Graduates to Watch

On December 20, hundreds of students will receive a bachelor’s, master’s, professional or doctoral degree during UW–Madison’s winter commencement.

Many of these accomplished graduates have already made an impact on their fields and in their communities — and they’re preparing to make an even bigger difference after leaving campus. Below are a few of their stories.

First graduate of new sustainability certificate program

A self-proclaimed “conscious capitalist,” Alana McKeever is all about helping businesses lead the way to a more sustainable future. The entrepreneurship major will be the first student to graduate from the new sustainability certificate program in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, which launched last fall. McKeever has already put her sustainability education into practice as the marketing coordinator at local company Yumbutter, where she will continue working after graduation to help the company produce and sell sustainably sourced nut butters. Read more.

Taking leadership experience from the classroom to the synagogue

School of Human Ecology senior Elana Rabishaw originally thought she would be a business major, but she knew she was destined for a Community and Nonprofit Leadership (CNPL) major instead when she couldn’t stop dreaming about working with nonprofits. Rabishaw is preparing to enter Hebrew Union College, where she will become a rabbi. She plans to teach Hebrew and mentor young people, a path she discovered during an internship. Read more.

Blending an urban background with a passion for agriculture

“Born and raised in a food desert in inner-city Milwaukee, I never thought I’d be standing in front of you today,” Desire Smith told a packed house on campus last spring. “The closest connection to agriculture I could make was to travel to the nearest Walmart to buy produce.”

Smith, a senior majoring in community and environmental sociology, was the only undergraduate among several speakers, who included College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Kate VandenBosch, to address a meeting of the new Institute for Urban Agriculture and Nutrition, a multi-organizational partnership seeking to grow the urban food economy. After graduation, Smith will volunteer with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms before pursuing graduate studies. Read more.