Kindness& Courage

Criminal Justice grad Ana Mejia is dedicated to making a positive impact in her community.

By Casey Britten

Growing up in El Salvador, Ana Mejia was used to crime. El Salvador is consistently ranked as among the most dangerous countries in the world, and violence was part of Ana’s daily life.

“I was living in a really violent community and my daughter and I were regularly threatened by gangs,” she recalls. Her complaints to police went unanswered. One day, gang members drew a gun on Ana and her daughter. “I thought we were going to die that day. That’s when I knew we needed to leave in order to save our lives.”

In 2016, Ana emigrated to the United States with her husband and her 18-month-old daughter. Her husband, Jose Recinos, had been an exchange student at Fox Valley Technical College so they decided to settle in the Fox Valley.

Ana first came to FVTC in 2019 to learn English. She then enrolled in Starting Point 2.0, an FVTC program that empowers young women and provides them with the resources they need to start a career.

After completing that program, her earlier problems working with law enforcement inspired her to pursue a career in Criminal Justice. “Law enforcement in El Salvador is broken,” she explains. “They do not help you when you need it. I decided I wanted to do something to help young women and children.”

El Salvador’s male-dominated National Civil Police force is a militant and commanding presence in the country. “Criminal justice in El Salvador is totally different than it is here,” Ana says. “As a child, I thought all police were angry, showing power and strength. In the United States, we help the community every day. My training has taught me that we can be strong and kind at the same time.”

In December 2022, Ana graduated from FVTC with an associate degree in Criminal Justice, and she is hoping to work with children in the juvenile justice system. “This career offers the chance to positively impact the lives of others, especially children.” Eventually she hopes to become a police officer.

Ana credits FVTC with helping her reach her goals. “FVTC has helped me break through so many barriers, starting with learning English and then helping me believe in myself,” she says.

Coming to the United States has opened up a world of opportunities she never would have had in El Salvador. “Young women in El Salvador have very few opportunities,” she says. “When I first moved here, I started to think like that. But then when I started at FVTC, they changed my mind. They told me I can do whatever I want, and now I believe that.”

And she’s a role model for her two children: her eightyear-old daughter whom she brought to the U.S. for a brighter future, as well as a four-year-old son. “My kids are proud of me; they call me their hero,” says Ana. “My daughter tells me she wants to be like me when she grows up.”

• • •  Hear more from Ana: www.fvtc.edu/AnaMejia

• • • Learn more about the Starting Point 2.0 program: www.fvtc.edu/Women

Chef Emily Perrault

Women in Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Department Chair Carrie Koepp wants more women to pursue careers in criminal justice. While she strives to be a role model for all students, she is truly focused on female students. “I want them to think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it,’” she explains. The efforts by Carrie and others in the FVTC Public Safety division are working. Since 2015, the female-to-male student ratio has increased by 11% in the Criminal Justice programs.

Corrections Officer DNR Warden Probation & Parole Officer Public Safety Dispatcher Police Officer $51,500 average annual salary for Criminal Justice grads 6 months after graduation

Alumni Spotlight: Q&A with Garry Moïse

Through his work with Upward Bound, FVTC Quality Management grad encourages first-gen students to pursue education.

By Casey Britten

In 1998, Garry Moïse was a college student from Haiti when he arrived at Fox Valley Technical College as part of a study abroad program. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in Quality Management (now called Quality Engineering Technology) and returned to Haiti to apply the skills he learned.

He returned to Wisconsin a few years later, enrolled at Marian University in Fond du Lac and has since earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marian. He now serves as the university’s director of the Upward Bound Math & Science program, and is the recipient of Marian’s 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Award.

What did you enjoy most about your time at FVTC?

The people. Everyone at FVTC was so supportive and helpful. I also really enjoyed being exposed to the area; it was a good opportunity to get to know Wisconsin.

There's so much technology involved in what's going on at Fox Valley Tech. I'm proud that I was a student there.

How did FVTC provide the foundation for your career?

Many of the skills I learned at Fox Valley Tech I still use to this day. My degree opened my eyes to the concept of quality and leadership. There was also a lot of emphasis on serving, particularly customer service. I learned that I could apply that in different professional settings.

Tell us more about your role with Marian University.

I’m the director of the Upward Bound Math and Science Program. It’s part of the federally funded TRIO grant providing college and career preparation for students who would be first in their families to pursue a college degree, and many of them are from families with limited income. We serve a population that may not think a college degree is for them, because nobody in the family has been there.

What is your advice to people just starting out in their careers?

I encourage students to be intellectually curious about their career choices. If you are not sure about what to pursue, look it up. Get to know what it is about. Connect with someone. Start connecting even when you are in high school. Start exploring the careers that you are thinking about and it's okay if you change your mind. Learning is not just in the classroom. Learning happens everywhere.

You are the recipient of Marian University’s 2023 MLK Spirit Award. How are you living out Dr. King’s legacy?

Martin Luther King was fighting a much larger fight. I focus on personal development through my work in education and through my work in serving the community. My dream is to provide a contribution in whatever capacity I can to help others fulfill their own dream. I’m in a position to help others transform themselves. Through Fox Valley Tech and other opportunities in my life, I've benefited from what others have done for me, and I just want to continue to do that for others.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Alumni