Alicia Hazen is a 4.0 graduate of Edgewood College’s Class of 2021. She received a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Change.
Q: Describe senior year amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: I started graduate school in Fall 2019, so made it about a semester and a half before the pandemic hit. I was always enrolled in a fully online degree program, so things didn’t change from that perspective. However, schooling myself through a pandemic while suddenly working from home with no childcare for my 5-year-old son was interesting at best. My husband took the lead on his virtual schooling come Fall 2020, so that was helpful as I didn’t have to try to do it all on my own. But it was still really stressful juggling everything and not having the normal outlets I would usually have, like going into the office, seeing other people outside of my immediate family, date nights with my husband, etc.
Q: What did this past year teach you about yourself that you didn’t know?
A: That I can do hard things! I always knew that, but it was a helpful reminder. This past year was mentally and emotionally taxing, but I got through it. I have the mental stamina and determination to do anything I put my mind to.
Q: Describe your most rewarding college experience.
A: I was thrilled when I got to meet my scholarship donor via Zoom. It was an anonymous donor up until then, but they wanted to meet with me last semester, which was really rewarding. I got to learn a bit more about them and their giving interests, while also sharing my story so they had a sense of who they were helping through school. The financial support meant so much to me.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A: Gosh, that’s a tough question. Schooling myself through a pandemic while working from home with a virtual kindergartner? All joking aside, it’s probably parenting.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My mom! No doubt. She raised my brother and me on her own after my father passed away when I was very young. She showed me what hard work and dedication means. And, also, what it means to be a strong, woman leader in the workplace. I also appreciated that she taught us financial life skills early on, so that we knew not just how to take care of ourselves in an emergency, but also how to plan for the future. She is amazing! And kind, caring, and accepting of others.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: That is a great question! I will likely still be working at the university in some capacity, as I’ve spent my entire professional career on campus, but I’m not sure what type of role. Now that I am armed with my master’s degree, it will open new doors and allow me to apply for positions I was previously “unqualified for” like an Assistant Dean. I enjoy working with students, so probably still in a student-facing or administrative role that directly impacts students in a positive and meaningful way.
Q: How will you change the world?
A: I’d like to think I already am, even in small, yet impactful ways. I hope that I can serve as a role model for young women of color and to show them what is possible in terms of education, leadership roles, and careers. But also in embracing who you are and showing up authentically in all you do. I want to inspire others to be their best selves and help support and lift up other woman in both a personal and professional capacity.
Q: If you had to start a nonprofit, what cause would it support?
A: There are so many amazing causes it is hard to choose just one. However, I feel that dismantling racism and advocating for social justice to change the systems of oppression that have existed for centuries against people of color is the most pressing issue that is in need of support right now.
Tasha McKenzie is a 2021 spring graduate of Edgewood College. She earned a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.
Q: Describe senior year amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: My senior year during the pandemic was fine. A lot of work. There was nothing much else to do but my course work for school. All my courses were online.
Q: What did this past year teach you about yourself that you didn’t know?
A: Physical activity is a must have in my life. This past year, I made a lifestyle change and added exercise to my life. That addition has been one of my best decisions. My focus, strength and confidence improved.
Q: Describe your most rewarding college experience.
A: Graduation is my most rewarding college experience. I took one to two classes over a period of 19 years and am finally done! A life without homework and classes seems like a dream.
Q:What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A: Due to the pandemic, I was furloughed from work over the summer. I would not have had enough money to pay for my last year with Edgewood. I had exceeded my loans. I was granted access to my 401K and used the money intended for my retirement to pay for my final year. It was a hard decision to make, but this was an investment towards my future and my legacy.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My two daughters Siandreya and Quiarra inspire me. They make me choose to be the best me.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: In 10 years, I hope to be healthy, happy, and living well.
Q: How will you change the world?
A: I am not sure that I want to change the world.
Q: If you had to start a nonprofit, what cause would it support?
A: If I had a nonprofit, it would be a childcare agency for parents taking classes. I spent a lot of money on childcare and the lack of it, is what took me so long to graduate.
Sasha Shannon-Munson, a 2021 Edgewood College graduate, proudly received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience.
Q: Describe senior year amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: I’m a mom, wife and student. Juggling all three of those titles while still fulfilling my goals is never easy with or without a pandemic. I think we’re all familiar with the environment of virtual learning, and meetings by now, but in many ways, staying at home has allowed me re-center myself, to prioritize and organize myself, and to truly learn effective habits that I can then re-enter whatever new sense of normalcy the world has for me with. I will say that the end result, finishing up senior year is truly a testament to the flexibility, patience, compassion and endurance that we’ve all, not just my family, but my professors and mentors, friends and extended family alike have had to show each other. And I know that it’s a pandemic we’re talking about but there has to be something good that comes out of it. For me, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to realize that yeah, despite life’s hoops and hurdles, I really am resilient, and capable of achieving everything God allows me to.
