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Alumni in Action

Donor Support Powers New Precollege Programs and More

Donor Digest: Q2

By Wisconsin School of Business

June 8, 2023

The Wisconsin School of Business (WSB) Fund allows the school to invest in new innovations and initiatives that enhance the student experience and improve its reputation as a world-class business school. Contributions to the WSB Fund help the school implement transformative learning experiences and curricula that uniquely prepare students for post-graduation success.

We are grateful for your investment in the WSB Fund within the last 12 months. Your gift is an integral part of our school’s ability to innovate, grow, and provide exceptional learning experiences. In addition to expressing our sincerest thanks, we wanted to celebrate with you and share key points of progress and impact that you helped make possible.

New precollege programs launch June 2023

In June 2023, WSB is launching two new precollege programs for high school students. These one-week camps are designed to engage underrepresented students—including potential first-generation college students—in exploring undergraduate programs and considering a business major. The Business Basics program is intended to help students learn what it’s like to be a business student at UW–Madison and work on developing communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, all while building relationships with other students and staff at WSB. The Junior Business Badgers program is structured to help students explore the career pathways available within business, develop networking skills, and participate in a corporate site visit. Thanks to generous philanthropic investments, eligible students can participate in these programs free of charge.

WSB celebrates 2023 graduates

Congrats to the Class of 2023! On May 13, WSB celebrated the graduation of more than 1,230 students across its undergraduate, MBA, master’s and PhD programs. One graduate, Avi Gomez (MBA ’23), shared her thoughts on what comes next with WSB earlier this month. Gomez earned her MBA in strategic human resource management and was a fellow with the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. WSB was one of the first three schools to join the consortium more than 50 years ago, which covers full tuition and fees for two years of full-time study. Avi plans to begin her new role at Citigroup this summer. Meanwhile, WSB alumna and co-founder of Irrational Labs Kristen Berman (BBA ’06) addressed the crowd at a special BBA graduation celebration on May 12. Her advice to graduating students: Ask for what you want. If you don’t know what you want, ask someone how you can help them.

Alumni and friends support global programs on Day of the Badger

On March 28 and 29, Business Badger alumni, parents, and friends came together to make an impact on Day of the Badger, UW–Madison’s annual day of giving. During the campaign, 338 donors raised over $152,000 for the Wisconsin School of Business. Gifts from the campaign will increase access to global learning experiences for current and future students, allowing them to see business through an international lens and grow key skills needed in today’s global business economy.

Badgers in Finance expands to Chicago

The Badgers in Finance network hosted its first Chicago-area events this past academic year, gathering finance and real estate students and alumni for networking and learning. Badgers in Finance launched in 2017 with a small group of engaged New York City-based UW alumni to create a robust and dedicated network of alums working in financial services to help support students and Badger graduates pursuing careers in finance. Today, Badgers in Finance is a growing network of more than 300 engaged alumni who host student treks at their companies, mentor and network with students and alumni, and recruit students for internship and full-time opportunities. The network continues to expand across the country. Plans are in the works to host events in multiple cities and partner with an expanding network of alumni to open doors for students. For more information, please visit the Badgers in Finance webpage.

Want more stories about the impact of giving at WSB? Click here to read last quarter’s Donor Digest


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