MILWAUKEE — Ever since she was a little girl, Mona Burch says she's always been fascinated with death.
"As a kid I had obituaries taped up on my wall, I would go to funerals and would be staring at the people just wondering how did they get them to look like this, how did all of this stuff happen," said Burch.
So when she learned that the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) was the only college in the state offering a funeral service program, she jumped at the opportunity to get her degree.
"I love it. It is actually a field where literally every day I'm learning something new."
According to program coordinator Gabriel Schauf, the demand for younger people to get into the funeral service field is at an all-time high.
"Over the next five years, studies have shown that around 60% of the funeral home owners are planning on retiring," said Schauf. "Over 90% of recent funeral service graduates are going to be finding jobs pretty much right out of school."
It's a two-year hybrid course. In year one, students take routine classes including anatomy and business law. Year two, they're involved in more hands-on work, learning about embalming, marketing, funeral law, and more.
"We get bodies that are donated by family members. We have bodies that are donated from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office," said Schauf. "Those bodies will come in, our students will embalm them, dress, casket, cosmeticize and care for them."
After completing the program, the job opportunities that will open up for these students are endless.
"I have a business degree. I plan on owning a funeral home," said Burch. "I have worked in every different field. Nursing, education, everything, and this is the only thing that kept calling me."
To learn about MATC's funeral service program or if you'd like to apply, visit the college's website.
