UW–Madison held its 2022 winter commencement ceremony at the Kohl Center on Sunday, Dec. 18. Prior to the campuswide event for those earning bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, the School of Education celebrated with its latest cohort of graduates with a Pre-Commencement Celebration at the Gordon Dining & Event Center.
Before the big celebration, we reached out to some of our graduating students to learn more about their areas of study, most meaningful experiences, and plans for the future. Here are some of their responses.
Sherri Cyra
PhD, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
What are your research interests? My dissertation research focused on white educators’ perceptions of anti-racist professional development and its impact on their racial identity development, understanding of racism and the white racial frame, and anti-racist ideology and pedagogy. The education workforce is still predominantly white, and our students are not. While we work to diversify the workforce, which must be a high priority, we must also work to create schools and classrooms where all of our students see themselves in the classroom and curriculum, feel a sense of belonging, and discover their genius as learners through rigorous expectations. If we, as school leaders, researchers, and practitioners are not intentional about that work, we will fail our mission to serve all of our students.
Lauren Zepp
PhD, Special Education
Why did you decide to pursue graduate studies? I decided to pursue a doctorate in special education because I believe in high-quality, equitable education for disabled students and that reading is a human right. During my years in the field, I saw the impact special educators can have, and I wanted to understand how teachers learn about reading instruction.
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison? My most meaningful experience in the doctoral program was accepting my identity as a disabled person and learning to advocate for myself. This has helped me to understand myself more deeply, to think differently about access for all, and ultimately helped me to become a stronger advocate and better instructor.
What’s next for you? I accepted a position as an assistant professor of special education at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
Savanna Jo Roeder
BS, Elementary Education/English as a Second Language, and Education Studies; certificate in Leadership
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison? My most meaningful experience has been being a part of the UW Marching Band. The Badger Band has provided me with many opportunities to connect with communities, travel to new places, meet new people who I have formed meaningful relationships with, given me memories to last a lifetime, and provided me with endless moments of happiness.
Yining Zhang
BS, Education Studies
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison? My most meaningful experience was being a research assistant in an educational psychology lab. As a team, we discuss published research articles, work with children and undergraduates to collect data, and turn the primary data into a quantitative format. My lab work has also been a great addition to the courses that I have taken.
Brett Wannebo
BS, Kinesiology and Neurobiology
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison? Since the summer of 2021, I have worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the (William) Schrage Lab within the Department of Kinesiology. I have had the opportunity to work on numerous studies involving sex differences in immunological function, and the effects of insulin resistance on brain blood flow in adolescents.
What’s next for you? I’m applying to medical school. Through my clinical and research experiences, I have fallen in love with health care, medical education, and clinical research. In the future, I would like to become an academic physician.
Emilie Springsteen
BS, Theater and Drama, and History
What was your most meaningful experience at UW–Madison? It isn’t just one thing, but a collection of the times I’ve gotten to spend with my friends here. Whether it’s game days, nights out, movie nights, going to see a show or a concert, or road-tripping between home and here, the times spent together where we’re able to hand out and laugh really mean a lot.
What’s next for you? After graduation, I will work toward my teacher certification for secondary education in social studies. By the fall of 2024, I will be cleared to teach grades 4-12.