Connie and Michael Matheson Memorial Scholarship

Mike’s best friend and soulmate, his wife Connie, passed away in early 2015 after a short battle with kidney cancer.  In those final days, as family and friends gathered to say broken-hearted goodbyes, the idea of honoring Connie with a scholarship fund came about.  Knowing there was a way to celebrate her life and work, while having a positive impact on the future, provided a bit of brightness to those grieving.  With the help of Connie’s colleagues and sister, Mike started the Connie M. Matheson Memorial Scholarship for Medical Assistant Students.

Madison Area Technical College held special significance for Mike and Connie; it’s where they first met!  In the fall of 1973, Connie was completing general education credits at MATC while in nursing school at Madison General and Mike was performing with the New College Singers and MATC Jazz Band.  Their love grew, and many of their dates were to college events like sports, concerts, and theatre productions.

Connie became a Registered Nurse in 1976, following in the footsteps of her mother.  She spent time working in both hospital and clinic settings before moving into leadership roles and retiring from Dean/ SSM in the mid-2000’s.  Although she had retired from the patient care part of the industry, Connie wasn’t done influencing the local healthcare community.  Until her diagnosis and death, Connie was a loved and respected instructor in the Medical Assistant Program at Madison College.  In 2013, her daughter graduated from the MA program, they deeply cherished that time together.

Connie was fiercely passionate about the Medical Assistant program and its students.  The goal of this scholarship is to reduce financial barriers for students who are choosing to dedicate their careers to the same field that defined Connie’s life.

Checks can be made payable to “Madison College Foundation.” Please indicate “Connie and Michael Matheson Memorial Scholarship” in the memo line or on documentation with the check. Please mail checks to:

Madison College Foundation
1701 Wright Street
Madison, WI 53704