Families from across Wisconsin and beyond gathered on campus for Family Weekend 2025. Undergraduate students welcomed their loved ones to campus for three days of academic, athletic and social activities, from hockey games to community events to gatherings at the iconic Rathskeller, in the event hosted each year by UW–Madison’s Parent and Family Program.
For some, Family Weekend marked their first reunion since drop-off in late August. Others looked forward to returning to campus to partake in traditions created during past Family Weekend events. But one thing was clear: Being together was the highlight of the trip. “Seeing and hugging my son was priority number one,” said Kelly Bernardy of her son O’Reilly Bernardy, a first-year undergraduate student from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Rochelle Alamodin and Charlie Alamodin from Kenosha, Wisconsin, enjoy time with their daughter, first-year undergraduate Kayla Rose Alamodin. The family visited the farmers’ market and attended activities around campus, including family photos at Camp Randall Stadium. “Mom loves to take photos! Rain or shine, so I can’t wait for that,” said Kayla Rose of her plans for the weekend. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
First-year undergraduate Elise Hendrickson of Neenah, Wisconsin, is flanked by her parents Cameron and Sara Hendrickson during Badger Fest, a Family Weekend welcome event. While in town, Hendrickson’s parents attended their first men’s hockey game on Friday night and received a tour of student radio station WSUM, where Elise does radio training. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
Scott Biley takes a photo of senior undergraduate Nyia Marohl (center) with her siblings, Norah and Harrison, plus a gigantic balloon animal. Marohl’s family traveled to Madison from Green Bay, Wisconsin, for Family Weekend events. They took home plenty of memories, but weren’t sure how their new inflatable family member would handle the car ride back. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
First-year undergraduate student Kaiden Vercimak (in dark blue) was visited by his mother, father and three sisters from Milwaukee. Kaiden showed them his academic buildings, giving them a window into his daily life. “It was nice to be able to visualize where he spends his days,” they said, noting how fun it was for his younger siblings to envision Madison as a place for their own future education.
Kolleen Meyer of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, takes a photo of Mike Meyer holding junior undergraduate Danielle Meyer in front of the goal posts. Danielle said, “We come every year and take the same photo. We’re gonna track it over all the years, and hopefully I’ll do grad school here too. So we’ll keep it going.” Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
A family visiting from Boston, Massachusetts, poses for a selfie during the rare on-field photo opportunity in Camp Randall Stadium. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
Second-year undergraduate Christopher Conkle (center) walks with his parents, Ed and Karen Conkle. “You never get to stand on the football field. It’s like hallowed ground,” said Karen, who also attended UW–Madison. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
Marlene Arroyo (third from the right) is a first-year undergrad at UW–Madison and the youngest of four siblings. Her whole family made the trip from Chicago. Since Marlene is the first in her family to go to college, this weekend is an extra special celebration. “This is such an exciting moment for us, and we couldn’t be prouder of Marlene. It’s all new for us, and we’re loving every minute of it!” said Maria, Marlene’s sister. Photo: Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison
