Lubar 25

David Aleckson

Senior
Finance & Information Technology Management majors

David Aleckson is action oriented – in school, in his entrepreneurial pursuits, and in volunteerism. Recognizing the importance of experience, he obtained his first internship the summer after his freshman year, and has since worked as a financial compliance intern with ManpowerGroup. Before attending UWM, David was a serial entrepreneur, with businesses including custom-made corn hole boards, reselling computers, phone repair services, and car detailing. In each, he says he recognized a problem and saw an opportunity to provide a better solution at a fair price. Giving back to the community was instilled early alongside his father at the West Salem Lion’s Club. Now, he says, “Volunteering is in my blood but most importantly I feel it in my heart.” As an officer in Lubar’s chapter of the American Marketing Association, he is heavily involved in volunteering for Make a Difference Day and RevitlizeMKE. Hands down his favorite service experience was serving as a volunteer coach for the Milwaukee Special Olympics Bowling Team, which advanced to the state tournament. His goal is pursue a career in sales and, eventually, start his own business.

Benjamin Barker

Senior
Marketing major

Benjamin Barker says he wants to make a tangible impact in this world for the better, and he’s off to a great start. In 2016, he started Hoan Marketing, a website design and marketing firm focused on helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations to improve their online presence and outreach efforts. By 2018, the business had grown to a point where he was focusing on it full time, and by 2021 was leading a team of 10 employees and contractors. “My business is rooted in community service,” he says. “We strive to work with organizations who are having a tangible impact in areas of the environment, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s equality, economic empowerment, leadership development, health and wellness, and more.” Ben is a past graduate of the Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps leadership program, and is passionate about continuing to develop his leadership profile. He graduates this semester – the first in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree, and with a near 4.0 GPA to boot – and has ambitious plans to grow his business even further.

Avery DeBoer

Senior
Human Resources Management & Women’s and Gender Studies majors; Honors College

Avery DeBoer graduates this spring with a near perfect grade point average, two majors, and as a member of UWM Honors College. Academically, she notes that she has worked directly with faculty members on academic research and independent projects to pursue meaningful college experiences and develop strong relationships. During her college career, Avery also built meaningful connections in the Office of Student Involvement, where she was involved with the management of student organizations, and as president of TEDxUWMilwaukee, where she worked closely with speakers on their content and public speaking, led event planning, and managed sponsorships and communications. She’s proud of her TEDx leadership and the sense of connection it created between UWM’s student body and the larger Milwaukee area. After graduation, Avery will continue working as operations manager at Oakes Company, where she has been employed for the last three years. She has also started her own consultancy for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and would like to get more involved in the the startup community.

Jacob Diker

Senior
Marketing

Jacob Diker currently serves as the president of the Lubar chapter of the American Marketing Association, which he says has provided him with a new opportunity to develop as a leader. In the classroom, he frequently serves as a group leader for class projects, where he has learned to listen and be patient with those of differing opinions. “I have learned that even if my idea isn’t the best proposed, it is my responsibility to rally the rest of the group behind the idea that will best help us succeed as a collective unit,” he shares. Jacob says that becoming a member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization opened his eyes to a side of business that he had not originally intended to pursue. Recognizing that students needed professional headshots for resumes, social media, etc., he started a small business to provide students with professional quality photos at a reasonable price. This summer, Jacob will work as a marketing intern at a downtown Milwaukee firm. He hopes to eventually attend law school.

Ellis Eberhardt

Junior
Finance & Marketing majors, Economics minor

“College and academics mean everything to me,” says Ellis Eberhardt, who recognizes it as the stepping stone to his future success. So when he faced serious financial difficulties during the pandemic, he knew he needed to do something to make sure he could stay in school. Already working in maintenance for his apartment complex, he expanded his services first to his building’s residents, and later to other property management companies, landing multiple new contracts. “Thanks to this I have been able to save up enough for school as well as rent, each month, all on my own.” During the pandemic, Ellis also reached out to help an isolated resident who lives in his building. The resident doesn’t have much family, so Ellis volunteers to transport her for medical appointments and helps out when needed. His career goal is to follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. “Both were entrepreneurs when they were my age but were lifelong salesmen working for very large companies.” Eventually Ellis wants to start another company and have a fleet of salespeople working for him!