Q: What did this past year teach you about yourself that you didn’t know?
A: I discovered Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts and her books during the pandemic, and it was mentally altering. She really taught me about reassessing how I look at my insecurities and abilities; how to get out of my own way, by embracing the woman God has always wanted me to be. She uses this line which I think is so powerful and so true, but for many years I thought I was a lightweight in the world. For every step I tried to take, the world tried to set me back. What I learned about myself is that the world, despite whatever it threw at me, could never truly knock me down. Now, I know, I’m a heavyweight. Today I just so happen to be a heavyweight with a college degree.
Q: Describe your most rewarding college experience.
A: I started my journey to college over 15 years ago. For me, I think the most rewarding college experience I have had is not one single event, but a culmination of events, each one signifying some part of my 15-year journey. To be able to look back on these years, and moments in time, both the good and the bad, recognizing the woman I was in those moments and the woman I am now in this moment, is such a blessing to me, and I am so thankful because it reminds me that all of it was worth it, and my road to and through higher education happened the way it did for a reason.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A: I’ve had moments that I thought were hard, but in reality, I had psyched myself into believing they were more difficult than they truly were. I’m certain I could’ve answered this question a hundred different ways five or 10 years ago and tell you all the things I thought were the hardest for me to do, but now, I’m learning to find strength in my faith and thus in myself; and that deters me from really looking at anything as too hard to handle or manage.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My mother and my daughter. I’m in awe of the woman my mother is, because she has always trusted in God in ways that I can honestly say I have struggled with. I know my mother prayed for me, when I couldn’t pray for myself, and I love her for that. It took me many years to appreciate my mother. When I was a teenage girl, I was rebellious, I wanted to be anything but my mother. Now that I am a mother, I can say my own has taught me and my younger brother true perseverance, and dignity. I am grateful for her love, elegance, and grace every day, and I want nothing more than to be as good as my mom. My daughter inspires me for a different reason. She isn’t afraid to own her truth, to speak out or speak up. I was not so empowered at 12 years old to go out and protest in the name of justice and inequality. I was not comfortable enough in my brown skin to let the world know just how beautiful and capable I really was. My daughter is the opposite, and I am grateful for her tenacity. I want to say I had a hand in that, but I think that is just the way God crafted her, and I’m just blessed to be her mom and watch her grow within her own story.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: Healthy, and with a healthy family, thriving mentally and spiritually, finishing up my anesthesiology residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, applying for a fellowship in Neuro-anesthesiology, continuing to empower my community, creating a platform for young people of color, especially brown and black girls, to know that they can be leaders in high school and college STEM courses and classrooms. Between now and that 10-year mark, I’ll just continue to speak all of this into existence.
Q: How will you change the world?
A: I previously told you that it took me 15 years to finish my undergraduate degree. I’m 37 years of age, and I don’t plan on stopping now. I want people to know that you can accomplish your goals. For many of us, our children, and spouses become our priority and we lose ourselves behind their needs, and it’s easy to put our wants and needs on the backburner for them, because we love them. I want women especially, to know, it’s okay to put yourself first, because you have to love yourself as well. It’s okay to be selfish and say I want better for myself, for my children, for my children’s children. We, especially Black women, have to start realizing our worth, that means speaking and moving throughout our daily lives and communities with worth, with power, with intent and lifting each other up while we do it. How will I change the world? I pray somebody somewhere just read this statement and realized that if I can do it, they too have the strength to stand tall and change their world, and that is enough for me.
Q: If you had to start a nonprofit, what cause would it support?
A: I’m going to give you such a roundabout answer. I watched a documentary several years ago on the Black Panther Party. In this documentary Huey P. Newton was giving the Black community legal advice, and one thing I thought was so pivotal was that Huey knew the law, and how it worked for and against people of color. I thought to myself, that’s what I want to do, but through medicine. It’s no secret that the healthcare system is full of disparities when it comes to the assessment and treatment of minoritized groups. What my community needs are language lessons that makes understanding how to navigate healthcare and speaking to healthcare professionals manageable, and makes my community fluent. We need fluency in understanding when your physician may be imparting biases against you and your medical record solely based on the color of your skin or socioeconomic background. We need fluency in understanding how to advocate for a second opinion or referral. We need fluency in understanding the medications your doctor prescribes you, and how they will affect your body, your mind, your life. We need to be able to talk back to our physicians in a language that they spent 4 years of medical school and countless years after learning. We need to learn that language too. There is nothing wrong in being able to understand your rights as a patient, and there is definitely nothing wrong in receiving quality care. White people get that much, why shouldn’t we?
