Her passion for helping families finds a home at school

The path leading Britney Morrow to “what I really want to do professionally” has been a winding one.

By Beth Stafford | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

The path leading Britney Morrow to “what I really want to do professionally” and her master’s degree in social work has been a winding one.

A Milwaukee native, she attended Milwaukee German Immersion School and then Milwaukee High School of the Arts for violin study. When she discontinued music studies, she moved on to Bradley Tech High School. After graduation, Morrow spent freshman year at Clark College in Atlanta.

The economic realities of a private college sent her to UW-Whitewater and then back home to Milwaukee. Morrow enrolled at UWM, graduating in educational policy and community studies in December 2002. “I thought I wanted to teach, but after my first teaching experience I found that wasn’t the case. I loved working with kids, but didn’t like being a classroom teacher.”

Still on course for teaching, she enrolled part-time at Cardinal Stritch University for coursework that would lead to teacher certification. At the same time, she began working part-time for Professional Services Group, a supervisory agency for children in foster care. “That’s where my social work journey began,” says Morrow.

Her job: To ferry children from their foster homes to visitations with their biological family, and observe and document the visits. She submitted her reports to the appropriate caseworker and case manager.

“I loved what I was doing,” she now says,  “and decided to look into social work as a career.”

Morrow’s talent for working with children and families was recognized with a promotion to supervisor of visitation (still part time). All the while she was also working full time as a special education resource teacher – an experience that confirmed teaching was “not a good fit” for her.

“I decided to apply and was accepted for the social work master’s degree program at UWM, nearly 10 years after earning my undergraduate degree there. And this time, the journey was amazing.”

Morrow says she discovered the difference between studying what you think you want to do and exploring what you actually have a passion for. “This time around, I enjoyed going and being in class, participated in discussions – and my grades improved dramatically.”

She sees the campus as being a very different environment from ten years ago. Morrow applauds campus leadership for the changes that have been made and are still ongoing. “Today, you can have the experience of true campus living at UWM.”

Working part time as a substitute school social worker since February, Morrow is back in a school setting. But this time, she is thriving. “I love working with kids and families, and always knew I wanted to work in a school, but couldn’t figure out in what capacity. The social work piece brought it all together.”

Morrow hopes to be hired full time as a school social worker after passing the required certification exam and submitting her portfolio. While her work so far has been on the elementary school level at Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School and Elm Creative Arts, Morrow may take a leap into working at the high school level.
“I’d love to act as a mentor for teens and encourage students to keep their grades up and see themselves going to college and studying abroad like I did.”

Designing apps leads to launching a business

From his freshman year of high school, Hunter Ruth knew what he wanted to do.

By Beth Stafford | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

From his freshman year of high school, Hunter Ruth knew what he wanted to do. Inspired by a teacher, Ruth focused on becoming a graphic designer and creating video games.

“I definitely benefitted from knowing what I wanted to do,” Ruth says. “That’s the hardest decision you have to make in college. But at UWM, I learned right away that there was much more to the graphic design field than I thought.”

He describes an introductory course on web design in the Peck School as a “great class with way too much information. The professor would fill white boards and your hand would get numb trying to take notes.”

Ruth’s personal “next step” was venturing outside of the Peck School of the Arts for a cross-disciplinary adventure in computer programming.

He looked into the Web Development Certificate program in the College of Engineering & Applied Science, then enrolled in a CEAS class. “It was math-based and really tough—an eye-opener for me. It did teach me how to fail and not give up,” Ruth says with a laugh, adding that he also “learned how to learn” programming languages.

Moving on to a class in the School of Information Studies about native mobile apps, his prior experience with Java meant he could move through the course work and learn Javascript very quickly. The instructor set the course up as an independent study and Ruth began creating a math-based game.

When the focus of the Graphic Design 2 course that Ruth enrolled in this spring was announced, he was ready. For this course in product innovation and design entrepreneurship, students were challenged to identify a problem then create a product to address it.

Ruth’s game for elementary students (K-5) called “Abakus: Math Adventure” fits that description. “It’s basically a supplement to regular math homework, focusing on repetition of math fundamentals, but presented in a more fun and engaging way.”

For Ruth, the game is a response to the issues voiced by his mom and sister, who work in the same elementary school with first and second graders. By the time a teacher realizes there is a problem, teachers say that a student is already behind.

“Abakus: Math Adventure” has students learning and practicing math skills through building their own spaceship and space travel. Through the Abakus mother ship, teachers view students’ participation “live” and observe any learning issues.

“The game eliminates the long loop of children taking homework home, bringing it back, and being graded.”

The next step in launching his own education software company is applying to UWM’s Student Startup Challenge. Ruth already has his test market on board: mom and sister.

Internships have given him insight into running a business. For the past year, Ruth has been working with the tech startup, HarQen, which designs human resources software for banks and hospitals. “I also am a designer and developer for the new UWM Mobile Innovation Lab, nicknamed the The App Brewery – making mobile/web apps for research, student-based and nonprofit organizations.”

While Ruth looks ahead to his next chapter, he deeply appreciates the sense of community fostered by the Peck School’s design and visual communications program. “I launched a Facebook page during my sophomore year and invited all of the designers I had classes with to join. Now, there’s about 50 or 60 members that are actively posting. While it began as a tool for feedback and critiques, it’s become more for supporting each other and seeing how everybody’s progressed.”

More info on Abakus: Math Adventure.

More info on the Student Startup Challenge.

He’s all geared up for automotive manufacturing

He’s all geared up for automotive manufacturing

By Laura L. Hunt | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

When it comes to automobiles, don’t get Mitchell Crawford started – unless you’re prepared for a long discussion. His childhood fascination with cars steered him toward a degree in mechanical engineering, and it was a particular car he worked on at UWM that ultimately helped him land a job in the automotive field.

Crawford is in an enviable position. Despite tough economic times, he has been a salaried engineer working nearly full-time at Modine Manufacturing in Racine since January. Among Modine’s products are thermal management components that are used in automotive applications.

Crawford has worked four internships, called co-ops, with Modine. This included one term in Tennessee, where he worked at one of their plants to gain manufacturing experience. “So after all that, they wanted me and it was mutual,” he says. “I did not look anywhere else.”

From his hometown near Madison, Crawford settled on UWM after visiting his cousin who was enrolled and living in the residence halls. Although his parents are University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni, Crawford was impressed with the tight knit community at Sandburg, and decided then to pass up Madison in favor of coming to the larger city.

A drive to improve

He immediately joined the student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), a group dedicated to designing, building and racing an off-road “Baja” car. Each year, universities from around the world race these vehicles in a competition sponsored by SAE.

But when Crawford began, the UWM Baja car had seen better days. The car – and the team’s chances for being competitive – was hindered by a decade of repairs and upgrades from only recycled pieces. He recalled how the front suspension arms had been made out of table legs because that was all previous student engineers had to use.

The group took stock of what it would need to bring their car to the next performance level.

“SAE was the icebreaker for me in the college. I met so many people,” says Crawford. “My aim was to build up the inventory of available resources, which involved fund-raising. For a while it was like Christmas every week when we were receiving new parts and tools.”

In his two years in SAE, the group had amassed $30,000 worth of tools and materials, enough to build an all-new car, he says. And in the process, Crawford made some valuable contacts, one of which recommended him for a co-op at Modine.

Old-school done right

The experience has left him with some opinions on the importance of the manufacturing sector. “I’ve come to see how manufacturing brings more robust economic growth to an area,” he says. “It’s truly making money by making things. It could drive the U.S. forward, but automation is necessary in order to compete in the global market.”

Modine’s product-testing facility particularly impressed Crawford. “We can simulate the radiator module from a dump truck traveling off road, down to each pothole and bump,” he says. “Our climatic wind tunnel can simulate a car driving up to 150 MPH with an air temperature of -20 F to 130 F. It’s an extremely efficient way to test a product while controlling the elements.”

The search for efficiency was a theme that also permeated Crawford’s study abroad experience in Germany, where he and his classmates studied renewable energy.

Before leaving the country, Crawford made time for his first love. He visited the Autostadt (literally “car city”), a museum of automobiles that is adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg.

“There was every car that had represented a milestone, or advancement in the industry. I had an opportunity to check them out up-close, some of which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.”

