Top SkillsUSA national officer transfers into UW-Platteville's distance engineering program
A key national officer within the SkillsUSA workforce development organization has decided to transfer to UW-Platteville to complete a mechanical engineering degree, underscoring how the university's distance engineering program continues to attract top talent.
Emma Schwantes, 21, of Watertown, Wisconsin, graduated from Madison College in 2025 with an associate degree in mechanical design technology. A member of SkillsUSA since high school, she was named the organization's national college/postsecondary treasurer and Joint Executive Council vice chair this summer.
Schwantes wants more. She has her eye on a four-year mechanical engineering degree, and she's been taking general education courses at Madison College post-graduation to prepare to transfer to UW-Platteville through the UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships Program (PEP). Designed for working adults and students who can't relocate to Platteville, the program is almost entirely online, with only a handful of visits to campus for laboratory work. The program was an ideal fit for Schwantes, who lives with her parents in Watertown to save money.
Officials in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science confirmed Schwantes' transfer this month.
"I'm super excited to start," Schwantes said. "I knew UW-Platteville had the program in mechanical engineering, and MATC (Madison College) really tried to push the PEP program. It's all online, other than a couple in-person labs. That pushed me toward it. I still live at home, and I knew I would be able to work and focus on studying and still generate enough money to pay rent."
The PEP program began in the 1980s as a way to allow students to start their postsecondary education at a two-year school before transferring into accredited programs in mechanical, electrical or industrial and systems engineering at UW-Platteville. Hundreds of students have used the program over the years, said Platteville Distance Engineering Programs Director Melissa Gavin. The program currently averages about 130 students annually.
Notable alumni include Luke Strenn, who completed an engineering degree one course at a time while working in law enforcement; Jason Hartfield, who was recently appointed director of corporate engineering at IPG, a Florida-based paper, film and packaging manufacturer; and Sarah Barron, a manufacturing engineer for Electronic Theatre Controls, which manufactures lights for museum and Broadway theaters.
"All higher education, especially a degree in engineering, promises students economic and social mobility," EMS Dean Philip Parker said. "PEP delivers on this promise better than anyone else by providing working adults with an engineering degree that fits with their schedule."
SkillsUSA is a workforce development organization with more than 444,000 students and teachers spread across middle school, high school and college/postsecondary chapters. Students gain hands-on skills in more than 100 occupational areas ranging from 3D animation to welding.
Schwantes joined the Watertown High School chapter as a junior as a way to hang out with her best friend, who was already in the chapter, and pursue computer-aided design. She said she enjoys the challenge of turning blueprints into tangible items.
"If you're able to model it and 3D-print it, you're able to have it basically in your hands rather than just on a computer screen," she said.
She rose quickly through the organization's ranks, eventually serving as president, vice president and treasurer of SkillsUSA Wisconsin before being named a national officer in June.
She ultimately wants to find a career centered on computer-aided design. Her next goal is securing an internship for the summer of 2027. She has her sights set on Bobcat, which operates a dealership in Watertown.
"Smart and genuine would be the two big words I use for her," said Mike Berry, state director for SkillsUSA Wisconsin College and Post-Secondary Association. "Distance learning is definitely valuable for the right student. Emma is one of those right students because she has the discipline to sit down and do the work. The goal is to never let a student sell themselves short. By going to Platteville in the engineering program, she's working toward her potential."