Blackhawk Honors Partners at 2nd Annual Golden Brick Awards

(Left to right) Emily Hopper, Rising Star Alumni Award winner; Dr. Kolleen Onsrud, K-12 Partnership Award winner; HealthNet of Rock County, Inc., Community Partnership Award winner; Michelle Weirich, Distinguished Faculty Award winner; Laura Becker, Distinguished Staff Award winner; Jane and Mick Gilbertson, Philanthropic Award winners; James Otterstein, Technical Education Champion Award winner; and Kristine Corwin, Distinguished Alumni Award winner.

More than 200 people attended Blackhawk Technical College’s 2^nd Annual Golden Brick Awards on Wednesday afternoon to honor community members, industry partners and Blackhawk alumni and staff who have gone above and beyond in the past year to advance Blackhawk’s mission and vision of preparing students for work and life.

The 2023 award winners are:

• Technical Education Champion Award – James Otterstein
• Philanthropic Award – Mick and Jane Blain Gilbertson
• Community Partnership Award – HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.
• K-12 Partnership Award – Dr. Kolleen Onsrud
• Distinguished Alumni Award – Kristine Corwin
• Rising Star Alumni Award – Emily Hopper
• Distinguished Faculty Award – Michelle Weirich
• Distinguished Staff Award – Laura Becker

The event was held at Blackhawk’s Conference Center on Central Campus and included several sponsors:

• JP Cullen – Presenting Sponsor and Technical Education Champion Award Sponsor
• SSM Health – Philanthropic Award Sponsor
• Blain’s Farm & Fleet – Community Partnership Award Sponsor
• Angus-Young – K-12 Partnership Award Sponsor
• First National Bank and Trust Company – Distinguished Alumni Award Sponsor
• Ahern – Rising Star Alumni Award Sponsor
• Nowlan Law – Distinguished Faculty Award Sponsor
• Seneca – Distinguished Staff Award Sponsor

"It is a pure delight to look out into this room…and see all of us come together and celebrate and honor this year’s distinguished Golden Brick Award honorees who have truly paved the way for not only our Blackhawk students, programs and facilities but ultimately our communities’ upward trajectory for positive economic health, prosperity and continued growth," said Lisa Hurda, Blackhawk Director of Advancement & Foundation.  'Being the best partner for our community takes partners. We here at Blackhawk are grateful each and every day for the incredible partners we have. That includes not only who we are honoring today but also all of you in this room."

About the 2023 Award Recipients:

Technical Education Champion Award: James Otterstein

James Otterstein, Economic Development Manager for Rock County, is the recipient of Blackhawk’s Technical Education Champion Award, which recognizes a key community or industry leader who demonstrates an exemplary level of partnership with Blackhawk to promote technical education and economic development.

For more than two decades, James has led Rock County’s economic development efforts and has connected industry with Blackhawk Technical College through several talent pipeline workforce initiatives, including the Stateline Manufacturing Alliance and Rock Internship/Externship programs.

Whether talking to industry leaders or community members, James keeps Blackhawk at the forefront of his conversations, helping to increase awareness of Blackhawk as a premier education and training provider in south central Wisconsin.

Philanthropic Award: Mick and Jane Blain Gilbertson

Mick and Jane Blain Gilbertson are the recipients of Blackhawk’s Philanthropic Award, which honors those whose generosity have made an impact on Blackhawk and the Blackhawk Foundation with their contributions to open doors for students, programs and facilities.

In early 2022, Mick, Jane and their daughters established the Blain Gilbertson Family Scholarship, which is a full-ride scholarship that provides financial assistance to students who are enrolled in the Agriculture, Business or Transportation, Distribution & Logistics programs at Blackhawk.

The Blain Gilbertson Family through Blain’s Farm & Fleet also donated for the naming rights on the overhead commercial doors at Blackhawk’s Center for Transportation Studies building within the new Public Safety + Transportation Complex. The gift supports Blackhawk’s automotive and diesel programs, which provide skills in service and repair of transportation, construction, industrial and farm equipment and provide a foundation on the latest technologies.

Community Partnership Award: HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.

HealthNet of Rock County is the recipient of Blackhawk’s 2023 Community Partnership Award, which honors organizations that have made significant contributions through a sustained and reciprocal partnership with Blackhawk.

HealthNet is a key partner for Blackhawk’s dental and nursing programs, providing clinical opportunities and training for our students. Specifically, HealthNet has also been instrumental in helping Blackhawk launch its Dental Hygienist program by providing job shadow opportunities. They soon will also provide opportunities for students to assist with patients in a clinical setting. Since 2000, HealthNet has provided job shadowing opportunities for our nursing students.

