Campus Connection

Two members of the UWL community have been recognized as outstanding. The YWCA selected nine women to honor this year, including UWL Office of Multicultural Student Services Director Antoiwana Williams and student Authrene Ashton. The YWCA gives out the awards to individuals who support its mission and recognize a “high level of personal and professional accomplishment and positive contributions to the improved quality of life within the Coulee Region community.” Williams and Ashton were honored at a ceremony in November. Ashton shared some of the experience of learning of the honor and the work she’s done to earn the recognition. What was your reaction when you learned about this honor? My reaction when I learned about this honor was that my jaw dropped. Honestly, I am not originally from the La Crosse area so I was not aware of such awards given out. I was very emotional finding out that I was getting honored because the people who nominated me are some of the people I look up to so much around this campus. Are you inspired by the efforts of the other outstanding women? I am so very much inspired by the efforts of the other outstanding women. Not only to be in a group full of women, but a group of women who are such leaders, with huge hearts, is special. Women like Antoiwana demonstrate to college women that your dreams are possible, that you can make a difference because she, along with the other women, is doing that now. What’s your message to our community? My message to the community is to think more with your heart. We live in a fast paced, need to get 50 things done at once world, but we need to slow down and let ourselves feel more things. I think when that happens there's the compassion and love that this community needs for social justice to be accomplished. How do you plan to continue your outstanding work? I plan to continue my work by being a student leader in the new peer education program I just started for the residence halls on campus as well, as stay involved with student organizations that support my identities and those of my peers to stand in solidarity. I will do this by continuing to make connections with other students and professionals on campus.