Community & Business Engagement Stories

Geoscience major Angie Rayniak put her learning in action at Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum as part of a community-based learning course. She and her classmates restored wetlands to mitigate agricultural runoff and took water samples to evaluate potential contamination. Because of her involvement in this course, she was able to present her findings at the American Water Resources Association conference in Wisconsin Dells. This was a great place for networking and seeing different pathways of where her geoscience degree could take her. She learned a lot of valuable skills from both the CBL class and the conference, like applying classroom knowledge to the field, public speaking, and simplifying complicated ideas. Angie had a great community-based learning experience, and CBL classes are a wonderful way to make an impact on the community while earning course credit! 

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Aaliyah James, a senior studying business management, completed an internship with U-Haul's recruiting department over the spring 2025 semester. She revised and edited job descriptions to make them more attractive to potential candidates. Her job summaries proved to be effective because U-Haul hired 1,429 new candidates in February and 1,692 in March (this is an increase of 263 new candidates after her first month!). She applied various coursework from Parkside to her internship, especially concepts from her Human Resource Management class. Aaliyah had such a good experience with this internship that she was inspired to pursue her Master of Business Administration. You never know where different roles will take you in your career, and internships are a great way to gain experience! 

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Lillie Lehman is a Marketing and Business Management double major and she works as an Event Coordinator Assistant for the Professional and Continuing Education Department at UW-Parkside. This position is great for Lillie because she is gaining real world experience in both of her majors by marketing the department’s events on social media and ensuring that each event runs smoothly. On top of her professional experience, she says the most rewarding part of the job is helping nontraditional students continue their education. Finding on-campus employment is a great way to see how your major operates in the real-world, and Lillie advises other students to be themselves when searching for on-campus job opportunities.  

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Angelina Palmer is a math and writing tutor at the Parkside Academic Resource Center (PARC). She is a sophomore studying molecular biology and bioinformatics with an English minor, and her professors personally recommended her for this job opportunity. Twice a week she sets aside time for other students who are struggling with assignments and helps them by explaining concepts through different perspectives and easier language. She has adopted the “if you don’t use it, you lose it” mindset and is appreciative that she can refresh her mind on previous courses by helping others. The most rewarding part of her job is knowing that she had a true impact on the academic lives of fellow students. She specifically recalled times where she helped people study for their exams and later heard that they earned passing grades. Angelina would like to give a shoutout to her supervisor, Kim White, who has been a fantastic role model and genuinely cares about everybody who visits the PARC. If you or anyone you know needs assistance with a class or assignment, the tutors at the PARC would be more than happy to help! 

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Jackie Geiss, a junior majoring in Contemporary Commercial Music, works on-campus as the Sound Studio Manager of Parkside’s podcasting studio. One of her main responsibilities is helping people with recording their podcasts or music. She initially heard about this opening from her professor, and she advises other students to ask their own professors about on-campus opportunities. Jackie says the most rewarding part of her job is helping people share the art that they’re creating. Any student can book a time to use the studio, and Jackie emphasizes that there is always a spot for everyone, even beginners.

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Angel Febles graduated from UW-Parkside in fall 2024 with his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. While he was still a student, he found his current job as a Data Fellow at Higher Expectations using the Handshake job board. This position not only allows him to put his data science coursework to use, it also gives him the opportunity to help people from underrepresented backgrounds. Angel feels rewarded by this work because he knows it has a meaningful impact on his community. He noted that Parkside’s career resources, like resume workshops and mock interviews, helped him land this job prior to graduating, and he advises students to take advantage of these free resources when searching for career opportunities!  

Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025

Jenny Osorio, a senior business management and marketing major, and Brianna Hunter, a junior business management student, found professional success and personal fulfillment through their micro-internships with Tilde Bean, an eCommerce platform creating inclusive apparel for women in STEM. Jenny and Brianna were mentored by Jozi Anderson, a UW-Parkside alum, who established Tilde Bean with the support of the Small Business Development Center on campus. When developing these roles for Brianna and Jenny, Jozi considered her own internship experience when she was at Parkside. “My Parkside internship raised me up from a timid girl in some spaces to an experience where I reported to a woman who was a role model for other women.” Jenny and Briana are fortunate to have a similar experience working at Tilde Bean. Brianna acknowledges that a major benefit of her micro-internship is the mentorship and leadership she receives from Jozi. “Jozi’s business is built on sisterhood, but how she treats us is also through the lens of sisterhood – the unification of women.”