Blackhawk has provided phlebotomy refresher training for HealthNet’s staff and will provide ongoing training as needed.

K-12 Partnership Award: Dr. Kolleen Onsrud

Dr. Kolleen Onsrud, the principal at Janesville’s Rock University High School, is the recipient of the inaugural K-12 Partner Award from Blackhawk Technical College, which recognizes an exceptional K-12 school partnership with the college.

At Rock University High School, which is a tuition-free, charter school through the School District of Janesville and located on Blackhawk’s campus, Kolleen has been instrumental in building dual credit opportunities in partnership with Blackhawk. In fact, five RUHS students will graduate this spring with an associate’s degree in addition to their high school diploma.

This middle college model is the first of its kind in Wisconsin, and Kolleen’s vision for building programs that give students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school also played a key role in Blackhawk’s success with its new Associate of Arts and Associate of Science programs.

Distinguished Alumni Award: Kristine Corwin

Kris Corwin, the Trauma Program Coordinator at Mercyhealth Rock County, is the recipient of Blackhawk’s Distinguished Alumni Award, which honors an outstanding Blackhawk graduate who has demonstrated the value of a technical college education through career accomplishments, community service, continued personal and educational growth, and support of the technical college system.

Kris received an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Blackhawk in 1991. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Viterbo University in La Crosse in 2004 and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006. She also holds multiple certifications, including Trauma Certified Registered Nurse, Certified Emergency Nurse and Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse.

Kris has worked in the pediatric unit and the emergency department before becoming the Trauma Program Coordinator. Her career path as a nurse and her community involvement demonstrates how her Blackhawk education provided a foundation to not only succeed but also make a difference.

Rising Star Alumni Award: Emily Hopper

Emily Hopper is the recipient of Blackhawk’s Rising Star Alumni Award, a new award that recognizes alumni who graduated from the college within the past decade.

Emily received an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from Blackhawk in 2010 and an associate’s degree in Business Management in 2012. Her first job was at Café Belwah, which is now Merrill and Houston’s. She worked there while at Beloit Turner High School and through her years at Blackhawk, learning all aspects of the restaurant business before joining Geronimo Hospitality Group’s Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar where she served as the General Manager and Executive Chef.

She currently is the People + Culture Specialist at Geronimo Hospitality Group & Hendricks Commercial Properties. The position puts together all of her years of experience by ensuring employees work in a supportive environment.

Since graduation, she has been a strong supporter of the college’s culinary program by serving on their advisory committee, hiring numerous culinary students, and gladly giving her time to provide tours and explanations of the hospitality opportunities, within Geronimo Hospitality Group, that are available to Blackhawk students. In addition to her continued support, she has inspired so many of our Rock County’s youth by her active leadership and ability to connect with our county’s youth. Lastly, about a year ago, Emily also had the opportunity to compete on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games.

Faculty of the Year Award: Michelle Weirich

Michelle Weirich, Early Childhood Education instructor, is the recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award, which honors an instructor who contributes in significant ways to their respective program, division/department, or the larger Blackhawk community. This year, the winner of this award was chosen by students as part of the annual Student Awards Ceremony.  

Students chose Michelle for her inspiration and commitment to Blackhawk as well as her ability to make learning fun and engaging. 

Since she was a child, Michelle wanted to be a teacher. She worked for more than a decade in a childcare center before joining Blackhawk. She recently celebrated her 20^th anniversary at the college. She has also been a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) ECE State Curriculum Committee since 2005 and also has led efforts with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to develop an articulation agreement for Blackhawk students in the Early Childhood Education program to earn a bachelor’s degree with a dual teaching license in both Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.

Staff of the Year: Laura Becker

Laura Becker is the recipient of the Distinguished Staff Award, which honors a Blackhawk staff member who contributes in significant ways to their respective program, division/department, or the larger Blackhawk community. This year, the winner of this award was chosen by students as part of the annual Student Awards Ceremony. 

Students chose Laura for her ability to help students navigate their college journeys. She is a go-to person for many students. 

Laura joined Blackhawk in 2019 as a student success coach. In 2020, she became Blackhawk’s student counselor and case manager. She is a member of Blackhawk’s Careers, Advocacy, Resources and Engagement (CARE) Center Team, which helps students on their path to academic and career success by helping them access external and internal services and resources, including the Student Cupboard and the Career Closet.

About the Golden Brick Awards

When building a house, all bricks are structural and practical. While all bricks are acknowledged and needed for any house to stand, some bricks go above and beyond – they also shine. These “golden bricks” are our faculty, alumni, community leaders and industry partners who go above and beyond, leveraging their work to enhance the mission of Blackhawk Technical College by creating a strong and vibrant workforce for our communities.