Community & Business Engagement Stories
UW-Parkside students, faculty, and partners are always busy making positive change in our communities. We're excited to share what's new.
NEWEST CBE STORIES
Newest CBE Stories
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.”
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Vinny Landini, a senior studying Marketing, originally became aware of community-based learning courses through his Nutrition for Wellness class. He had such a good experience that he wanted to earn the Community Engagement Certificate that UW-Parkside offers. In CBL 101: Introduction to Community Engagement, he made an impact on the community by volunteering at the Kenosha Welcome Center and the Shalom Center food pantries. From this experience, he feels more connected to Kenosha as a whole and has gained skills like problem-solving, leadership, communication, and teamwork. Moving forward, he says these skills will be valuable because many places like school and the workplace focus on collaboration and using those skills to achieve a common goal. He advises that students who want to take CBL courses should have an open mind and be ready to learn!
Written by Hannah Carpenter, CBE Student Ambassador, Spring 2025
RECENT CBE STORIES

Fatima Gonzalez, a psychology major who graduated in December 2024, embraced challenges and stepped outside her comfort zone in order to put her learning into action. She’s faced her share of obstacles, especially as a first-generation Mexican-American college student. Balancing work and school was tough, but the faculty and staff at Parkside went above and beyond to help her stay focused on her academics and career goals. This led to an amazing HR internship at BrightStar Care which then turned into a permanent position once she graduated! Fatima plans to pursue additional certifications and eventually her master’s in business administration. Fatima reflects, “The staff at Parkside didn’t just help me succeed—they helped me grow into the person I am today, and I’ll never forget that.”

As a Safety, Health, and Environmental Intern at Haribo, Katie Opal realized the importance of communication. Through her internship Katie streamlined safety efforts. As a communication major, she saw firsthand how communication affects daily work in the manufacturing facility. Katie said “The most rewarding part of the experience was being able to walk around the facility and seeing my work up on the walls. Every poster that I made will make an impact for years to come.” Additionally, Katie shared that this internship opened doors for her that she wouldn't have opened on her own. Just like Katie, you can also put your Learning in Action!
Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern, Fall 2024

Megan Bahr, a senior sociology and anthropology major, represented the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. Megan, who works as a MOSAIC Educator in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, also works with NCORE on their advisory council. Megan said “This experience solidified my interest to work in higher education. The most amazing part of the experience was learning how to engage students in discussion to foster inclusion and civil discourse.” Fueled by this experience, Megan plans to pursue a graduate degree in higher education administration. Like Megan, you can put your Learning in Action!
Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern, Fall 2024

