Badgers in Your Backyard

If you’re reading this story, we know you’re a proud supporter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA). And we at WAA want to take a brief opportunity to thank those of you who go above and beyond in their communities by participating in or contributing to your local WAA chapters. Students at the University of Wisconsin forge connections across latitudes and longitudes. But sometimes the connections created in their own hometowns are just the kick start they need. To date, proud Badgers like you have pitched in an impressive total of nearly $3 million to support students in your area on their path to UW alumnihood. Read on to hear from the current Badgers whose lives you’ve changed.

Being a Badger is not a solo expedition, and the Wisconsin Experience focuses on the building of communities and giving back to them, which this scholarship program exemplifies.

Elizabeth Geiger x’22
Antigo, WI

I was excited to see how active and large the Bay Area Badger group was, and I loved having this connection between my school and home.

Katelien Blumenthal x’22
San Bruno, CA

I actually had one of the alumni of my sponsoring chapter as a middle-school science teacher! If I could meet the other alumni of my sponsoring chapter, I would want to immensely thank them for their contributions to supporting incoming students.

Brelynn Bille x’24
Waupun, WI

Being able to meet everyone and feel that support in my local community made a huge difference and boosted my confidence as I made that overwhelming transition to college.

Ky Collins-Krueger x’23
Ripon, WI

Because the scholarship was funded by alumni in my area makes it one of the most impactful scholarships I received.

Emily Franke ’21
Oakfield, WI

I am a first-generation college student, so I didn’t know about the alumni network before the scholarship. This scholarship not only opened me to the strong alumni network of UW–Madison, but also made me feel supported by my chapter alumni.

Lexi Luo x’22
Bloomington, IL

I remember being worried if UW–Madison had people like me, but after learning that there are so many proud alumni in my area who encourage attending, I knew the UW was the right place for me. It gave me a sense of community, like I am always at home, even though Wisconsin is the farthest from home I’ve ever been.

Lilly Peralta x’23
Springfield, IL

The Wisconsin alumni network is strong and incredibly supportive. Knowing that the people that fund this scholarship are potentially my neighbors or names that I am familiar with is a neat bond to form.

Allison Heider x’22
Ann Arbor, MI

Knowing that this scholarship was funded by local UW alumni makes me feel grateful for the support that they provide to students in the area aspiring to be Badgers.

Camilo Ferreira x’22
Minneapolis, MN