Posted 9:03 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011
[caption id="attachment_8295" align="alignright" width="450" caption="Krista Hagman says she has learned in college to “Be fearless, compassionate and free.” It inspired her to get this tattoo."]
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[/caption]The ceremony will be held for the first time at the La Crosse Center, a spot large enough to accommodate one ceremony for all three colleges as opposed to multiple ceremonies held in previous years at the Mitchell Hall Gymnasium at UW-L.
Hagman plans to talk about her life philosophy — something she has developed after four years at UW-L.
She took classes, which opened her eyes to the political climate and social injustice in other parts of the world. She explored ideologies different from her own and became president of the Buddhist club on campus. She learned about another culture firsthand, studying abroad in Italy. She joined a modern dance company, participated in a weekly yoga class at the Recreational Eagle Center and started meditating.
All these experiences led her to see the world through a different lens. “We are 
incredibly blessed to live the way we do and we should use that as motivation to help other people,” she explains.
Among her many blessings, Hagman says is a college education.
“I ended up at this amazing school with the greatest people I’ve ever met,” notes Hagman. “I feel competent in the knowledge I’ve gained here and that it will lead me to do meaningful things for the world.”
Moreover, she has come to understand how to approach her future — so much so that she tattooed the words on her arm.
She plans to share that message with fellow graduates Dec. 18. Hagman says she has learned in college to “Be fearless, compassionate and free.”
If you go:
What: 2011 Winter Commencement
When: 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18
Where: The La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse
Note: No reservation or ticket is required. Students should arrive 45 minutes early for line-up and instructions.
Length: 2-2.5 hours
Candidates for graduation: 604 graduates, including 126 graduate students and 478 undergraduate students. A posthumous degree will be given to former UW-L student Andrew Cox who died November 2010.
Welcoming: Chancellor Joe Gow
Student address: Krista Hagman, graduating with a major in communication studies with an emphasis broadcasting and digital media.
Receptions: The College of Business Administration will hold a reception for graduates immediately following graduation in the Zielke Suite room in the La Crosse Center. The College of Liberal Studies will hold a reception for graduates immediately following graduation in the Ballroom.
Video: A video of the ceremony will be available Wednesday, Dec. 21, on the commencement website.
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UW-L’s winter graduation ceremony is Dec. 18
This time of year final exams are due and research papers need writing. Sleep time goes down and stress goes up. But somehow UW-La Crosse student Krista Hagman manages to keep a positive attitude. The graduating senior calls this time of her life “amazing.” “There are countless people around the world who would love to be stressed because they have final exams,” she says. “I’d rather be stressed about that than where my next meal is coming from.” Hagman, originally from Cross Plains, Wis., will give the UW-La Crosse commencement address to about 600 graduates at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. [caption id="attachment_8302" align="alignright" width="450" caption="Graduating senior Krista Hagman will give the student address at UW-L's Sunday, Dec. 18 graduation ceremony."][/caption]The ceremony will be held for the first time at the La Crosse Center, a spot large enough to accommodate one ceremony for all three colleges as opposed to multiple ceremonies held in previous years at the Mitchell Hall Gymnasium at UW-L.
Hagman plans to talk about her life philosophy — something she has developed after four years at UW-L.
She took classes, which opened her eyes to the political climate and social injustice in other parts of the world. She explored ideologies different from her own and became president of the Buddhist club on campus. She learned about another culture firsthand, studying abroad in Italy. She joined a modern dance company, participated in a weekly yoga class at the Recreational Eagle Center and started meditating.
All these experiences led her to see the world through a different lens. “We are incredibly blessed to live the way we do and we should use that as motivation to help other people,” she explains.
Among her many blessings, Hagman says is a college education.
“I ended up at this amazing school with the greatest people I’ve ever met,” notes Hagman. “I feel competent in the knowledge I’ve gained here and that it will lead me to do meaningful things for the world.”
Moreover, she has come to understand how to approach her future — so much so that she tattooed the words on her arm.
She plans to share that message with fellow graduates Dec. 18. Hagman says she has learned in college to “Be fearless, compassionate and free.”
If you go:
What: 2011 Winter Commencement
When: 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18
Where: The La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse
Note: No reservation or ticket is required. Students should arrive 45 minutes early for line-up and instructions.
Length: 2-2.5 hours
Candidates for graduation: 604 graduates, including 126 graduate students and 478 undergraduate students. A posthumous degree will be given to former UW-L student Andrew Cox who died November 2010.
Welcoming: Chancellor Joe Gow
Student address: Krista Hagman, graduating with a major in communication studies with an emphasis broadcasting and digital media.
Receptions: The College of Business Administration will hold a reception for graduates immediately following graduation in the Zielke Suite room in the La Crosse Center. The College of Liberal Studies will hold a reception for graduates immediately following graduation in the Ballroom.
Video: A video of the ceremony will be available Wednesday, Dec. 21, on the commencement website.