On May 9-10, UW–Madison and the School of Education will celebrate its latest cohort of talented graduates with 2025 Spring Commencement celebrations. Ahead of this big weekend, we reached out to a few of our graduating students to learn more about their accomplishments, time at UW–Madison, and future plans.
Alyssa DiGioia will be earning an undergraduate degree from the School of Education with a double major in Dance and Kinesiology. Driven by her dual passions, she aspires to combine her expertise in both of these fields as a physical therapist and athletic trainer who works to keep dancers safe and healthy.
“Dancers put their bodies through so much and are constantly feeling aches and pains,” DiGioia explains. “As a dancer who has gone through plenty of injuries and dealt with not feeling seen through the recovery process, I feel that the perfect place for me to make an impact is to be the person who can help dancers get back under the stage lights.”
After she graduates from UW–Madison, DiGioia plans to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois.
To learn more about DiGioia and her journey, read on:
Where are you from, and what brought you to UW–Madison?
I am originally from Elk Grove Village, Illinois. I was drawn to UW–Madison because of its environment and the number of possibilities that Madison has to offer.
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison?
The most meaningful experience here at UW–Madison has been the ability the university gave me to achieve my biggest dream. I came in as a freshman with one goal in mind, which was to receive my dual degree in dance and kinesiology and to accomplish that in four years time. Although it was challenging at times, I can happily say that UW–Madison has helped me in so many ways to achieve this huge dream of mine, and it will forever be the most meaningful experience to have gone through the past four years. And to accomplish that in the beautiful Madison, Wisconsin, with so many people by my side makes it that much more meaningful!
What drew you to both dance and kinesiology, and how do you hope to bring those passions together in your future career?
Many people find a passion for something in their life and pursue that. I find myself incredibly lucky that I have found two passions that I care so deeply about. Luckily, there is a desire for physical therapists and athletic trainers in the dance world, which is the perfect combination of my two greatest passions. Dancers put their bodies through so much and are constantly feeling aches and pains. However, dance is such a specific sport that you typically don’t understand unless you were a dancer yourself. As a dancer who has gone through plenty of injuries and dealt with not feeling seen through the recovery process, I feel that the perfect place for me to make an impact is to be the person who can help dancers get back under the stage lights.
What’s next for you? What are your plans for the future?
I will be attending Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois, to receive my Doctorate of Physical Therapy, starting in June 2025. I will graduate in 2028 and from there, we’ll see wherever the wind takes me!
Thinking about the principle of the Wisconsin Idea, how will you use what you have learned at UW–Madison to influence other people’s lives or positively impact our world?
The Wisconsin Idea revolves around the concept that education should influence people outside of the classroom. I have gotten to experience this idea through working with Dr. Susan Andreae’s Health Promotion Lab on campus as well as working with the MSCR (Madison School and Community Recreation) community. These experiences and what I have learned at UW–Madison have shown me that being a part of the community around you, no matter where that might be, helps to lift others up and to know that no matter what, you will always have people in your corner.