Alumni

Help wanted: Graduates seeking Alumni Career Services

With the economy and the job market in flux, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumni are returning to their alma mater for career guidance as they assess their skills, polish their resumes and prepare for job interviews.

"In this uncertain economic environment, we are committed to providing our alumni with value-added opportunities to engage with UW Oshkosh in meaningful ways, such as through Alumni Career Services," said UW Oshkosh Alumni Director Christine Gantner.

Alumni Career Services adviser Frank Holmes '94 and MSE '01, typically works with 35 to 40 alumni a month, but the number increased to 50 in February, as the unemployment rate continued to rise across the Midwest.

"I see all ranges of alumni ...  those who have been out of college just a couple of years to those who have retired and are looking for advising about a second career," Holmes said.

For alumni who haven't searched for a job recently, Holmes offers reassurance. "There can be some apprehension — or fear of the unknown — about whether they are taking the right steps to be successful in the job market," he said.

As a nontraditional student who was employed when he graduated with a nursing degree in 2006, Ken Bixby, of Appleton, had never needed a resume.

But when a career opportunity surfaced a few years later that required a professional resume, Bixby remembered the promise made to alumni at graduation. "As we were in our caps and gowns, I remembered them saying that Career Services is always available to alumni, whether you are a new grad or 70 years old," Bixby said.

"Frank was a wonderful resource — available in person, on the phone and by the Internet," he said. "It was just such a huge relief."

During a job search, some people have a hard time staying positive. "I advise alumni who are out of work to get up every day and get going just like they are going to work. They should treat the search just like a full-time job."

Holmes also recommends starting a job search immediately upon becoming unemployed, joining a support group for laid-off workers, and staying in touch with friends and family for support.

Alumni Career Services offers alumni:

• Job search preparation 
• Informational interviewing and job shadowing
• Resume and cover letter advising
• Career assessment inventories, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory
• Access to Titan Jobs Online Career Connection for software that allows you to upload your resume for employers to view, search and apply for jobs online, access EmployOn — a real-time job search and match technology service.
• LinkedIn group for UW Oshkosh alumni.
  

For more information about Alumni Career Services, visit www.uwosh.edu/alumni/member-benefits/career-services.php.

Discussing 'the biz' in Santa Barbara

A working lunch on the West Coast doubled as a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumni reunion when four graduates gathered to chat about their experiences in the entertainment business.

Brad '01, and Deb (Nelson) Carr '00, Dave Cole '70, and Bill Povletich '95, came together at the 2009 Santa Barbara Film Festival to discuss teaming up on a variety of future projects.

For two years, the Carrs and Povletich, all radio-TV-film (RTF) graduates, have been collaborating on Feat, a documentary about one man's mission to run 63 marathons in 63 days to raise awareness of and funding for ataxia telangiectasia, a terminal children's disease. The three of them have extensive experience in publishing, television and film.

Additionally, Povletich sought input from Cole, an actor and producer, for Povletich's forthcoming book on the history of Great Lakes surfing, which focuses on two of Cole's old surfing buddies from Sheboygan. The former city manager of Morro Bay, Calif., Cole now freelances in film.

The four of them hope to combine their talents to publicize and promote Feat, which soon will make a run on the festival circuit.

Povletich won the University's Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2003; Deb Carr received the same honor in 2006.

Student hopes to follow in Tina Fey's footsteps

English student Michael Heyer had forgotten he entered the contest until the congratulatory e-mail arrived in his inbox.

Heyer was awarded first place in the Television Spec Script category of the Broadcast Education Association's national competition for a script he wrote for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.

"It's been established that Liz Lemon (a character played by actor/writer Tina Fey) won an Emmy," Heyer said. "I created a story line where Liz wins a second Emmy but forgets to thank her boss during her acceptance speech."

Heyer wrote the script as an assignment for "Primetime TV Writing," a course taught by radio-TV-film (RTF) coordinator and professor Douglas Heil. He chose 30 Rock because of his affinity for the show — and Fey.

"Tina Fey is an idol of mine. Writing funny is hard, so someone who does it well is deserving of praise," he said. "I would like to see myself in a career like hers."

Two graduates honored as 'Professors for a Day'

Two College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) alumni were honored Oct. 22, during the annual Professor for a Day event.

Jen Kouba MS '08, and Bee Vang '96 and MSE '99, were recognized for making significant contributions to their profession. As honorary professors for a day, Kouba and Vang reached out to University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students currently enrolled in programs related to their fields.

Kouba, pictured second from left, is a first-grade teacher at Clay Lamberton Elementary school in Berlin. She completed her master's degree in educational leadership from UW Oshkosh in May 2008.

Vang, fourth from left, graduated with honors from UW Oshkosh's teacher preparation program in 1996, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a minor in mathematics. She also earned a master's degree in education in 1999. Vang began her teaching career in the Oshkosh Area School District in 1996. She taught English as a second language (ESL) at North High School, South Park Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary and Jefferson Elementary. She has taught grades 3–5 at Jefferson. She also mentored four student teachers and about a dozen clinical students from UW Oshkosh.

The Professor for a Day activities, established in 1973, are sponsored annually by COEHS and supported through the EDUCARE Trust Fund and the UW Oshkosh Foundation.

Alum honors veterans during Packers game

Brian R. Haebig '82, a U.S. Army colonel who commands the 404th Army Field Support Brigade in Fort Lewis, Wash., played a special role during a half-time tribute to veterans at the Nov. 16 Green Bay Packers/Chicago Bears game. He administered the Army enlistment oath to more than 100 Wisconsinites.

"I've given the oath of enlistment many times, but I've never administered it in front of 70,000 Packers fans," he said.

Haebig commands approximately 50 soldiers, about 200 government civilians and more than 1,000 contractors. His brigade includes five battalions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii and Washington.

Bonus alumni news