Warhawk Cole Mahlkuch takes the fast lane to higher education leadership degree

Story by Chris Lindeke | Photos submitted,

Cole Mahlkuch wears more than a few hats these days. Being a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was not one he expected to put on when he completed his tenure as a student at Juda High School in 2018.

After working with his father’s electric company for two years, Mahlkuch was drawn to furthering his education after a conversation with Juda physical education teacher Kurtis Mansfield, who earned his BSE in physical education in 2013 and his M.S. in applied kinesiology in 2024 from UW-Whitewater.

He enrolled at UW-Whitewater in 2022 and, after receiving his BSE in physical education, health education, and adapted PE in May, will continue as a student in UW-Whitewater’s MSE in higher education leadership (HELEAD) program.

Mahlkuch picked up several responsibilities along his path to a bachelor’s degree as a first-generation college student. He is in his third year working full time with the Juda School District, serving his hometown as a long-term substitute teacher, adaptive education aid, head boys basketball coach, athletic director, and as a student teacher during the spring 2025 semester in physical education and health to complete his degree requirements.

“It’s been a struggle, but it’s been very rewarding,” he said. “I’ve gained a lot of really great opportunities and skills that many college students don’t seem to get.”

He also began taking master’s level courses in the HELEAD program for the last two semesters to get ahead of schedule, completing coursework before the school day and on weekends as he has time.

“I was fortunate that UW-Whitewater let me start (graduate courses) before my undergrad was done with up to 12 credits,” Mahlkuch said.

A rapid pathway to academic success

As a nontraditional student, Mahlkuch faced a challenging first year back in school in 2022 — he needed to get back into the routine, and his commute to Whitewater was more than one hour from Juda, where he was staying with his parents.

He started with 15 credits during his first semester before overloading to 22-25 credits per semester over his final two years so he could speed through the required courses on his path to a degree. He was a member of the Dean’s List for four semesters as an undergraduate student.

“I wasn’t sure how long I could go to college,” Mahlkuch said. “Then I decided that I would push myself for the next 3-4 years.”

Mahlkuch added the master’s degree to his plan to open other avenues outside of teaching, noting the possibility of leadership positions both inside and outside of K-12 education.

Mahlkuch, who plans to graduate with his MSE in May 2026, said UW-Whitewater’s faculty and staff have been flexible to meet the needs of his demanding schedule. He missed a pair of master’s courses this past winter so he could coach his basketball team.

“They’ve been really great to work with,” he said.

A promising future

As a high school athletic director, teacher, and coach who works with students at all grade levels, Mahlkuch juggles several responsibilities, including scheduling, facilities management and maintenance, fundraising, event operations, course curriculum, and more.

All these experiences — combined with earning a pair of degrees from UW-Whitewater and being hired before graduation — should open doors to numerous opportunities.

“The master’s courses are very real to what’s actually happening and what you’re going to encounter,” he said.

Mahlkuch would eventually like to transition to administration full time in either a K-12 school or in higher education. He also didn’t leave out the possibility of working as an administrator outside of education.

His MSE degree from UW-Whitewater puts him in a position to be mobile throughout his professional career.

“I feel like a lot of the skills carry over to other types of jobs,” he said.