Why I am at MATC

Everyone has something unique about themselves, but what makes me unique? My name is Anthony M Johnson, I am 26 years old, and I’m the brother of three sisters. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and at an early age I was taken away from my mother along with my sisters and we were placed in foster care. My life had changed, and I had to adapt to a new life style. My sisters and I where reunited, but later separated due to lack of space. This changed my life drastically. I was devastated and had so many mixed emotions running through my mind because I lost my parents and now my sisters. All I had left were memories, and items my sisters left behind. The journey wasn’t easy but I made it through. I made friends and I started to engage with the community. As I started to get over the emotional stress of being separated from my family members I was then sent back to foster care. I was back to where I started: first my mother, then my sister, now my friends. I could not cry anymore; I ran out of tears. Fortunately, in the same week, I met someone who always wanted a son. She introduced herself as Ms. Johnson, a single woman with no kids that worked for the government. Ms. Johnson was pleased to meet and welcome me into her home. After always losing people close to me, I isolated myself from the society. I was afraid to start all over again. Ms. Johnson gave me the biggest surprise of my life, I was reunited with my sisters. I could not believe it, but I figured it was only for the moment. Miss. Johnson said, “they are here to stay, how would you guys like it if I adopted all of you?” This took me by surprise, finally getting what I wanted after being taken away from my family and friends.

As my life continued I had become a profound young man. As a result of facing so much hardship growing up, I was determined to succeed. I took up a hobby in computers, and later on found myself having a passion for them. Working on computers could become a career, so I applied for jobs that dealt with computers. After graduating in 2009 from high school, I enrolled in Waubonsee Community College to major in Computer Science. While attending college, I worked for Kane County Department of Employment and Education, for part of a summer program, s a Technical Assistant. The daily routine was to update desktop computers with new software and operating systems. While continuing my profession, I considered myself a jack of all trades. Although I had a passion for computers, I worked for Fox River Food Inc. four years in their housekeeping/inventory department, I was able to use my computer knowledge to solve varies of problems within the department. In March of 2012, I moved to Oak Creek, WI. My focus was to transfer all of my credits to a school that had small class sizes, interactions with instructors, and tuition at a low cost. At Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) I had everything and more. In the month of August, 2015, I transferred my credits to MATC major in Computer Support in the IT Networking Specialist program in Milwaukee. This was a new chapter in my life.

As I continue my education, my dream is to work for Microsoft, Google, British Petroleum (BP Gas) or even Bavarian Motor Works (BMW). However, it would be an honor to join any team and grow from within, and able to learn in the progress. Throughout my life, I moved from house to house, got separated from my family, and had to rebuild my life. My past is what pushed me to do more, and not to settle. What makes myself unique is my determination to succeed.