Dixie Maronn had to juggle more than one commitment while pursuing the nursing diploma she will earn on May 14: calls to duty in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and in Iraq as a member of a local National Guard unit.
Ben Konruff will graduate with one of the more impressive internship resumes you’ll ever see, applying his business and human resources education to stints with a local domestic violence services agency and a blueberry plantation in Chile, just to name a couple.
And Ka Mee Lee, who grew up in an impoverished refugee family adapting to American culture, plans to use her human services degree to empower the elderly and Hmong community.
They are merely three of more than 1,400 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students anticipating graduation in May and August, ready to be recognized during the university’s 137th Commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 14 at Kolf Sports Center.
UW Oshkosh will honor graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science of in a 9 a.m. ceremony. Graduate and undergraduate students in the colleges of Business, Education and Human Services and Nursing will be honored in a 2 p.m. ceremony, which will be preceded by alumni from the university’s class of 1961, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their graduation.
Five graduates of the outstanding class of 2011 share their stories:
Student finds success the second time around
At age 26, Jason Garland wondered if he would fit in with his younger peers. He was concerned about using unfamiliar technology that his instructors would require him to learn. And he thought about his first attempt at earning his bachelor’s degree, nearly seven and a half years earlier. The struggle to assimilate back into the academic setting, after he had been away from it for so long, gave Garland anxiety.
But three and a half years, nearly 130 credits and three internships later, Garland is just weeks from walking the stage at commencement to receive his bachelor of business administration degree in accounting. Through external support and internal motivation, Garland overcame his struggles.
Read more of Jason Garland’s story.
Passion for science drives future teacher
In addition to her University experience, Jacquelyn Topp interned at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., after being named an Ernest F. Hollings scholar in 2009. While there, she worked with noted scientists and education specialists to create outreach materials that promote climate literacy.
“My University and community service have had a huge impact on my development as a teacher,” Topp said. “I have been able to share my knowledge of and passion for science with students throughout the Fox Valley Area and beyond. I have also learned ways to differentiate instruction and problem solve that would have been difficult to learn in any other setting.”
Read more of Jacquelyn Topp’s story.
Graduating senior secures job, looks to the future
Ka Mee Lee’s traditional Hmong family came to the U.S. as refugees after her father was killed in the Vietnam War. Her mother struggled with two jobs to provide for the family, and they lived in poverty as her mother did not receive any benefits.
“Some of my relatives thought that I, the oldest daughter, could never go to college or complete high school because without a father’s encouragement, I would not be able to go to school and be successful,” said Lee.
Not only did Lee achieve her goal and will be walking at UW Oshkosh’s commencement, but she also secured a full-time job as an assistant manager at Wal-Mart prior to graduation.
Read more of Ka Mee Lee’s story.
Nursing grad’s path follows decade’s headlines
Dixie Maronn said she has learned as much about herself as she has nursing. She is a veteran of the second Iraq War who bookends her UW Oshkosh academic career with disaster-relief service in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and a community health clinical immersion in India.
Her peers are appreciative of her incredible resume and character. Maronn said that support has helped her grow.
“I’m starting to finally see myself the way other people see me,” Maronn said, just a few 12-hour hospital shifts away from completing her degree.
Read more of Dixie Maronn’s story.
COB student’s experience leads to success
Benjamin Konruff was exposed to cultural differences and Chile’s employment law and hiring process during his internship on a blueberry plantation called El Campo Dulce de Mandella located in Pucon, Chile. He also gained experience in human resources as an intern at Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. and later at Alta Resources.
“I dipped my toes in multiple areas of HR to include OSHA compliance, EEO policies and procedures, staffing, training, employee relations, and also assisted with the organization’s annual fundraising event ‘Men Who Cook,’” Konruff said. “My role at Alta Resources heavily revolved around the areas of compensation and benefits; I administered and coordinated enrollment and termination of all benefit plans for the 1,300 plus employee corporation.”
Read more of Ben Konruff’s story.
Read more about spring 2011 commencement: