Student Profiles

Adams Kondeh

I began my graduate work at UW-Whitewater as a Master in Professional Accountancy (MPA) candidate. After completing that degree, I accepted a position as an Auditor at the US Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. However, even after completing the MPA program, I decided that I wasn't finished with my education, so I enrolled again at UW-W in the online MBA program! I'm working on completing that program now, as a full-time employee and from Washington, D.C.

I remember the first day that I came to the UW-Whitewater campus. I met one-on-one with the associate dean to talk about my admission. From that conversation, I knew UW-W was the right decision for me. The professors and staff were so helpful. They answered my questions, talked with me about my concerns. No question was silly or unimportant.

While at UW-Whitewater completing my face-to-face MPA degree, I had the opportunity to become involved in various organizations on campus. I served as Vice President for the student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, plus, as a founder and first President of the Africa Student Association.

And now I have a career with the Office of the Inspector General in the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C. I am tasked with preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of tax payers' dollars. I found this position with my first master's degree from UW-W.

UW-Whitewater has made me feel as if I belong to the school and the community. I will always have UW-Whitewater in my heart. Even though I had many universities to choose from, I chose to come home to my family. I will always be proud of the education I received and am continuing to receive from UW-Whitewater.

Sydney Nelson

Where would you be able to attend a rally hosted by Reverend Jesse Jackson, have breakfast with the Provost, and eat unlimited Cookies N' Cream at Esker? Where else could you attend a comedy show featuring Kevin Hart, spend an evening at a Holiday gathering at the Chancellor's house, and receive additional scoops of bread crumbs on your Chicken Potpie soup at Zoup's? And, lastly, where in the world could you attend a theatrical performance given by the Shaolin Warriors from China, receive an astounding Letter of Recommendation written by the Dean of your college by sophomore year, and know the staff at Freshens and Beans so well that they know exactly what you’re going to order before the words come out of your mouth?

Unique experiences. That's why I chose UW-Whitewater... even though it is surrounded by dairy farms and cornfields.

In Fall 2009, I took the campus by storm and never looked back. Since then, I have been involved in a multitude of activities/extracurriculars. I definitely will not be able to name them all, but I will provide the link to my LinkedIn account where everything is detailed, connect with me!

A quick breakdown would be the following (*deep breath*): Campus Assistant (tour guide), Resident Assistant, Teaching Assistant at the Children's Center, Warhawk Ambassador, Event Crew, two Search & Screen Committees, College of Business & Economics' Dean's Advisory Council, Wheels-2-Whitewater, America Reads, Student Assistant in the Accounting Department, three different Executive Boards with six different positions/titles, Honors program, two travel studies (Ghana & Brazil), one semester abroad (Mexico), one international internship (PricewaterhouseCoopers), Summer Tutor/Counselor for three incoming freshman programs, 16 conferences and/or conventions to date with 10 of them being Accounting-based, and I have completed five summer internships (Johnson Controls, Froedtert Hospital, and PricewaterhouseCoopers). (*deep breath*) And I've done all of that while being an Accounting major and Spanish minor.

As a final note, to be successful, you must create unique experiences with every opportunity that comes along. You cannot go through life being satisfied with what is handed to you. I turned a simple semester study abroad program in Mexico to including an international internship with one of the Big 4 Public Accounting firms. Don't settle for the ordinary. I definitely didn't and you shouldn't either.

Nick Patterson

The first time I considered attending UW-Whitewater I was working as an intern for a small computer company in Baraboo, WI. I was originally following a path into information technology before deciding to switch to a business focus in my senior year of high school. That is the primary reason I looked into attending UW-Whitewater; I was impressed at the caliber of the College of Business. I toured the campus one time and instantly fell in love with what I saw. I knew attending this university would offer many different opportunities to get involved and be successful. Never did I know it would lead me to where I am today.

Throughout my tenure at UW-Whitewater, I have had many different experiences in and out of the classroom. I have been involved in four different student organizations, holding positions on two executive boards. My involvement in these organizations has led me all over the United States to participate in conferences and conventions for the student professional. I have been able to network with top business professionals from around the nation and learn a great deal about how to prepare myself for the business world after graduation through presentations and competitions. These experiences have been some of the best I have had at UW-Whitewater by far.

Another opportunity of student involvement that I have had is working as a student employee on campus. My employment experiences have been nothing but unique and rewarding. I never realized how much the UW-Whitewater campus empowers its students until I began to work on campus. One of my responsibilities was serving as an orientation leader for two years to all new incoming students. I was able to lead small groups and inform them about how UW-Whitewater is top-notch. I personally impacted over 500 students throughout my employment as an orientation leader. This experience is the most rewarding of any experience I had at UW-Whitewater because I was able to see how much of an effect my work had on the students.

All of the opportunities I have had while attending UW-Whitewater have molded me into who I am today. Before my first class at this university, I was a very shy and introverted person. Now if you met me on the street, you would say that's the furthest from the truth. I am very thankful for every experience I've had and cannot wait to call myself an alumnus of UW-Whitewater.

Elizabeth Russell List

I am a busy mom of four who currently teaches Spanish part time for Discovery Language Programs in Chicago along with catering for First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn. Five years ago, I left my full time job at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), where I was employed for 14 years, to raise my young children. During my tenure at the FDIC, I worked as a Community Affairs Officer, Fair Lending Specialist, and Compliance Examiner. I was also a Corporate Recruiter during my last two years, and enjoyed instigating enthusiasm for FDIC employment among college students and experienced adults. My accomplishments at the FDIC include the Money Smart financial education curriculum for visually impaired persons, the first ever banking conference aimed at the Hispanic market, and the RESPA Escrow calculation program. Through alliances forged with bankers, bankers associations, nonprofits and government entities, I worked tirelessly to bring financial education and banking services to the Hispanic market.

