In May, UW–Madison and the School of Education celebrated with its spring 2022 graduates.
We are tremendously proud of all our students — more than 600 of them — who graduated from School of Education programs.
We reached out to a few of our graduating students, from those who earned bachelor’s degrees to PhDs, to learn more about their favorite memories, advice for incoming students, and future plans.
Tessa Cockerill
BS, Rehabilitation Psychology
Advice for incoming students — “Come to college with an open mind. The greatest and most influential experiences I have had came from unexpected opportunities. I found my love for rowing, my passion for adapted fitness, and some of my best friends through activities that I never intended to join, or didn’t know existed prior to college.”
Na Lor
PhD, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Advice for incoming students — “First, never dim the light of others. The degree will have your name alone on it, but it takes the effort of so many to realize that achievement. Second, never dim your light for the sake of others. Embrace and aim to be your authentic self; you are more valuable to the institution than you know!”
Caitriona Quirk
BS, Dance
Future plans — “I will be thru-hiking the Arizona Trail. In the fall, I will come back to take a few more classes to get me ready for the next thing: I will be pursuing a career in nursing, with an emphasis on wilderness and adventure medicine. In the meantime, I will also be developing my Pilates teaching to include a focus on outdoor recreators and athletes.”
John Wang
BS, Theatre and Sociology
Most meaningful experience — I struggled in the first two years of college. The language barrier and pressure to have a high GPA obstructed my pursuit of intellectual interests. Plus, it is always cozy to stay in a circle that has the same language and cultural background as yours. As I acquired better language skills and with the support of our amazing faculty, I made the step out of my comfort zone and toward where my true passion is.
Elizabeth Sheeler
MFA, Art — 4D
Tell us about your work — “My practice is a reflection of my new positionality in life as a blind individual. I create interactive spaces where participants are forced to encounter their own perception of the space and confront the way they choose to engage with their surroundings.”
Jessica Perez-Chavez
PhD, Counseling Psychology
Reasons for pursuing graduate study — “The transformative power of mentorship allowed me to recognize that I could contribute to my immigrant community by becoming a researcher, clinician, and scholar-activist. Like my mentors, I wanted my research, teaching, writing, and clinical work anchored in human rights and social justice. Seeing myself reflected in my mentors allowed me to take the plunge and apply for graduate programs. ¡Gracias doctorxs!”
Donny (Aoyu) Xu
BS, Education Studies
Advice for incoming students — “College life is meant to be fun and challenging. Do not lose your confidence, and try new things! Remember, today we are proud of UW–Madison, and tomorrow UW–Madison shall be proud of us!”