Campus Connection

Alumni, others share how professional writing helped them succeed

Not even a year after graduating, Theresa Lorenz, ’16, became a role model for UWL students. Lorenz was invited to give a presentation as part of the Fall 2016 Professional Writing Speaker Series. “It’s exciting,” says the communication studies major and professional writing minor. “This means I’m actually grown up.” https://youtu.be/EMiiWJK7CFU Lorenz is an associate research analyst at Healthcare Business Insights, a healthcare trades publication company in Milwaukee. “I’m essentially researching to find best practices for healthcare providers, then summarizing these often complex ideas so that all of our subscribers can implement those practices,” she explains. Lorenz led one of six speaking sessions during the fall semester. It was not only an opportunity for students to learn from professionals, but an opportunity for alumni like Lorenz and Shelby Schroeder to return to campus. [caption id="attachment_47733" align="alignright" width="300"] UWL Alumna Shelby Schroeder shares what she’s learned since graduating from UWL with students during a November 2016 presentation. Schroeder was part of the Professional Writing Speaker Series, sponsored by the UWL English Department.[/caption] Schroeder, a meeting and event specialist for the National Co+op Grocers, shared the top 10 tips she’s learned since graduating, including “college is not the best time of your life” and “work hard because the sum of your little successes matter.” Lindsay Steiner, assistant English professor, expects the series to continue with more alumni and community members from diverse organizations. That means more opportunities for UWL alums to come back to campus. “The invitation was so unexpected,” says Lorenz. “I’m so grateful to come back and it made me feel really happy that they recognized me as a good student and someone who’s doing well.”