The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals.
Following is a Q&A with Ximena Huerta, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and graduating in spring 2026.
Where are you from and how did you become interested in pursuing a degree in this field? I’m from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. One time in a science class we had to do a career project, and I got randomly matched with Occupational Therapy when originally I was interested in Speech-Language Pathology. Once I read more about Occupational Therapy I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is really cool!” Also, my dad and my twin brother are both disabled and most of my childhood was spent with them at hospitals and appointments, so I’ve always had an interest in rehabilitation. When I read more about Occupational Therapy it clicked with me more than anything else.
How did you decide that you wanted to become at UW–Madison Badger? I didn’t want to go far from home and growing up in a small-town in Wisconsin, it seemed like everyone — my friends’ parents and favorite teachers — went to UW–Madison or was obsessed with Madison. When I found out they had a great Occupational Therapy program I knew immediately that UW was the only school I wanted to go to. It checked all the boxes.
What has been your most meaningful experience with the Kinesiology program? The first thing that comes to mind is definitely the Movement as Medicine study abroad program in Lisbon, Portugal. This summer program taught me a lot about myself and gave me a unique perspective on health and health communications. I learned about sedentary behavior and how impactful, though hard, it can be to make a change. It also helped me better understand people and the influences in their lives that lead to sedentary behaviors. In my future career as an Occupational Therapist I think this is very important to learn.
What class or professor has had the greatest impact on you, and why? Dr. Shields connected me to so many opportunities like study abroad and the BUILD program during a group advising session. She saw so much potential in me and that really changed the course of my college career. Dr. Shields also connected me with Occupational Therapy advisors and wrote me a great letter of recommendation. She has been really pivotal in my educational journey and has impacted what I want to do with my life.
What are your future goals or plans? I’m starting the Occupational Therapy program at UW–Madison in June 2026! I haven’t 100% made up my mind about what I want to do after that because it’s such a big field. I like working with older adults but through the BUILD program I realized I’m not too bad at working with kids. I have time to figure it out.
Anything else you value about the School of Education or your program that you’d like to share with others who are considering it? From my experience, the School of Education is very accessible and the advisors and staff create a lot of opportunities for networking and professional growth. I really appreciated the student kickbacks because I could just show up and connect with other people.
Do you have any tips for students thinking about how to maximize their experience? I think the biggest thing, and I know everybody says it, but always try and network and connect with people. It can be super scary to do as a freshman but a good thing to remember is that the people who work for the university are working here for a reason. They want to help you and can be your biggest resource. So send out that cold email or walk up to your professor after class!
Can you tell us about a time when an academic advisor helped you? During my sophomore year I was really freaking out about my Occupational Therapy career. I don’t know why because I had two years left to go, but I really wanted to talk to someone about it — so I went to the Career Center and talked to Noelle, a former career advisor. I discussed my worries of not having enough experience and not having enough time and Noelle brought me back to reality. She told me there was plenty of time and even connected me with someone from the UW Occupational Therapy program over email. That connection I would never have found on my own. It has been so impactful to me and my future career.
Anything else that’s important to you about yourself or your studies or is there anything else you’d like to share? I am a first-generation college student and for people who share that identity, I understand it can be really challenging when navigating a school that is so big. It’s easy to feel a bit lost and overwhelmed. It’s important to remember that UW chose you for a reason and that you are meant to be here. With being first-gen, it can be hard to know what you’re supposed to do, so it’s also really important to reach out to people and put yourself in uncomfortable positions — that is how you will grow. Also, shifting the perspective from, “I go to UW” to “I get the opportunity to go to UW” really helps with making the most of your time here.