Tiffany Brown, a junior sports management major put her learning in action as a Hospitality Intern at the Kenosha Kingfish as part of her program’s field experience. In this role, Tiffany applied theory into practice, such as aspects of the Sports Sales and Customer Service course she took at Parkside. She said “I had the opportunity to use what I have been learning in my classes at my internship over the summer. I used a lot of the marketing skills that I learned about in sports marketing to help create and promote deals for the food and beverage department, as well as to help with the groups and sponsors that came to games during the season.” As she put her learning in action her favorite part of the internship was seeing the satisfaction of the customers that used the historic Simmons Field!
Fall 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Alleigha Williams’ internship shaped her both as a person and a professional. Through her Community Engagement Internship position at the City of Racine, she was at the forefront of teaching digital literacy skills to breakdown the digital divide. In her internship, Alleigha created lessons she taught to people who live in the community. Alleigha said “The most rewarding part of the internship was being able to see how effective the lessons are. One person that I taught a lesson to lit up in excitement!” Additionally Alleigha shared that this internship allowed her to see the day-to-day aspects of a working professional. Alleigha, a marketing, and accounting major put her Learning in Action!
Fall 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Sheridan Ewald, a sophomore nursing major, put her Learning in Action by studying abroad in Paris. This past spring break she joined a group of students who traveled to Paris. During the week Sheridan experienced life outside of the U.S. She said, “It was so rewarding being able to travel to another country, and to be exposed to another culture.” Looking ahead to a future career in nursing, Sheridan will be able to better connect with people of other cultures.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Jason Zabel works as a Nursing Intern at Ascension All Saints Hospital in the City of Racine. Through his internship, Jason can see what a day in the life of a full-time nursing professional looks like. He works in various rotations in the hospital including orthopedics, emergency medicine, and wound care. When asked of what he recommends to other students who are interested in pursuing an internship he said, “There is a lot to learn when you are working on a shift with another nurse.” Jason put his learning into action as a nursing intern at Ascension All Saints Hospital.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Alfredo Sandoval-Luis works as a Software Engineering Intern at AbbVie. Alfredo met the AbbVie recruiters at the Internship and Career Fair at Parkside. The computer science skills he learned at Parkside helped him build a strong foundation for the future. Alfredo said, “I love software engineering. The most rewarding part of this internship is knowing that the things I'm working on are going to help deliver treatments to people.” Alfredo put his learning into action as an intern at AbbVie.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Dr. Aubri McDonald, Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department, teaches CRMJ/SOCA 365: Race, Crime, Law every semester at UW-Parkside. The course is community-based learning designated and partners with the Racine County Youth Development and Care Center (YDCC). In the course, students visit the facility and analyze the results of an employee experience survey to support the staff and youth in their care as they prepare to transition to a new facility in 2025. Students integrate course concepts, research, and trauma-informed principles into their analysis. The CBL projects are guided by YDCC’s mission and vision for the new facility – To transform youth justice, strengthen support (i.e., staff, family, community) for the youth, and keep youth out of adult corrections. Dr. McDonald said, “The most rewarding part of teaching this course is learning that students are very motivated and interested in working and changing their community for the better.” While teaching this course, Dr. McDonald puts her students' learning into action in a professional setting by working with community partners.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Jessica Cheng works as a Social Media and Marketing Intern at Habitat for Humanity of Kenosha. Jessica got involved with Habitat for Humanity of Kenosha through the campus chapter at Parkside. Through her internship Jessica applies graphic design principles she learned at Parkside to her internship. Jessica said, “My most rewarding part of my internship is being able see my graphics and designs being used for an actual (non-profit) company and being able to communicate Habitat Kenosha’s messages in creative ways.” Jessica put her learning into action as an intern at Habitat for Humanity of Kenosha.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Boluwatife Hamzat, a Senior Biological Sciences Major works as the Always Reaching Upwards Mentoring Program Student Coordinator in the office of multicultural student affairs. In her role, Boluwatife is the liaison between the office's professional staff and student employees. She said “In this role, I learned how to be a good role model and a better leader. I have been able to hear the voices of others, work as a team, and be a good team leader.” Working on campus is an additional way to gain leadership and communication skills. Boluwatife put her Learning in Action as the ARU Student Coordinator.
Spring 2024 - Written by Alejandro Solis, CBE Ambassador Intern

Amplifying Stories of Kenosha & Racine's Latinx Communities
Over the last few years community-based learning students at UW-Parkside have captured the oral history of local Latinx community members. Students learn the components of podcast production, including interviewing, story development, script writing, and sound editing. In collaboration with the Wisconsin Latinx History Collective, the podcasts are shared with the Wisconsin Historical Society as part of their effort to document the Latinx history of Wisconsin.
Listen to "Amplifying Stories of Kenosha & Racine's Latinx Communities"
CBE STORY ARCHIVE
2022-23 Academic Year
Getting Your Hands Dirty - Interview with Jessica Topp
Learning to Lead - Interview with Tess Dimler
Finishing Strong - Interview with Samantha Reynoso
Finding Your Voice - Interview with Denisse Ochoa
Learning to Earn - Interview with Milagros Sanchez
Mural Arts: The Artist (An Interview with Janet Arriaga)
Mural Arts: The Poet (Interview with Adwoa Asentu)
2021-2022 Academic Year
Breaking Down Language Barriers - an interview with Victor Escobedo
From Dream to Reality - an interview with Annette Copado
Under the Microscope - an interview with Megane Beaupre and Markie Peroutka
Student to Instructor - an interview with Terra Wendricks
Focusing on Youth - an interview with Rebecca Pinnow
Putting People in Touch with Nature - an interview with Maddie McAndrews
Experience Is Key - an interview with Cassidy Schwimmer
Fall Semester 2019
Becoming a Professional - Interview with Will Vargas
Exploring an Appreciation for Her Community - Interview with Megan Schulte
Taking Charge of Her Own Education - Interview with Jenna Krueger
A "Hole-in-One" Internship - Interview with James O'Donnell
Work on the Wild Side - Interview with Heather Emery
From an Internship to a Job Offer at ESPN - Interview with Darnell Clay
Other News Stories
Trying Something New - Interview with Marissa Menchaca (Dec. 2020)
Big Things Can Come From Small CBL Projects
UW-Parkside Students Bring Supplies and Support to Women’s Resource Center
2019 Nonprofit Breakfast “Best to Date”
Dr. Penny Lyter Receives 2019 Sister
Joel Read Civic Engagement Practitioners Award
Zach Atkins Honored as 2019 Newman Civic Fellow
Dr. Shailor wins Campus Compact Award
VISTA Alumna Receives Award
CELR Winner - Dr. Peter Knight
Suresh Chalasani - Community Engaged Learning and Research Award