Posted 8:03 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023
Jazzma Holland receives Parker Award for distinguished campus, community service
Editor’s note: The UWL Alumni Association is awarding graduates from the ’60s through 2021 its top alumni awards for 2023. They’re being honored for distinguished service and successful careers.
The distinguished alumni will return to campus Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23, to speak with students and take part in a panel discussion, along with being recognized during a brunch. Get details from the Alumni Association calendar.
Driving change.
Creating opportunities.
Empowering future generations.
For Jazzma Holland, these are much more than abstract platitudes. They are an essential part of who she is.
Holland, ’15 & ’21, has worked to promote social justice and open doors for young people of color every step of her adult life — from her time as an undergraduate at UWL, to her current role as assistant director of Student Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programming at Edgewood College in Madison.
Her efforts on college campuses and across communities earned her the 2023 Parker Multicultural Distinguished Alumni Award at UWL, which recognizes outstanding alumni who have contributed significantly to the improvement of multicultural understanding on campus and in their careers.
“Jazzma has set the bar high for what it means to be a dedicated practitioner and educator while never losing focus of self, family and community,” says Antoiwana Williams, who recently retired from her role leading UWL’s Affirmative Action Office and Youth Safety Program. “She leads by example and encourages others to do the same. She is an excellent role model, but most importantly, she is aware of the importance of giving back to the community.”
Holland began her career at UWL as the administrator of the Center for Organization, Vision & Engagement.
Later, she became assistant director and ultimately director of UWL Upward Bound, a federally funded TRIO program that supports eligible high school students transitioning to college.
Finally, she was the assistant director of Student Leadership — overseeing all multicultural student organizations on campus — before accepting her current position at Edgewood College.
In 2022, for her outstanding leadership on campus, Holland was UWL’s recipient of the UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award.
It’s no mistake that, in almost all of her work, Holland has had a direct connection to students of color. Those who have worked with Holland say she takes great pride in advocating for young people and encouraging them to reach their full potential.
“As a woman of color and mentor to a myriad of individuals, she has raised the bar for young professionals in the field of higher education and on UWL’s campus,” WIlliams says. “She has encouraged campus and community individuals and students to believe in themselves, to work hard and to trust that all their dreams can come true through strategic leadership and planning.”
In the community, Holland is the co-founder and president of the La Crosse-based nonprofit Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge, as well as the founder of the Black Women in Wisconsin Empowerment Conference.
She is also the host and creator of “AllThatJazz,” a podcast in which she speaks to the Black Community about heritage, networking, mental health and other important issues.
“Jazzma continues to make a difference on campus and in the community by drawing on her own experience as a first-generation woman of color,” Williams says. “She is a kind, caring and compassionate woman who will always go beyond the call of duty to assist anyone.”
James Parker Multicultural Distinguished Alumni Award
The Parker Distinguished Multicultural Alumni Award recognizes outstanding alumni who have contributed significantly to the improvement of multicultural understanding on the campus and in their careers. History Professor Emeritus James Parker established the award in 1997.