Barbara Moreno is a proud spring graduate of the Class of 2021 from Madison College. She earned an Associate’s Degree in hopes of transferring to a four-year institution to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Q:Describe senior year amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: It was definitely a stressful time; not being certain of what was going to happen and not having control of the situation. Like other students, I slowly learned to adapt to online learning while trying to understand what was going on in the world. I also had the chance of learning more about myself, the things that I value, my goals, and my understanding of what my reaction would be to a global pandemic.
Q: What did this past year teach you about yourself that you didn’t know?
A: This past year taught me that I am capable of adapting to situations and overcoming them. More than anything, I respect and cherish opportunities so I took this time to creatively find ways to connect more with students around me and develop new learning strategies that can be potentially useful for my professional career. Despite the constant negativity, I remained positive and encouraging to those around me.
Q: Describe your most rewarding college experience.
A: My most rewarding college experience was during my first semester when I became a nominee for the Exemplary Learner Award for the School of Arts and Science. I didn’t win the award, but at that time, I had just moved from Venezuela to the United States and didn’t knew many people or knew if I was doing things the right way. Three of my professors nominated me and I was happy that all the hard work and time I was putting in meant something to someone.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A: Two years ago, I moved from Venezuela to Wisconsin with my two younger sisters. Today, we live with our aunt and uncle’s family, while our parents support our goals from our home country. It has been a bittersweet experience taking on new responsibilities and experiencing hardships by ourselves in a new country, with new traditions, and a different language. Nonetheless, this has taught me resilience and determination. I am determined to be a supportive figure for my sisters and my family as a whole. This resulted in experiencing my first job and utilizing the resources my community offered.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My sisters and parents are my main source of inspiration. Being able to let my parents feel assured knowing that things are working out, makes me feel like I am letting them know they made the right decision. Like many international students, being in an unknown place and having to adapt once again, makes you truly value and identify the people and organizations around you that you can go to. For me, my sisters, my participation in different student organizations, and the opportunities I have encountered have become the people and places I go to, where resolve my problems, and where I can grow.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I can see myself wearing scrubs and practicing my career of choice. Just like this past year, I decided to experience what the moment has to offer and prepare for the things I know can control. It is uncertain where I will be in the next 10 years, but I hope that I am doing things that make me and others happy. I wish that the times allow me to do the things I like with the people I love.
Q: How will you change the world?
A: I am hopeful that I will change the world by the things I do. Whether they are small or big, I plan on changing someone’s world through my practice, my participation, and my mindset. I can and will offer my experiences, my history, and my never-ending ambition to always take that extra step.
Gabriela Zumwalt is a graduate of Madison College’s Class of 2021. She proudly received a Human Services Associates and a Certificate in Addiction Studies.
Q:Describe senior year amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: When I first heard of COVID-19 in March 2020, I was petrified about my last year in college. Attending class at the Truax and Goodman South campus always felt like my getaway from work and stress; it was the highlight of my day to grab a fresh coffee at the cafeteria and interact with my friends. Therefore, when I realized we weren’t coming back for a while, I wasn’t happy. However, with time I also started enjoying this new remote learning world. So, I decided to use this unfortunate opportunity to teach myself to cope with changes and adapt to a new learning style.
Q: What did this past year teach you about yourself that you didn’t know?
A: When I chose the Human Services field as a career, I did it because I knew I liked helping others, but after this chaotic year, I learned that I am genuinely passionate about supporting, empowering, and caring for people in need; this year has helped me understand that I love what I do and that I want to forward my education to better serve my community.
Q: Describe your most rewarding college experience.
A: Three years ago, I started volunteering in various places, from the Dane County Human Society, Leopold Elementary School, and recently at the River Food Pantry. I always did this without expecting anything back. However, I was awarded a President’s Volunteer Service Award with a letter from The White House from Madison College due to all my years of service. This was one of the most amazing experiences I had in my life.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A: The hardest thing I’ve ever done was leaving my family and my country. At nineteen-years-old, I immigrated to the United States with broken English and four hundred dollars in my pocket. Looking back, I’m amazed by my fearlessness and determination.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My mom and dad
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I see myself enjoying life to the fullest, surrounded by my loving family and having a fulfilling career.
Q: How will you change the world?
A: I will change the world by being the change I want to see in the world. My main focus is to be a loving, nurturing and the best version of myself to spread positivism around me. Most people are frustrated with circumstances beyond their control, but since there are too many things around us, it is impossible to control everything. However, I personally feel that if we start changing certain aspects of our lives for our personal development, we will start seeing a more empowered, dedicated, and hardworking society that alone will begin to change the world.
Q: If you had to start a nonprofit, what cause would it support?
A: I would like to address the achievement gap between races and the high dropout rates among Hispanic/Latino students by starting an after-school program that provides tutoring and technology services for kids to do their schoolwork in a comfortable and secure environment.