Francisco Eujenin

Junior
Marketing major, Information Science & Technology minor

Francisco Eujenin Campos, a native of Chile, visited the United States after his high school graduation and decided to attend college here – without even knowing English. He initially enrolled at a community college in Green Bay. “Instead of taking language classes, I enrolled in a Business Management program to accelerate my mastery of the language while also learning business terminology.” His education journey ultimately led him to UWM, where he is now a marketing student and also an officer in Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. Wanting to help other international students with similar ambitions to navigate U.S. higher education, Francisco created a website with comprehensive information on the American college system and a space for international students to support each other. He has also tutored Spanish-speaking adult students preparing for their GED exams. This summer Francisco will intern at Stone’s Throw Winery in Door County. After graduation, he hopes to work in marketing for a large winery on the west coast or back in Chile before starting his own winery to provide for his family for generations to come.

Riley Hansen

Senior
Marketing & Supply Chain & Operations Management majors, Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies minor

As a student athlete, Riley Hansen has been a team leader in women’s cross country as well as a standout student with a near perfect GPA. After her freshman year, she decided she would “step up” on the distance running team to model encouragement and leadership among her teammates, who went on to become the 2020 and 2021 Horizon League conference champions. She was one of the first members of the Green Bandana Project, which advocates for mental health support within the athletics community, and was chosen by athletics administrators as a student athlete facilitator on diversity and inclusion. As a student, Riley has embraced community volunteer activities, including food drives, neighborhood and beach clean ups, the Panther Prowl, UWM Make a Difference Day, and volunteering with a Milwaukee special needs group. Throughout her collegiate running career, Riley says she saw many of her teammates struggle with unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. She wants to channel these insights into a marketing career with a company that promotes health and lifestyle values that align with her own.

Taylor Hattori

Senior
Marketing major

She’s been recognized three times on the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and four years on the Dean’s List, clearly demonstrating that Taylor Hattori can balance “40-plus hours a week of soccer practice, competition, travelling, and academics.” Yet she still makes the time to give back. “Community involvement is something that brings me so much joy,” Taylor says. In addition to being a regular volunteer for the Wisconsin Humane Society and Hope House Food Pantry, she is the head soccer coach for the U8 and U11 girls’ teams at the Bavarian Soccer Club. “Female leadership within the sports industry is not very common. For me to be able to teach a group of young female athletes through the sport that shaped me into the strong, independent, and fearless leader that I am today is the greatest privilege.” A course in entrepreneurship further emboldened her to start a blog on mental health in student athletes, including tips and stories from her own sports career, which she hopes to expand into a profitable business post-graduation, in addition working full time.

Mathew Herman

Junior
Supply Chain & Operations Management major, Real Estate certificate

Mathew Herman says entrepreneurship runs in his blood. He sold his first vehicle before he even had a driver’s license and has since sold more than 33 other vehicles. He also invests in property with an eye to selling vacant parcels for development. Prior to entering UWM, Matthew created, and has since sold, Herman Excavating, which specialized in residential excavating, road building, demolitions, and land clearing. While attending UWM, he also runs a business. Timberland Environmental Management, is the only carbon-neutral forestry mulching company in the Midwest and provides services for residential property owners, commercial groups, and state and municipal governments. Currently, he is considering ways to develop land in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. “I like the idea of improving a parcel of land so it can be utilized by many generations to come while focusing on sustainability and incorporating aesthetically appealing characteristics into it.” he says. A leader in addition to being an entrepreneur, Mathew was president of his high school’s DECA and FBLA chapters, and is now the president of UWM’s chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization.

Evan Hottmann

Senior
Finance major

As a finance major with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, Evan Hottman recognizes the merit of being “all in” with his university courses. He has also found that gaining real-world experience as an intern is a considerable asset to Lubar students. Evan has interned with both Northwestern Mutual and Broan-NuTone, where he has demonstrated an entrepreneurial flair for identifying problems and finding solutions, including developing a new vendor scorecard process, and transitioning his team’s communication and reporting processes to a new system. Giving back to the community is also important to Evan. He has been active with UWM’s Make a Difference Day, the annual DK5K run/walk to raise scholarship funds in his hometown of Cedarburg, and as a long-time volunteer at his church. Evan foresees a future in corporate finance that begins with a financial analyst role, and eventually advances to controller or his dream job as a chief financial officer. With his passion for the world of finance, he says, he strongly believes that he will achieve his dream.