I have published articles regarding financial education and financial services to the Hispanic market in the Kansas City Star, numerous banking trade magazines and Federal Reserve and FDIC publications. In 2010, I published Pathways to Citizenship, a 100 plus page research document on the feasibility of offering financing to immigrants requesting American citizenship. The document was sponsored by the United Neighborhood Centers of America and Ways to Work, both based in Wisconsin, and also by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

I graduated with honors from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. I currently volunteers at the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry and for the Glen Ellyn 4th of July committee. I am the steward of a Little Free Library, which resides in my front yard and offers books to the neighborhood. My secret agenda with the library was to encourage children to read. It makes me happy to see children opening the library door and eyeing the books. I also have my organic farming certificate and grow my own herbs and vegetables.

I chose the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s online MBA program because of its flexibility, high quality courses, and the International Business and Human Resources specialty options. I have been very impressed with the prompt, courteous assistance received from staff members such as Dr. Zahn, Dr. Chenoweth and my advisor, Ms. Kutz. During a recent campus visit, I was pleased with the cozy campus, approachable staff, and UWW efforts to accommodate students with disabilities. I was also delighted with the modern, new College of Business and Economics building, Hyland Hall.

Nima Salami (Mirnima Salami Saadatloo)

I am probably the most international student in UW-Whitewater! Having come directly from Sweden (Jonkoping International Business School), I have lived and studied international business in six different schools on three continents and in four countries including Iran, Sweden, the Netherlands (and now the US) as an exchange student.  Based on this experience, I could never have guessed that I would love UW-Whitewater so much that I would stay and finish my degree here!

Originally from Iran, when first I arrived to the US, I was a little bit anxious about my first encounters. This anxiety didn't last even a minute when I told the Customs officer on the border that I had come to study in the US. I received a very warm welcome, and I was there in Chicago.

Comparing UW-Whitewater with other universities, I really love the high quality of the professors. They are experienced and organized. Their warm attitudes toward international students made me feel at home, and as reciprocity I tried harder to get better results and learn more. It is unbelievable that the university has existed since 1865, and the business school is among 5% top business schools in the world.

Every day at UW-Whitewater is a new experience, and as the only Iranian student that has come from the fatherland to UW-Whitewater, I am not only studying my courses and adding to my body of knowledge but also I am learning from the many extracurricular activities. To mention one, I was elected by the Global Studies Board to be emcee for the International Dinner event, which is one the biggest events at the school. This opportunity gave me lots of connections, and I met many lovely people who were working together on the project and are now among my best friends. Working in university's innovation center as a researcher at the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) and the Global Business Resource Center (GBRC) was another fantastic opportunity. Guess what? I joined them in "GBRC" at the time, when they were hosting the first International Student Conference. My role? I was a GBRC member and the conference's closing day guitar player! Working on that event, in my opinion, was equal to the sort of experience I could get from an internship in a professional international company.

I have faced challenges too. Unfortunate clashes between the governments of the two countries and sanctions over the Iranian banks made my financial and student life hard, in a way that I couldn’t transfer my credits and money to the US to pay for everything. But an article about me in university's newspaper, the Royal Purple, changed everything. The college deans, admissions office, professors, and my lovely American friends inside and outside campus made tremendous effort to change the situation for me. It was unbelievable how they could change the effects of this unfortunate situation and I was back to my normal student life again, to continue my dreams and success which was impossible without their help. This help clearly proved to me the school's ability to solve unwanted situations that sometimes do come up in life.

Fortunately now I am pursuing my MBA at UW-Whitewater and am thinking of my PhD so that one day I can help other students tackle obstacles. I want those brilliant minds and future generations to have the opportunity to grow in a wonderful university and help make the world a better place for everybody.

Jodi Straka

I'm a junior here at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with my major in Marketing. There was no question of where I was going to college when the time came to decide; Whitewater was the place for me, and it still is.

Whitewater has always stood out in my mind because of its superb business school and the wide range of opportunities it has to offer its students. When I think of Whitewater, I think of one big family, and that's exactly what it is! Whitewater creates a diverse environment where all students are welcome and can be who they want to be.

Many factors have played a role in shaping me into the individual I am today. My leadership roles in teams such as the Hawk Squad and being a Resident Assistant have helped me grow.

DECA, one of the many business-oriented clubs at UW-Whitewater, has also played a huge role in developing me not only as a person, but as a student as well. DECA has helped me by giving me real world experience and offering me many opportunities to expand my experience. I competed this past year with a partner in business-to-business marketing at the collegiate conferences. My partner and I earned top honors at the state conference and then we finished in the top ten competitors at the national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. My networking ability has definitely grown from all of my experiences in DECA. Because of my involvement in a variety of activities on campus, I've gained many skills that will help me in my career.

The College of Business and Economics has and still is preparing me to be successful in business. The professors here have real world experience that helps them connect to their subject areas. I've always left the classroom with new ideas and concepts to ponder and apply to my life.

My favorite thing about the College of Business and Economics is how personal all the faculty and staff are. They really make us students feel at home. They make real connections with us that are important to learning. When I meet with my professors, I feel comfortable having conversations with them.

Simply said, I love UW-Whitewater and I'm proud to be a Warhawk!