A happy Mothers Day for Sheboygan family

The Freis family of rural Sheboygan County enjoyed a particularly nice Mothers Day weekend 2012, celebrating the summa cum laude graduation of daughter Stephanie from UW-Green Bay.

Stephanie served as graduating class speaker. Posing before the ceremony, from left, are sisters Emily, Libby and Stephanie, with mom, Janice Freis.

Stephanie opened her brief remarks to the audience of 5,000-plus at the Kress Events Center by praising UW-Green Bay’s top-notch faculty and staff, and thanking her parents, Janice and Tom. She went on to sing the praises of a broad-based liberal arts education. Even in a tough economy, she said, UW-Green Bay graduates have the ability to adapt and adjust thanks to their communication and critical thinking skills.

Freis, a psychology major, has been accepted at one of the nation’s top Ph.D. programs in social psychology, at Ohio State University, where she will pursue her career goal of becoming a university-level faculty member and researcher, with an eye toward serving disadvantaged populations. For more on her college career and selection to serve as class speaker, click here.