Meet the 2024-25 Waukesha County Technical College District Ambassador: Jorge Benito
Congratulations to Accounting student Jorge Benito for being named the WCTC District Ambassador for the 2024-25 academic year! Every spring, each of the 16 colleges within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) selects one student to represent its district as student ambassador. This student serves as an on-campus advocate, participates in a leadership development and recognition program, and receives a scholarship toward their studies.
When Jorge Benito graduated from Veritas High School in 2019, he had some familiarity with Waukesha County Technical College, having learned about it at a college fair at his school and later, attending an open house at WCTC.
Initially, he developed an interest in the Welding program, but because of life events and financial circumstances, he put his education on hold and went straight to work in construction, roofing, painting and commercial moving jobs. Physically, it was hard work, he said, and by the summer of 2021, he began to consider different career paths.
“I realized I didn’t want to work in extremely high labor jobs that would take a toll on my body. I wanted to use my knowledge instead,” Benito said, noting his strong interest in mathematics and solid problem-solving skills.
That fall, he enrolled in the Accounting program at WCTC. “I decided it would be the perfect place to pursue my goal and get my associate’s degree,”– an opportunity, Benito said, his parents haven’t had.
“I’m the first in my family to go to college. It’s a big accomplishment,” he said.
Benito’s mother (Rocio Corchado) and father (Jorge Benito Antonio) immigrated to the United States from Mexico at ages 21 and 24, respectively, in the summer of 2000 – just a few months before Benito was born. His parents both grew up in poverty and quit school after sixth grade to help their families, he said. Corchado stepped up to care for her 12 siblings after her mother abandoned the family and her father struggled to pay for basic needs. Benito Antonio was displaced from his childhood home after the building of a dam flooded their town, forcing he and his family to relocate and rebuild their lives.
As young adults, a move to a new country would provide his parents better work and educational opportunities, Benito said. “They decided they wanted something different; they moved to the U.S. to provide a better life for their family.”
Benito is striving to create a rewarding career and life and make his parents proud. He’s a full-time student -- now his second year of the Accounting program; a member of Tri-Alpha, a national honor society for first-generation college students; and a full-time accounting assistant at the Center for Veterans Issues in Milwaukee. He’s also an inspiration to his 21-year-old sister, Martha, and 10-year-old brother, Osmar.
While he’s had a few challenges during his time at WCTC, including a car accident, which forced him to take some time off from school, Benito is eager to keep moving forward, graduate in May 2025 and make the most of his education. Being selected as district ambassador has been just one of the highlights of his WCTC experience.
“I’m really excited for this role,” he said. “I’m most excited about showing students how being involved in your school and doing different things is part of the college experience. And that makes it a lot more fun.”