Kevin Grabian will be honored with the 2025 NWTC Distinguished Alumni Award during Alumni Night on November 19. For the first time in the history of the College, two graduates will be recognized with the distinction which celebrates outstanding personal and professional achievements, commitment to the College’s values, and community involvement.
Grabian, a 2006 graduate of NWTC’s Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) and Electronics programs, is a full-time EET faculty member at the College. After graduating from NWTC, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in EET from Milwaukee School of Engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s in engineering at UW-Platteville.
“My NWTC education laid the foundation for everything I’ve accomplished professionally,” said Grabian, who also supports the College’s Electro-Mechanical Technology, Automation Engineering, and Biomedical Electronics programs.
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A first-generation college student, Grabian overcame multiple obstacles to pursue his college and career goals. “My journey reflects the heart of NWTC’s mission, not just in my accomplishments, but in my story,” he said.
Outside of academics, Grabian is a published author and actively working on future book projects. When he’s not teaching or writing, he enjoys composing and performing music, sailing with his family, staying active, reading and learning, photography and painting, pursuing entrepreneurial ideas, and taking on hands-on projects ranging from car restoration and home renovation to electronics and design.
Read more about Grabian’s journey and his perspective on the award, in his own words, below.
I grew up in poverty, lost my father when I was young, and made serious mistakes early in life. Before I could graduate high school, I was already a father, and I had experienced both incarceration and homelessness. But I never let those obstacles define me. I managed to graduate high school near the top of my class, earned two degrees from NWTC, and kept pushing forward; academically, professionally, and personally.
Today, I teach at the same college that helped turn my life around. I lead student success programs, train new faculty, coach award-winning student teams, and show others, especially those facing hardship, what’s possible. I’ve served my community as a youth wrestling coach and board member, a volunteer search-and-rescue leader, and an on-campus medical response volunteer.
This award isn’t about a title. It’s about the journey. What I’ve done since getting the opportunity to study at NWTC isn’t just about degrees or titles, it’s about coming full circle. I’ve gone from student to instructor, from being mentored to becoming a mentor. I serve my students, my community, and my college with the kind of passion that only comes from someone who knows what it's like to need a second chance, and to try and make the most of it.
I advocate for NWTC every day, through my work, my leadership, my story, and my visibility in the community and beyond. I mentor students not just in technical skills, but in life skills, especially those who come from nontraditional or challenging backgrounds like mine.
In my community, I’ve shared my story with prospective students and others who may not have thought college was within their reach. I remind them: If I can do it, so can you, and NWTC can be the place where that transformation starts.
Grabian has represented NWTC at statewide competitions, helping the robotics capstone teams earn recognition across Wisconsin. Pictured above, Grabian, far right, with Joe Morois, EET faculty member, and the four EET students who took home the top spot in the 2025 WTCS Robotics Challenge). He also serves as an NWTC coaching coordinator and works with adjunct faculty as a trainer and liaison.
My short- and mid-term goals focus on being the best instructor and mentor I can be. I want to continue developing innovative teaching strategies, collaborate on curriculum development, and help adjunct faculty grow into their roles, just as others helped me. Long-term, I’m open to the idea of moving into a leadership role at NWTC.
No matter where my path leads, I remain focused on three goals: keep growing, keep giving back, and help others transform their lives, just as NWTC helped transform mine.
This award is incredibly meaningful to me, not because of personal recognition, but because it validates the journey. I’ve faced more barriers than most people will ever know.
My life could’ve gone a very different direction. But I didn’t just survive, I changed course and rebuilt. And I’ve made it my mission to help others do the same. That’s why I’ve coached, mentored, volunteered, and led. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to be the kind of person I once needed.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing students I’ve mentored graduate, enter the workforce, and truly change their lives’ (and their families’ lives) for the better, proof that the ripple effect of opportunity is real. If this award shines a light on stories like mine, and encourages someone else to apply to NWTC, or stay in school, or change course for the better, then that’s the real win.
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