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Extraordinary Motivation
Eliseo Aleman Thinking Ahead
At age 22, Eliseo Aleman already is planning for an early retirement. Do not dismiss that as pie-in-the-sky brashness, however. This highly motivated young man is taking firm steps toward achieving his long-term goals. A Business Mid-Management major, Aleman plans to become a diversified small business owner.
He not only is the first person in his family to go to college, but also the first to finish high school on schedule. Aleman and his family struggled when he was younger, and he was a borderline student. With help from teachers at Walker Middle School and lots of self- determination, he got on track with his education and graduated from high school with honors.
At the heart of his drive is the desire to make sure his future children will grow up in their own homes and have stable lives. “I want to break the cycle of what my family has gone through,” Aleman says. “I want to have a family of my own, and I want them to have a better childhood than I did. I wouldn’t change what happened to me as a child because it’s only made me more motivated.”
Aleman envisions having his own coffee shop, clothing or shoe store, and maybe a laundromat. “I want to own whatever I can get my hands on,” he says. “I like doing things on my time, when I want, and not having to answer to anyone.” For Aleman, MATC is the pathway to those dreams.
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“Everything you learn here is very practical,” he says. “I can’t imagine how you wouldn’t use this information in the real world. The teachers are really down-to-earth. They’re very ‘real’ and easy to relate to.”
Sold on Instructors
Aleman chose MATC because of its helpful instructors. “I wanted the one-on-one time I knew I’d get,” he says. He was familiar with the college because he already had earned an Automotive |
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Maintenance Technician diploma at the Oak Creek Campus. |
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He took the program solely to learn how to fix his own cars, never intending to turn it into a career. Car repair isn’t his only hands-on talent. He and three friends bought a home that they are living in while they fix it up, adding rooms and finishing the attic and the basement. They intend to sell it for a profit in two to four years. In the meantime Aleman works full-time, year-round as a lifeguard for the City of Milwaukee at an indoor pool.
He plans to eventually work as the manager of a store or a department of a major retail operation, so he can prepare for owning his own stores. “I used to work at Wal-Mart, so I have an idea of what I need to do,” he says.
Serious About College
He hasn’t ruled out continuing at a four-year college, but for now is happy with the instruction he is receiving at MATC. With his extremely busy schedule, Aleman finds it convenient to take some classes online. “You have to take your education seriously,” Aleman says. “You can’t do anything without it, or you’ll be stuck flipping burgers all your life.”
Burger-flipping is not an option for a young man who has his sights set on retiring early to a big, open ranch. Aleman dreams of his ranch being in Mexico – a place he has never visited and to which he has no close family ties (his parents were American-born) – yet which inspires deep emotions. “I guess it’s just in my blood,” he says.
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