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Keep your contact information current and let us know when a big life event happens by completing our online form. Space permitting, we will publish your news in an upcoming issue of the Connect alumni newsletter.
- Western Connect Newsletter
The Western Connect newsletter is sent twice a year. It provides updates on what is happening at the college and features stories about our alumni. Connect is sent electronically. If you would prefer to have a printed version of Connect mailed to you, please fill out this form.
See the the most recent Connect issues below, and add your name to the mailing list by completing the "Update Your Information" section above.
February 2026
Feature Story: A Long Way From Sierra Leone, and Right Where He BelongsBefore becoming Trooper Cole, Abdul Bolageh Cole, ’21, ’22, grew up in Sierra Leone in a household guided by shared responsibility. Family extended beyond parents and siblings to include relatives, neighbors, and anyone who needed a place to stay. The house was busy, often loud, and rarely quiet—but it worked.
September 2025
Feature Story: Built to Stay: Joel and Nick Von Haden on Legacy, Loyalty, and Local ImpactAt Winona Heating & Ventilating, Inc., the work is technical—but the legacy is deeply personal. For father-and-son team Joel and Nick Von Haden, HVAC systems and building automation are only part of the story. Their real focus is building people, nurturing relationships, and staying rooted in the community that shaped them.
February 2025
Feature Story: Elevating the Art of Dentistry: The Story Behind Western’s Expanded Functions ProgramAt Western, the Expanded Functions Dental Auxiliary program is changing the landscape of dental care in Wisconsin. Combining innovative training, community impact, and student success, this program is empowering both alumni like MacKenze Ramsey and educators like Nicole Schmit to redefine what’s possible in the dental field.
September 2024
Feature Story: More Than Mechanics: The Heart of Western Diesel ProgramAt Western, the Diesel and Heavy Equipment program is about more than just engines and transmissions; it’s a community where students and instructors form bonds that last a lifetime. Guided by dedicated educators like Casey Eglinton ’94 and his fellow instructors—Cody Bork ’15, Jason Lewis ’95, and Chad Hofslien ’89, ’18—this program thrives on inclusivity, collaboration, and a full commitment to supporting one another.
February 2024
Feature Story: Roots, Resilience, CommunityJust outside of Spring Grove, Minnesota, Moriah Cody spent the best years of her childhood. Now, Moriah is not your average mother, daughter, musician, Western graduate, community volunteer, and busy professional. She is all that, and so much more! She has 23 years of finance experience and is currently the Vice President of Hanson & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC here in La Crosse. So, how did she become the trusted, go-to woman at work—and in the community? Let’s get to it!
September 2023
Feature Story: Natasha Normand is Redefining RolesOnce upon a time in the town of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, there lived a remarkable woman named Natasha Normand. However, Normand’s current reality is one of an Army veteran living with PTSD, and a single parent to a lovely 5-year-old daughter, Aurora, and the world’s greatest dog, a black lab named Diesel. After serving with bravery and dedication for six years, she has been discharged and found herself at a bit of a crossroads. Normand is not one for fairy tales, but she has thoughtfully organized her life in an enviable fashion.
February 2023
Feature Story: Luke Loves to Go BigWisconsin native Luke Achterberg ’05 is a successful working artist. His chilly, utilitarian Northside La Crosse studio is where the artistic magic happens. Luke is a sculptor; his medium is metal, his method is welding, and he loves to “go big.” We must ask, where would he be without his Western Welding Degree?
August 2022
Feature Story: Amanda Heintz - Great Misfortune; Beautiful ClosureThe universe was in an irritable mood the day it intervened in Amanda’s life in a terrible way. A gentler nudge in the right direction would have been appreciated, but we don’t get to choose these things. On a stormy gray morning, Amanda Heintz—at the time a Western nursing student—was driving to church, like she always did. This trip left Amanda with a crumpled car and a cleanly broken femur. The accident was tailor-made for a pain killer habit. She unwittingly entered a darkly lit pattern of addiction—a place notoriously difficult to come back from. However, lots has happened since.
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Stay connected with Western and fellow alumni online!
- Alumni Marketplace
The Western Alumni Marketplace enables our alumni to promote their business while offering discounted products and services to fellow Western alumni. Increase your customer base by listing your business!
- Become an Alumni Association Board Member
Get involved! Apply to be an Alumni Association Board Member! If you are an alumni of Western Technical College and looking for a way to help drive forward the mission of the college, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
- Emergency Notification System
No longer need to be alerted to Western emergencies? Contact PCservice@westerntc.edu with your name and cell number to be removed from the Western notification system.
