Sandee Wadleigh has retired from a 35-year career in education after spending her last 24 years with Fox Valley Technical College-Clintonville. A retirement party in her honor was hosted by the college on Wednesday, June 22.
“I will miss the students and the staff the most,” Wadleigh stated. “They made it fun every day. There was never a dull moment-we always had something new going on.”
Technology changes played a significant role in the changes seen at the school.
“When I first started working here, we had a CRT machine-it was a huge tube. We thought we had the world by the tail! But technology has advanced. Now, we all have these little tablet computers we use,” Wadleigh stated. “Technology is moving so fast-I can’t imagine what the next five years will bring.”
Teaching methods have also changed, and Wadleigh said those changes have been positive.
“We’ve moved to a lot more hands-on teaching methods,” she commented. “There have been many good changes in teaching methods that have taken place.”
In retirement, Wadleigh doesn’t plan to sit still for too long.
“I look forward to doing some traveling and volunteering in the community,” she said. “I also will keep busy by visiting friends I haven’t been with in years.”
Paul Shrode, who has worked with FVTC for the past four years, will take over for Wadleigh. He is also the manager at FVTC locations in Waupaca and Wautoma. Prior to joining FVTC, he served as Associate Dean of Students at Lawrence University in Appleton.
“I am originally a native of Michigan. I moved here in 1982,” Shrode said. “I grew up in Detroit, but I have relatives in this area.”
Shrode, who resides in Appleton with his wife and son, said he is excited to build on the foundation created by Wadleigh and the staff at FVTC-Clintonville.
“Sandee has done a wonderful job. There are many strong programs here, and I look forward to building on them. Students are looking for an economical education after they graduate from high school, and we are going to do our best to cater to their needs,” Shrode said. “We are going to offer as many full degree programs as possible. We want to contribute to the community; outreach is important to FVTC.”
Shrode said not to expect any major changes in the immediate future.
“Our goal is to continue to offer high quality service,” he said. “We are always looking for instructors. We are also excited to have recently completed the purchase of this facility, and we plan to explore more options both inside and outside the building.
“I am delighted to be working with this community,” he concluded. “I grew up in Detroit, and I understand the importance of a community with vision and a sense of collaboration. I look forward to being a part of that, and hopefully we can bring the city and county closer together.”