For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: June 1, 2026
First Radiography Cohort Graduates
Fennimore -
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College celebrated a milestone May 16 as the first cohort of students graduated from the college’s Radiography program. Nine students completed the program, which launched in August 2024 to help meet the growing demand for radiographers in southwest Wisconsin.
For Rachel Harris, Radiography program director and instructor, watching the first class cross the graduation stage marked the culmination of years of work, growth and perseverance.
“When we started in 2024, the students had a really basic understanding of how everything was going to work,” she said. “Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better first class to have because while they were growing as students and future technologists, our program was also growing into something more every day they were here.”
The program’s early days came with challenges. Before an on-campus lab was completed, students attended evening lab sessions at the Grant Regional Community Clinic in Fennimore, across the street from campus. Harris said the students adapted to every change and remained committed to learning. “They rolled with the punches,” she said. “They really rose to the challenge.”
Graduates of the program are now prepared to work as radiographers in hospitals and clinics, performing diagnostic imaging procedures including X-rays and fluoroscopy. They will work closely with radiologists, physicians and emergency room staff to capture images used in patient diagnosis and treatment.
The need for radiographers remains strong throughout the region. Harris said seven of the nine graduates already have jobs, and every student who applied for a position received an offer.
Clinical partners frequently contacted the program with job openings for students.
Interest in the program also continues to grow. Interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Harris credited the support of Radiography Instructor and Clinical Coordinator Kasey Budack, as well as the determination of the students, for helping establish the program’s foundation.
“I was so proud,” Harris said of graduation day. “I know what these students went through to get this. I know how hard they worked. To watch them finally walk across that stage was just really rewarding.”