Wyatt Johnson

Senior
Marketing major; Honors College

At the same time that Wyatt Johnson has been a top scholar at the Lubar School of Business, he has also committed himself to developing additional credentials that will be helpful to his future career in the entertainment industry, including music production and video editing. Wyatt has been a content creator on YouTube for several years and is the founder of a music-promotion channel. Since starting the channel in 2015, he has it grown it to over 250,000 subscribers and 60 million views. During college, Wyatt also found success as a musician. In 2019, he signed with one of Sony Music’s sub-record labels. His music has accumulated over 25 million streams, placement into some of Spotify’s editorial playlists (“New Music Friday,” “Chill Hits,” etc.), and blog writeups on some of the largest online music outlets. He says that courses in his marketing curriculum ignited his passion for analytics and online marketing. This semester, Wyatt is an SEO intern with marketing agency Single Grain. After graduation, he aims to work in the entertainment industry as an SEO specialist and eventually start his own entertainment-related company..

Anna Kiskunas

Junior
Accounting major; Business Scholars

Anna Kiskunas prides herself on taking advantage of the breadth and diversity of classes at UWM. In addition to her business and accounting courses, she has taken classes in Asian Studies and the African Dance and Diaspora, among others, all while being a Business Scholar. As a college student, Anna has started several businesses. She started her own business offering private swimming lessons that allowed her to work one-on-one with students of differing learning abilities. When the pandemic restrictions closed the pools in 2020, Anna decided to start her own painting service, even though she had no previous experience. She continues to paint rooms and stain decks across Milwaukee. Anna volunteers back to the community, as well. With her family, she is an active volunteer for the Washington County “Enchantment in the Park,” which raises funds and collects food to support the community. Currently Anna has an internship at Johnson Controls in the international tax department. Her future plans include a fifth year at UWM to complete a master’s degree in professional accounting before moving on to a career in public accounting.

Reese Kressin

Senior
Information Technology Management & Supply Chain & Operations Management majors

Proud moments #1 and #2 during Reese Kressin’s time as a Lubar student – becoming a husband and father. Though he has experienced a lot of significant events occur during his studies, he has remained fully dedicated to academics, with a high GPA and an attitude of embracing challenge. Reese describes himself as a strong leader in the classroom, coaxing uncomfortable students to voice their opinions in group work. He aims to direct discussion to move the group toward a unified result, rather than a “jumbled concoction of the individual inputs.” He says, “It’s only through exposure to a more authentic, respectful form of leadership that people learn that they too are capable of leading others and finally consider giving it a shot themselves.” Reese contributes outside of the classroom as well, most notably as a Big Brother to a preadolescent boy for five years. He aspires to find a career that challenges him to think creatively and grow professionally in a company that makes a difference in the lives of the people it serves.

Lauren Limbeck

Senior
Finance & Supply Chain & Operations Management majors

Lauren Limbeck attributes her academic success to a “great intrinsic motivation to prove to myself that I was capable of handling anything tossed my way.” Being named to the Dean’s List in every semester of her college career certainly serves as that proof. But being academically motivated, she says, goes deeper than wanting a decent grade. “I had to push myself throughout my college career, and also spark determination with my project members” by taking on the role of a leader. Lauren gained some of her leadership skills as a Resident Assistant in student housing during her sophomore year. There, she says, she tried to be a role model for her residents, implementing many events to encourage the community to come together. She has also been a volunteer with Love Your Melon, which puts together care packages for children with cancer and attending events at Children’s Hospital. On the verge of graduating, Lauren says, “Life is all about taking opportunities and engulfing yourself in the knowledge presented. I will never stop questioning and experiencing what this world has to offer.”

Mayya Perova

Senior
Marketing & Communications majors, Entrepreneurship certificate

Game. Set. Match. Mayya Perova graduates a winner this May as a Division 1 tennis player, Dean’s List scholar, International Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete, Horizon League Scholar Athlete, and former Horizon League “Freshman of the Year.” All this achieved as an international student, by the way. English is not her first language. Double majoring in Marketing and Communications, Mayya has been laser focused on building her portfolio and her leadership skills. She is vice president of social media with the UWM chapter of the American Marketing Association and was previously vice president of communication for the Milwaukee Consulting Club. These experiences have been wonderful for her personal growth, she says, but also for sharing knowledge with others. “I love when people reach out to me about social media and marketing, where I can help them by explaining some concepts or networking in general.” She has also been a marketing and social media assistant at the Lubar School of Business. Next up is a master’s program in digital communication from DePaul University and an eventual career in sports marketing.

Reid Pezewski

Senior
Finance, Computer Science, Economics, Pre-Law majors, Real Estate, Web Development certificates; Business Scholars, