Atalissa Wells

As the weather turns warmer and the calendar shifts to May, the students on the UW-Eau Claire campus flock outside. There’s a buzz of impending summer, of free time and no homework, and the sun that we’ve all desperately missed over the past few months of winter. There’s also the buzz of the graduating class, picking up their graduation cap and gown, submitting their last essay, taking their last test. A series of lasts that snuck up on them.

As a third-year student who is graduating a year early, my lasts came up on me a lot faster than I had expected. We returned from spring break and suddenly there were only six weeks left. I remember staring at myself in the mirror thinking, surely, this is not the face of someone who is ready for the real world.

I do not have a post-graduation plan. I will be walking across that stage on May 20th, accepting my diploma, and then figuring it out as I go. It’s a terrifying feeling; this freefall into adulthood and the real world. Lately, my mantra has been, “I do not know what I’m doing”, which I’m learning is actually a mantra for most people, no matter how put together they seem.

Despite this, I know that I’ve made the most of my time here at UW-Eau Claire. Majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and minoring in Spanish, I’ve been able to pursue the things that I’m most interested in. I also became involved in the Navigators, a campus ministry organization, and started working for the University Activities Commission (UAC), planning events for campus. I’ve volunteered through the Eau Claire school district and through campus and have met some of the most amazing people through it all. I think, as the graduation date looms ahead of us, it’s important to focus on the great times that Eau Claire has brought the graduating class of 2023.

With that in mind, I interviewed other graduating seniors, asking them this question: What is something that Eau Claire has taught you?

Connor Garland, an economics major, focused on “the value of community”, which a lot of other Blugolds supported.

For example, Jordan Retting, who is studying accounting, management, entrepreneurship, finance, and kinesiology, stated “that you can build a community wherever you are.”

Isaac Gabriel, a percussion performance major, also supported the community sentiment. “The support you can give your community and what the community can give you,” he says. “It’s important.”

Noucee Thao, majoring in psychology with a minor in family studies, addressed the continuous impact of a strong community. “I will take away so much from my time here at UWEC,” she says, “but the things that will always reign supreme are the people and places that have cultivated my success, as they will continue to live within me.

Victoria Essmann, a percussion performance major, spoke about how her four years at UW-Eau Claire has equipped her to create healthy, strong relationships within a community. “It has provided a platform for me to learn how to reach out to others successfully and realize how needed it is in my life.”

Community has been a large aspect of many graduating seniors’ lives, including my own. Starting college during the pandemic created challenges, especially with trying to build relationships in a new area. I had to get creative with how I made my community and pushed myself out of my comfort zone to get involved in things like the Navigators, UAC, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild internship, and my volunteer opportunities. I’ve met some of my life-long friends here at UWEC, and I can always find friendly faces on campus.

Another theme prevalent in seniors’ responses was centered around the opportunities that UWEC has provided them with.

Grace Schutte, a double major in English-creative writing and Spanish, says “the two departments I’ve interacted with have taught me to get involved with the community and be curious. For the English department, getting involved with your craft, there’s so much you can do. With the Spanish department, that opened it up to a much bigger frame, like other countries, cultures, and ways of life.”

Quincy Kabe, a double major in accounting and finance, focused on Eau Claire’s emphasis to [AND]. “It’s taught me about the importance of taking the advantage of opportunities,” he says. “The power of [AND] thing was tacky coming in, but I’ve learned a lot from it, like adding a major, to being an athlete, an RA, doing an internship, and a job.”

Jack Stewart, an accounting major addresses the multiple aspects in which he has grown. “Eau Claire has taught me to be a more well-rounded individual. Be it from my positions in UAC to Greek life I have been able to become a more dynamic person,” he says. “I feel that I have a very business-first mentality…but being able to facilitate events like homecoming or volunteering for my fraternity has helped me gain other perspectives. I think going to Eau Claire forces you to develop other skills and even if you have strengths, you will gain new ones while here.”

Ella Baudek, an integrated strategic communications and public relations major with a minor in multimedia communications, commented on how UWEC has taught her to take a chance on herself. “What I mean by this is, when there were times that I felt under qualified or unsure about something new (classes, jobs, involvement, etc.), I learned that it’s important to take a chance on that opportunity and utilize it to its fullest potential,” she says. “You’ll never know what you’re capable of until you try.”

UW-Eau Claire’s main motto is the power of [AND], and the school truly ensures that this is taken advantage of. I was able to pursue multiple interests, and even discovered new ones. For example, I studied abroad in Valencia, Spain during the summer of 2022. Living in another country was never something I thought I would do, but my Spanish minor and the opportunities that Eau Claire provides for the students made it possible. I have a new-found appreciation for the Spanish language and my own confidence in what I’m capable of. Even my internship with the Guild was an opportunity that pushed me outside of my comfort zone but closer toward my future career goals. While I’m graduating without a plan, I feel confident in my abilities as a writer and as a person to figure something out. Eau Claire has opened so many doors and helped shape me into someone is embracing the uncertainty of the future, instead of shying away from it.

“ Even with feeling like I’ve utilized many experiences offered to me by the university, it can still be nerve-wracking heading into a new phase of life. It’s change, and I’ve yet to meet someone who genuinely enjoys change. ”

— Atalissa Wells

Even with feeling like I’ve utilized many experiences offered to me by the university, it can still be nerve-wracking heading into a new phase of life. It’s change, and I’ve yet to meet someone who genuinely enjoys change. The unknown is scary, regardless of how prepared we feel to face it. However, multiple seniors stated that UWEC has prepared them for the next steps of their lives and are looking forward to the post-graduation adventure of figuring things out.

Dawson Jollie, an English-creative writing major with a minor in journalism, says that Eau Claire taught him “to accept the nervousness, the nervous feeling in your heart, to accept that more often.” He learned that the feeling of being nervous led him to many great opportunities, like an internship with Volume One and his post-graduation plans. The outcome is worth being nervous, not something to stop you from trying.

Colton Weitzel, a graphic communications major, is looking towards the larger picture, the multiple areas that UWEC encouraged him in. UW-Eau Claire “has taught me so many things about academic success, career readiness, and personal growth,” he says. “I am very proud of the person that UWEC has helped shape me to be.”

Claire Bradley, an English-creative writing major with a business management minor, focused on her own career readiness. “It’s nice that they give us resources to help us find jobs. I feel like I’d be pretty lost applying for jobs if it weren’t for my internship and the ENGL 498 class,” she says. “Each department works towards the goal of preparing students for jobs.”

While I may not have a plan in place for myself, I am leaving feeling equipped to take on life outside of college. I’ve spent the past semester writing articles about writing and books (and have loved every second of it). I’ve spoken with career counselors and favorite professors about what achieving my dreams might look like. My classes have challenged me and encouraged me. My writing portfolio is practically bulging at the seams and will only continue to grow. I have skills that round me out as a person, from social media experience to speaking Spanish and everything in between.

And, perhaps most importantly, I have a community behind me who will support me. Professors who are only an email away, ready and willing to read pieces or write letters of recommendations. My employers and mentors who have taught me so much about who I am. My friends, who, regardless of distance, will always be there for me. So, when I stand in the mirror, thinking that I’m not ready or repeating my mantra, I will remember that UWEC has prepared me and provided me with a village of people who will support every misstep and every success.

When you go to college, you create a new community, a new family, to surround yourself with. As my fellow graduating seniors can attest to, the community, the opportunities, and the resources have shaped many of us into well-rounded people who are ready to go out into the world. While that doesn’t mean we aren’t nervous about what’s waiting for us, it does mean that UW-Eau Claire has given us a few years that have impacted us profoundly and prepared us for whatever is next.