HSED and Justice and Community Advocacy program graduate’s path to transferring

Melinda Gregurich's journey to higher education was anything but easy. 

When she started at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, she was battling cancer. She was also a single mother of six children and working two jobs.  

During her NWTC journey, she exceeded her goals and became an inspiration to her peers and family alike. 

The path to an HSED

In 2020, Gregurich attended NWTC’s regional learning center in Oconto Falls to earn her GED®. That’s when she met instructor, Gino Gemignani, and support staff member, Debbie Coppens. 

Once Gregurich completed every class available for her GED®, Gemignani encouraged her to pursue the High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) after seeing her hard work and determination. With additional support from her children and Coppens, Gregurich pushed past some self-doubt and pursued her HSED, 

“When she [Gregurich] was nervous, I said, ‘You can do it! I know you can do it!’” Coppens recalled. 

Gregurich graduated with her HSED in 2021, but she wasn’t done with her higher education journey yet. 

Continuing success for Gregurich at NWTC 

Gregurich began attending NWTC’s main campus in Green Bay knowing that she wanted to do some type of law enforcement work, but she wasn’t quite sure what program. After talking with her academic advisor, Gregurich enrolled in the Justice and Community Advocacy associate degree program. 

She completed the program in May 2024, graduating with honors and as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. 

A global perspective on law

While earning her associate degree at NWTC, Gregurich and her classmates were given the opportunity to study law abroad in Europe for two weeks. At first, Gregurich didn’t think she could study abroad. But her support system thought differently, so she met with Megan Grant, NWTC study abroad coordinator, to gather more information. Gregurich came home and told her kids about the opportunity and how unsure she was about going to Europe. They replied, “Mom, you have to do this!” 

So, she did! 

After signing up for Europe, Gregurich applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to help with the cost of the trip. The scholarship is very challenging to obtain, but Gregurich applied anyway. She almost forgot that she applied until a few weeks later when she was driving home from class. 

“I got an email, and I saw it said, ‘Benjamin Gilman Scholarship,’” Gregurich recalled. She pulled over and opened the email.  

“I screamed so loud because it said, ‘Congratulations, you have been chosen for the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship of $3,000,’” Gregurich exclaimed. 

The scholarship covered the cost of her whole trip, and she became the first NWTC student to ever receive it.

During the trip, Gregurich and about 15 other students and a couple of instructors traveled to London and Paris where they learned about the cities’ history, justice systems, and laws. They also attended a dinner at the French Senate, and Gregurich celebrated her 40th birthday in London!

What’s next? 

Once again, Gregurich isn’t done with her higher education journey yet, which isn’t surprising according to Gemignani. He shares, “I could even see as she was completing her HSED with me, that she was really starting to get the bug to pursue more education.” 

With the help of some of her instructors, advisor, and family, Gregurich decided to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (UWO) to pursue her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. 

When choosing the university to transfer to, Gregurich considered three main questions: 

• Does the college have the courses and degree I want to pursue? 
• Is it worth driving the distance for my degree? 
• Where did I fit in the best and what school would make me feel the most confident? 

Gregurich is confident that the skills she developed at NWTC, such as time management, verbal communication, and goal setting, will help her succeed. 

Gregurich said the transfer process has been smooth thanks to her NWTC and UWO advisors. 

She begins classes in January 2025 as a Titan!

Quick Q&A with Melinda Gregurich:

Who inspired you? 

• Her kids. My kids are like my biggest supporters. They’re my little cheerleaders. They told me you got this; you can do this. 
• Debbie Coppens and Gino Gemignani. Deb and Gino told me, “You’re smart, you’re driven.” They just built me up and made me see myself for who I am. That’s what made me continue to get my HSED. 
• Her bosses, Sarah and Bren, at Martin’s Junction. I don’t know if I would be where I am without them. They work around my school schedule and tell me school comes first – don't give up. 
• Her best friend and her grandpa Bob. 
• Various staff and faculty members, including Kelly Barrette, Colleen Belongea, Terri Delaruelle (former instructor), Neil Dorner, Desiree Franks, Jill Goffin, Arlene Heaster, Dr. Johnathan O’Brien, Kevin Rathburn, Nate Roenitz, and Jeff Steeber. 

What are your career goals? 

• I want to be a criminal profiler and do behavioral analysis. I plan on taking a Spanish class because I feel like that will help me in my field. 

What advice do you have for future students? 

• Whether you’re younger or older, don’t get intimidated. Don’t feel like this is something you can’t do, because you can. I just want people to know that it’s okay to be scared at first, but NWTC, between the students and the staff – they got you.