JANESVILLE — Blackhawk Technical College Foundation and Alumni Association announce its annual recipient for Alumni of the Year, Brittany Kelly of Janesville. The BTC Foundation and BTC Alumni Association accept nominations year-round from students, faculty, staff and employees. Each year, one recipient is selected and honored.

Brittany Kelly was in one of the first cohorts of students who completed the Medical Laboratory Technician program when it first launched at Blackhawk. She took that knowledge and has worked in the blood bank for Mercyhealth’s Janesville location since her graduation in 2013.

Kathi Winker, Medical Lab Technician Instructor, remembers Brittany fondly as a student and as an alumna. “Every single day that Brittany came to class, she was this bubbly, excited person who was so looking forward to her laboratory career. A week after she graduated, I received an email saying, ‘look at the cool pictures I took on the microscope. These are urine crystals.’ And that began our post-graduation relationship.” This continued relationship is only part of the reason why Kathi nominated Brittany for Alumni of the Year.

Each year Brittany returns to the MLT program in Monroe to help students prepare for their clinical training. This is her opportunity to ensure she has quality coworkers in the future. “I think it’s essential to support the student base,” she said. “We hear in the news so much about how there’s a nursing shortage. There’s just as much of a lab tech shortage.”

Currently, Brittany has her sights set on either a supervisory or teaching position and is in a degree program to advance those goals. For now, she enjoys returning to BTC to see how far the program has come since her graduation. This year’s Alumni of the Year demonstrates her continued appreciation for the program by regularly returning to share her knowledge and help current students prepare for their clinical experiences.

Learn more about the Blackhawk Technical College Alumni Association or how to nominate alumni for recognition at www.blackhawk.edu/About/Alumni.