Having earned his degree and started his professional life, what’s Crawford’s next goal? It just may be to replace his silver Impreza with a faster vehicle.

Raised by a teacher, he’s taking on the family business

Jacob Probst, who’s graduating with his bachelor’s degree and certification in exceptional education, says his experiences as an army instructor and his School of Education courses have both helped develop his teaching skills.

By Kathy Quirk | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

It’s a big change from instructing soldiers heading to Iraq and Afghanistan how to handle their weapons to teaching middle-school students to unravel the complexities of algebra, but the learning principles are similar. Jacob Probst, who’s graduating with his bachelor’s degree and certification in exceptional education, says his experiences as an army instructor and his School of Education courses have both helped develop his teaching skills.

Probst, 26, served four years in the Army. That includes one year in Iraq looking for bombs before coming to UWM to earn his education degree. He is still active in the reserves as a combat engineer/senior small arms instructor.

Choosing special education as a career grew out of the same values that led him to enlist in the army. “I’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunity, and felt a need to contribute and make a difference.”

Probst is from a family of teachers. His wife, Kirsten, is an early childhood special education teacher in West Allis, and his mother, mother-in-law and sister are also special education teachers.

“I’ve always been around teachers; it’s just something I was naturally drawn to.”

Probst brings special empathy to his teaching because of his own experiences. “I had some struggles in middle school and high school, but I always had someone to mentor me through all that. Special education is challenging, but I really like the transition part, getting kids ready for life after high school.”

He’s developed his own learning techniques to overcome areas where he felt his skills fell short – public speaking and rifle marksmanship. He’s now comfortable in front of a classroom and first place for expert in the Wisconsin State Service Rifle Championships.

“So when students are struggling, or don’t understand how they’ll ever use some knowledge in ‘real life,’ I can help them figure out a way to learn,” says Probst.

He’s enjoyed his years at UWM. Faculty members and his student teaching supervisor have continually encouraged him to challenge himself. “It can be difficult, but I can see how it’s preparing me to be an exceptional teacher.” He also appreciates the opportunities to take some fascinating courses outside his major like Native American studies, winter survival, scuba diving and negotiation.

Probst has found the presence of other veterans at UWM, and the campus veteran’s center and organizations a bonus. “As an older student and a veteran you’ve had different experiences than the 18- and 19-year-olds in your class. Sometimes it’s nice to just have coffee and talk with another veteran.”

He completes his student teaching next month, and is already interviewing for special education jobs. He has new incentive, too. He and Kirsten recently found out they’re expecting a baby, so this fall he’ll be starting another career as a dad.

She achieved a master’s – and the ‘anti-desk job’

When Ciara Rahn chose a bachelor’s degree in geology, she did so because the physical science appealed to her – as did the fact that she would spend a lot of time outdoors.

By Laura L. Hunt | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

When Ciara Rahn chose a bachelor’s degree in geology, she did so because the physical science appealed to her – as did the fact that she would spend a lot of time outdoors.

But at the end of her four years at UW-Madison, her bachelor’s degree and a certificate in environmental science in hand, she took a little time off to explore which path to follow next.

“I knew I would need a master’s degree, but I didn’t want to continue in geology,” she says.

To help, she “bulked up” on a few undergraduate non-geology science classes, first at UW-Waukesha and then at UWM. Both experiences pointed her in the same direction: At UW-Waukesha, biology lecturer and UWM alum Michael Pauers encouraged Rahn to look into the School of Freshwater Sciences. Sandra McLellan, a UWM professor of freshwater sciences, suggested the same thing.

“I wanted a hands-on experience that would serve me well going forward into a science career, and the fact that I could finish this degree in two years was very appealing,” says Rahn.

She chose the option of earning a professional master’s degree, one that does not require a thesis for graduation. The option is designed for those who are not planning to pursue a Ph.D.

Choosing carefully has paid off. The City of Racine Health Department hired Rahn to monitor contaminants in its local waterways, a skill she learned while completing an internship there.

Heading outside

At SFS, Rahn got the outdoor projects she craved, although she admits she initially had to get her “sea legs.” She counts a day out on Lake Michigan aboard the research vessel Neeskay as an academic highlight.

