Monique Caradine ‘93, of Puerto Rico, knows how to influence and lead women, including students at her alma mater, to be bolder, stronger and more business savvy.
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumna found her passion in high school when she was instructed to give a speech. After shaking off her nerves and delivering an empowering speech, she knew she wanted to go into broadcasting.
Caradine visited campus on Monday to speak with students about the Black Woman’s Manifesto. She lectured on the importance of standing out as a woman.
The Sisterhood, an organization for women on campus, sponsored Caradine’s speech. The event was part of Women’s History Month and tied into the theme of “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.”
“Students who attend this speech understand the struggles of succeeding in life in the way in which she did with all the obstacles she had to deal with, simply because she was a female and an African American,” said Lashelle Robinson, The Sisterhood president. “Students understand her struggles and follow in her footsteps finding ways to succeed, even when life appears to be very difficult.”
Caradine studied radio-TV-film at UWO and was able to work in different media outlets on campus that allowed her to expand her interest in speaking, such as a cultural campus radio show. She was even Homecoming Queen.
“What UWO did for me was they gave me freedom to figure it out,” Caradine said. “Freedom to experiment, freedom to try things, like a hands-on experience. It was the most valuable thing ever.”
After graduation, she continued on to work for the media by broadcasting on the radio in her hometown of Chicago. She even created her own radio show, called the Monique Caradine show, broadcasted on WVON.
Currently, Caradine gives motivational speeches to business women across the nation on ways they can improve their business, and take their business into the six-figure range.
She also hosts retreats in Puerto Rico, where she lives full-time. She uses her media experience from UWO to help her clients when she is not able to meet with them in person.
“I love that I can use my media experience in my coaching,” Caradine said. “I just made it work like that. I do a podcast and I interview my clients.”
Caradine attributes a lot of her success to her time at UW Oshkosh. She said she was able to use the campus as a laboratory and learned the best from that advantage.
“I love to come back here,” she said. “I love the energy of the campus. I love to see the new generation of people who are studying under the same professors that I had. It’s just inspiring. This is a special place to me. I kicked and screamed because I didn’t want to go here, but I think it was the best decision my family and I made.”
When Caradine speaks to students or other alumni, she encourages them to reach beyond their parents’ wishes and expectations.
“They don’t have to follow the traditional route,” Caradine said. “You’re so lucky that you have everything available that you can literally create your own opportunity. Travel, enjoy life and make money. Wouldn’t that make your parents proud if you could do that instead of pushing a clock or working in a factory?”
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