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Westerntc.edu  >  Locations  >  Viroqua


Your Community. Your College.

Western in Viroqua is a thriving learning community located in the heart of downtown. Here, we offer select associate's degrees, technical diplomas, and certificate programs, as well as classes that transfer to programs at Western's La Crosse Campus and to other colleges and universities. Whether you are a new high school graduate, an adult interested in career advancement or career changes, or an employer seeking training for your employees, Western in Viroqua can help you meet your goals.

New Path, New Opportunities

"I really believe the program helped get me where I am," says Cathy Vosseteig, a soon-to-be graduate of Western's Supervisory Management program and the new postmaster at the Cashton, Wis., Post Office. Cathy, of Westby, decided three and a half years ago to go back to school. And what she found was that it was a much different experience than it was the first time around. "I knew what I wanted to do. I knew what I wanted to study and that was management. I knew that was going to help me in my career path with the post office."

Cathy had gone to college directly after high school, spending two years at a local university and a year at Western (then WWTC), but couldn't find what she wanted to do. Then, she got a full-time job and her life moved on.

In 1995, she was hired at the Westby post office as a part time clerk, doing everything from city carrying, working the counter, and sorting. She loaned herself out to other area post offices in order to gain more experience and more hours. Five years ago, she looked into becoming postmaster. There were many training opportunities through the postal service, and she took advantage of those, including officer in charge training. But, she also knew she wanted to complete her associate's degree.

She decided to enroll at Western mostly because of the location. "I knew I wouldn't be able to attend daytime classes, so being close to home was important," says Cathy. "What I didn't realize was all the various methods of learning, such as online, that were available to me."And that, she says, was really great. "Online learning was really where I felt most comfortable," she says. "I could do my learning at home, on the weekends, whenever I had a free hour or two. That worked really well for me." She also valued the responsiveness of her instructors. "Whether it was 9 o'clock at night or 7 o'clock in the morning, emails were answered promptly."

The small campus atmosphere and small class sizes were also a plus for Cathy. The front office staff knew her name within the first two weeks of classes. And the small class sizes enabled good discussion between instructors and students. "I really felt like all of the instructors had their own life experiences to share. I thought that was really a plus," she says. "I also valued input from other students. What I found was that people in my classes were working adults my age, some older, some younger. We were all able to share our experiences with each other."

Along the way, Cathy was promoted to officer in charge at the Westby Post Office, and then finally postmaster at the Cashton Post Office in June 2010. "Even though the position didn't require a degree, I really felt like it was the edge I needed that helped me get the position," she says. "I use the skills I learned in the program every day."