Author: Michael Shaw
-
Breaking Barriers: How Elena Talingo Redefined Early Graduation and Future Leadership
By
|
Photos by Dan Moore, University Photographer Editor’s Note: As of this publication, Elena will be part of the Aerospace Development program with Honeywell Aerospace in Minneapolis upon her graduation in December, 2025. Elena Talingo didn’t just get a head start. She rewrote what a head start looks like. Before ever stepping onto the UW–Green Bay…
-
Business Leader Raquel Botbyl’s Leap of Faith at UW-Green Bay
By
|
Photos by Dan Moore, University Photographer Raquel Botbyl is the 2025 Student Commencement Speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony on Saturday, December 13, 2025. Growing up in Menominee, Michigan, Raquel Botbyl learned early on the value of persistence and, when needed, the art of the pivot. She still recalls falling in love with gymnastics as…
-
From Isolation to Impact: James Harris’ Unstoppable Climb Toward Purpose and Civic Leadership
By
|
Photos by Dan Moore, University Photographer James Harris is the 2025 Student Commencement Speaker for the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, December 13, 2025. College is often described as a journey, but for James Harris, a mountain climb may be more accurate. He arrived at UW-Green Bay unsure of his footing or his future. “I…
-
From Baker to Biologist: UW-Green Bay Grad Soars into Bird Conservation Career
By
|
Photos by UW-Green Bay Photographer, Dan Moore Q: What do a UW–Green Bay Phoenix and a master baker have in common? A: Rising is essential. Sarah Baughman—a 2025 UW–Green Bay graduate with a Biology degree—knows this firsthand. Her “rise” took time: investing ten years devoted to baking before returning to college to rediscover her love…
-
Transferring to UW-Green Bay: The Journey of One Migrating Phoenix
By
|
Have you ever needed to change your surroundings to achieve your academic dreams? You’re not alone. In fact, in the Fall of 2024, about 13% of all undergraduates in the U.S. (that’s about 1.5 million!) were transfer students. One characteristic many of them share, other than seeking a fresh start, is they tend not to…
-
Returning to Rise
By
|
Photos by University Photographer, Dan Moore. Jessica Plascencia was ready to break free. She believed success meant leaving Green Bay behind—and in 2017, she did just that, choosing UW–Oshkosh for its distance and her independence. It wasn’t far on the map, but for Plascencia, a first-generation college student, that hour-long drive was a radical act of…
-
Software Sparks
By
|
Photos by Dan Moore, University Photographer. Engineering is more than high-level tinkering—it’s the art of imagining what doesn’t yet exist and building it into reality. It’s a bold blend of imagination and precision, where ideas leap off the page and into the world. No longer limited to mechanics or chemicals, today’s ever-expanding engineering universe spans…
-
The Power of Justice
By
|
It started with the determination to find answers. Justice Saxby, a first-generation college student and UW–Green Bay alumna of the Class of 2025, always had a unique way of seeing the world. “I used to think that clouds were made from smokestacks,” she recalled. “I’d think, ‘Oh, they’re making the clouds today.’” That early misunderstanding…
-
Full Circle
By
|
On a blustery August evening in 2024, Dr. Evan Wenig stepped out of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. His long hours as an attending physician overseeing patient care had turned daylight into darkness. But on this night, as he walked to his car, a wave of familiarity washed over him. “Years ago, I…