For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: July 26, 2026
From Student to Instructor: Edge returns to Southwest Tech
Fennimore -Twenty years after sitting in the front row as a Medical Assistant student at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Lisa Edge, from Mineral Point, is returning, this time as an instructor.
Edge, who graduated from Southwest Tech’s Medical Assistant program in 2005, will join the faculty next month alongside Kris Schoville, the instructor who taught her two decades ago. The reunion marks a full-circle moment for both women and highlights the lasting impact of mentorship and career education.
Edge grew up in Montfort and graduated from Iowa-Grant High School before earning a degree in physical education and health from UW-Platteville. After teaching for several years, budget cuts reduced her position to just a few hours each week, prompting her to consider a new career.
When she learned Southwest Tech’s Medical Assistant program had openings, she immediately enrolled. “I said, ‘Hold my spot. I’ll be right over,’” recalled Edge. “I was just so excited to get an education.”
As a member of Schoville’s first graduating class after she joined the program in 2004, Edge quickly found inspiration in her instructor. “I remember looking at Kris and thinking, ‘I want to be you,’” said Edge. “Teaching was my background, healthcare became my passion, and she combined both. She inspired me.”
After years working as a medical assistant and later teaching at another institution, Edge’s career has come full circle.
For Schoville, welcoming a former student as a colleague is especially rewarding. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “After Lisa graduated, we both went our separate ways. Now we’re back together, and it’s exciting to begin this next chapter together.”
The Medical Assistant program has changed dramatically since Edge attended classes in a small building across the street from campus. Today, students learn in modern healthcare labs while benefiting from the full range of campus resources. “The knowledge we learned was always solid,” said Edge. “Now students have an incredible facility and so many more opportunities.”
This fall also marks a new chapter for the program itself as Southwest Tech transitions the curriculum from two semesters to an accelerated semester-and-a-half format.
Schoville said she is excited to launch the redesigned program with Edge by her side. “We’re looking forward to getting students trained, building their skills and helping them get into the workforce,” said Schoville. “We hope they enjoy the profession as much as we do.”
For Edge, the greatest reward will be helping students begin careers that can change their lives.
“Everybody brings something to the table,” she said. “I’m excited to meet our students, help them grow and watch them go out and make a difference in their communities.”