Each member of the class was assigned sampling and collecting data on a different aspect of lake ecology. Rahn’s task was retrieval of zebra and quagga mussels, an invasive species, from the lake bottom.

“I wish the waves had been a little calmer. But it was a lot of fun,” she says.

Sampling environmental health indicators, like the effects of invasives, would ultimately help Rahn land an important component of the master’s program – an internship.

Julie Kinzelman, a research scientist for the Racine health department and UWM alumna, hired Rahn for an internship opportunity that involved water sampling and data collection along the Pike River.

“I tested for levels of the bacteria E. coli at 29 sites along the river,” she says of the six-month experience. “The Pike is an impaired river with runoff pollution that is typical of urban rivers.”

The work is essential because baseline data has never been collected before. The aim, for now, is to gather the information that will help biologists understand what is going on in the lake’s ecosystem before they begin the process of remediation.

The role of the public

Rahn discovered she enjoyed the part of the job that called for working with the public.

“I like the aspect of interacting with the public, to work with individuals and groups to find out what’s wrong with the waterways and then try to fix it.”

In fact, she remembers being pleasantly surprised at the level of citizen interest in clean rivers. “So many people would show up at the public meetings that they’d have to bring out more chairs,” she says. “They were just ordinary citizens and if they didn’t understand something, they weren’t afraid to ask.”

Post graduation, Rahn’s job entails gauging what’s in the water at a different location – the Wind Point watershed that lies between South Milwaukee and Racine.

Sounds perfect for the young woman who wanted to be outdoors.

“The monitoring goes on in all kinds of weather,” she says. “A lot of the collection points are off the beaten path. So it’s kind of an adventure.”

Soc major expands horizons in Ireland, inclusivity, and at home

Soc major expands horizons in Ireland, inclusivity, and at home

By Kathy Quirk | Photo By Peter Jakubowski

Phylicia Rivera was involved in everything she could fit into her schedule while at UWM, and wishes she had time to pursue even more classes in different subjects.

As it is, she’s graduating with a major in sociology and minors in global studies and history.

“If I could do everything I wanted,” she says, “I’d be graduating with a lot of degrees.”

Rivera came to UWM as a Chancellor’s Scholar, has studied abroad in Ireland, served as president of the Multicultural Student Coalition for three years, and worked in the Union’s sociocultural programming office for two years. She also was one of several student representatives involved in the Inclusive Excellence project to support diversity on campus, and contributed to a report on campus climate.

On April 11, she received the Joan W. Moore Service-Scholar Award from the Department of Sociology for her work.

A graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee, she was considering a number of universities when she was offered the Chancellor’s Scholarship. “My mom is a single mom and this was an awesome opportunity.”

Shortly after coming to UWM, she met Linda Huang, now a program manager in Global Inclusion and Engagement, who encouraged her to pursue her interests in multicultural student affairs.  As a result of her work with UWM, she had the opportunity to attend a number of conferences of the American Multicultural Student Leadership Coalition and bring ideas back to campus.

Rivera liked UWM’s diversity of cultures, ages, economic and family backgrounds, and enjoyed being part of the effort to make the campus a better place for all. “I knew if I wanted to see changes, I’d have to go to work to help make it happen.”

In the spring of 2012, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland. She became interested in Irish culture, and started studying Gaelic. She interned with Pat Ramsey, the former mayor of Derry and now a leader of the country’s Social Democratic and Labour Party.

Right now, in addition to completing her classes, Rivera works 30 hours a week as a dental claims administrator, interns with the nonprofit Running Rebels, and is looking forward to a short breather after graduation. Then she’ll get busy planning for her fall wedding.

Her husband-to-be is applying to pharmacy schools so she can’t really focus on job hunting until they know where he’ll be accepted. She’s thought about grad school as part of her future, but with her many interests isn’t sure yet what one subject she’d like to pursue.

After all her classes and experiences at UWM, she’s found her current career interest grew out of her job in the Union’s programming office. “I really enjoy event planning and would like to find something in that field, and eventually start my own business.

“I’ve had an incredible experience at UWM,” she says, adding that she was glad to make a permanent contribution to campus.  She was part of the student advisory group that came up with the idea for an Inclusive Excellence Center.

“It’s really awesome to actually see a good idea come to life.”