Don’t hesitate, alumna tells UW-Green Bay grads
A record graduating class for a mid-year commencement at UW-Green Bay heard a full-speed-ahead message from the distinguished alumna invited to give the commencement address.
Laura Hollingsworth, president and publisher of The Des Moines Register newspaper and a 1989 UW-Green Bay graduate, was the featured speaker during ceremonies Saturday (Dec. 20) at the Weidner Center.
Hollingsworth acknowledged to the approximately 300 graduates and audience of more than 1,500 that the current economic recession makes it a “scary’ time to be graduating from college. She quickly added, however, that history suggests plenty of opportunity for those who stay bold and creative.
“Some say the current environment is something our country hasn’t faced in nearly 80 years,” she said. “That may or may not prove to be true. But if it is, then the upside opportunity could be larger than in eight decades, too.”
She noted that in her business, some of the brightest brands were born during times of severe recession or even depression: Time, Fortune and People magazines, CNN, MTV, The Weather Channel and USA Today.
“Today, we in the newspaper and media industry are in the midst of enormous change and we must adapt and innovate rapidly to survive into tomorrow,” Hollingsworth said. “If we do, our future is enormous. If we don’t….well, somebody else certainly will.”
Hollingsworth, who grew up in Sturgeon Bay and said she still considers the Green Bay area home, encouraged the graduates to take risks, and to remember that creative problem solvers rise to the top in challenging times.
Graduating class speaker Jenna Neumann of Merrill cited the election of Barack Obama as president and observed that real “change” will require her generation’s best efforts. “We should start by turning off our iPods,” she told her classmates, and press for action by getting off the sidelines, talking to one another and engaging community issues.
Saturday’s graduates came from points across Wisconsin, the Midwest and the United States. Six graduates hailed from other nations. They graduated with degrees from 34 undergraduate majors and three master’s degree programs.
Presiding over the University’s 39th mid-year Commencement were Interim Chancellor David Ward and Interim Provost William Laatsch.
In his remarks, Ward acknowled several notable graduates including Brown County Executive Tom Hinz, who earned a diploma for his Bachelor of Applied Studies degree through UW-Green Bay’s Adult Degree Program. Hinz, the former Brown County Sheriff, took classes off and on since 1991.
Hinz told an interviewer recently, “One of the reasons I decided to finally finish my bachelor’s degree journey was for my own personal reasons, but mainly to show younger people that if this old guy can go back to school and get his degree, you can, too.”
Also acknowledged was a mother-daughter duo, the second parent-child pair to graduate from UW-Green Bay on the same day. Nancy Young, 48, and her daughter, Michelle, 22, of Kimberly, earned degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies and Communication, respectively. Both will work for Humana Insurance as customer care representatives.
Stacey Frey of Medford was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award as selected by the UW-Green Bay Alumni Association.
UW-Green Bay awarded former Green Bay Packers President Bob Harlan a Chancellor’s Award, the University’s highest award community honor, for his extraordinary success as chief executive of the NFL’s only fan-owned franchise, his commitment to making his community a better place, and his support of the University and its Phoenix Athletics program.
Five UW-Green Bay professors received full professorships to support ongoing scholarly work that exemplifies the spirit and mission of the University. The professors are: Prof. John Stoll, Public and Environmental Affairs (Economics); Prof Denise Scheberle, Public and Environmental Affairs (Political Science); Prof. Meir Russ, Business Administration (Management); Prof. Cliff Abbott, Information and Computing Science (Communication/First Nation Studies); and Prof. Phillip Clampitt, Information and Computing Science.
Retiring faculty member David Damkoehler received professor emeritus recognition.
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