Heena Dhyani tests a water sample in her lab at MMSD.
As an artist who loves science, Heena Dhyani uses her creativity and training from MATC to protect Milwaukee’s water
I feel the work I do is meaningful and vital to keeping our water supply safe.
An artist at heart
Growing up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Heena Dhyani always had a passion for science but found herself even more drawn to art. She pursued her love for the arts, earning a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010. After graduation, Dhyani worked for a jewelry company until her position was eliminated.
Seeking a new direction, she joined AmeriCorps, serving as a literacy tutor for a year. Afterward, she used the education award she earned through the program to enroll in cooking classes and subsequently worked in various restaurants around Milwaukee.
Dhyani’s journey took another turn when she enrolled in MATC’s Environmental Health and Water Quality Technology program, where she quickly thrived. She found joy in the science classes and appreciated the individual attention from instructors and staff.
“Heena is just a delightful individual—thoughtful, kind, creative, and insightful,” remarked Kathleen Bates, the program coordinator and lead faculty instructor for the Environmental Health and Water Quality Technology program. Bates fondly recalled Dhyani’s dedication, noting how she borrowed a friend’s manual ice-fishing drill to collect water samples for a class project.
Dhyani enjoyed the smaller class sizes at MATC. “The program really helps you network,” she said. “With fewer students in the classes, it’s easier to make connections.”
During her time at MATC, she interned with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and received a program scholarship, as well as the Marian Drake Breskvar Scholarship. The latter was endowed by a former Milwaukee Public Schools teacher who left a significant portion of her estate to the MATC Foundation to support student scholarships.
“The scholarships helped me quite a bit,” Dhyani said. “They came as I was finishing, so I didn’t have any loans to pay off. It was nice not to worry about that, especially after getting a four-year college degree.”
Heena Dhyani Testing
Many career paths
After graduation, Dhyani worked as a food technologist, creating and testing seasoning blends, shelf-stable cheese sauces, and enzyme-modified cheese flavors. She initially felt having so many different career paths might be a red flag for employers. But she came to realize most companies viewed it as an asset. She was pleased to discover numerous employment opportunities for graduates in a host of industries and decided on a job at the sewerage district.“I feel the work I do is meaningful and vital to keeping our water supply safe,” Dhyani said, laboratory technician at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Now 36, she satisfies her creative side by painting, making metal jewelry, and sculpting. Lately, Dhyani has been connecting with the outdoors by hunting for mushrooms in the Wisconsin woods. She will always find ways to express her creativity while having a stable, secure career thanks to MATC.
“I feel I was prepared very well by MATC,” Dhyani said. “My internship overlapped with my studies, so there were things I would learn in the classroom one day, then put into practice in the real world the next day... Plus, with this job, there is always something new to learn.”
Learn more about the Environmental Health and Water Quality Technology program at matc.edu.