical President Jim Johnson and panelists representing several industries from the Winona region on Wednesday, August 31, for a jobs panel discussion. The open forum, held in Southeast Technical’s Winona campus auditorium, attracted a sizable crowd of local business leaders, students, and community members who raised questions about the future of starting, maintaining, and growing a business in Minnesota. Panelists echoed each other's concerns that higher education and industries must collaborate more to ensure that southeastern Minnesota’s skilled workforce needs are being met. Southeast Technical was proud to host the impressive panel and provide a forum for community members to bring their thoughts to the table. See our college Facebook page for photos and find further coverage in the Winona Daily News.