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“[WMCAT] taught me how to elevate and to keep elevating… I’m not stuck. I have the potential to do better and greater things, and I’ve proven that to myself more than once since joining this program.”
– Tioni “T” Thompson
Adult Career Training Alum, Pharmacy Technician
Two Decades of Impact
Anniversaries and milestones prompt us to reflect on the story that our lives have told over time: the moments of celebration, the challenges faced, and the people and events that have shaped us.
As the West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology celebrates our 20th anniversary, we reflect on the stories lived over two decades of impact.
With your support, our students’ day-to-day experiences — confidently displaying artwork in an exhibition or passing a professional certification exam — can be life-changing. Sometimes, we only learn just how life-changing these moments are from the stories graduates tell long after they’ve left our studios and classrooms.
Nikki's Story
Nikki Turek describes attending WMCAT’s Teen Arts + Tech Program as “monumental.” She explored screen printing, fashion design, and photography after school, while building confidence, uncovering new interests, and connecting to her community.
When Nikki experienced challenges at home, she says, “WMCAT was like my saving grace.” Staff and instructors offered additional project opportunities, were available to talk about what she was going through, and helped her navigate college applications and financing when she needed support. “I felt like I got such kind guidance,” Nikki says. “I had adults, for the first time in my life, that just really allowed me to be myself.”
Fast forward 13 years — past being a first-generation college student, experiencing mental health struggles, overcoming uncertainty to discover belonging, graduating with a degree in arts and humanities, serving with AmeriCorps, and going to school for her master’s degree in social work — and Nikki tells the story of long-term impact, connecting the support she felt as a teen to her purpose today.
“I attribute so much of who I am today, like my creative process, my authenticity, my deep love and empathy for young people . . . to what I witnessed at WMCAT.”
Nikki is a community-based therapist at Arbor Circle, working with youth who are experiencing housing instability and/or who identify at LGBTQ. “Youth sometimes grow up and they never have had an adult really model to them what it’s like to be truly loved and accepted. And I felt that every single adult did that at WMCAT — they gave that to me so that I can continue to give that to other young people.”
Your donation provides opportunities for teens to build creative confidence and experience belonging – an impact that lasts a lifetime. Will you make a gift to support tuition-free arts and tech studios today?
T's Story
Eight years ago, Tioni “T” Thompson was working in a customer service role, answering phones and feeling like she was “just a number.” Aside from the joy of parenting her then-toddler, Titan, she felt frustrated and stuck.
When she enrolled in WMCAT’s Adult Career Training Program to become a pharmacy technician, she was struck by the environment that felt opposite to her job. “This was my happy space.”
T’s instructor and classmates were excited to see her, checked in with her, and provided accountability. Challenging herself within a supportive community helped her get through the fast-paced program.
“It was the extra push that I needed.” She studied hard, immersed herself in personal and professional development, passed her certification exam, and spoke from stage at graduation.
Looking back now — having been promoted twice at Priority Health, welcoming her second son Adonis, enrolling in college to further her education, and joining community groups that provide support and connection — T sees the long-term impact of WMCAT on not only her career, but her outlook.
“[WMCAT] taught me how to elevate and to keep elevating . . . I’m not stuck. I have the potential to do better and greater things, and I’ve proven that to myself more than once since joining this program.”
Working in the pharmacy field has informed T’s next goal of becoming a nurse practitioner, and WMCAT instilled in her the confidence that she can do it. She aims to share that confidence with current Adult Career Training Program students by returning to speak with them each year. “I’m truly honored that I can come back here,” T says. “To encourage them and tell them, ‘Hey, get excited, I promise you. I’m living proof, this is real.’”
Will you make a gift today? Your donation provides tuition-free career training through which adults build long-term income stability for their families.
When you support WMCAT today, you’re investing in tuition-free programs and a community of support for students like Nikki and T. Please make a gift in honor of WMCAT’s 20th year to support the everyday impact we program for, and the long-term impact that changes lives.
With gratitude for 20 years of shared impact,
Jamon Alexander
President + CEO
Donate Today!
The last 20 years, this year, and the next 20 years are not possible without your support. By making a donation to WMCAT you are providing a place where teens can explore visual arts and digital media while building creative confidence, young adults can connect their values with college and career exploration, and adults can tain for a new career that leads to income stability for their family.
Featured Student + Alumni Stories
Limited-edition
wmcat gear
Celebrate 20 years with limited-edition WMCAT gear created by WMCAT teen alumni! These unique designs created by Anala Millbrooks and Jordan Peters reflect their experiences in WMCAT’s Teen Arts + Tech Program.
Learn more about our Teen Arts + Tech alumni artists and WMCAT’s 20 years of impact by visiting our 20th Anniversary page.
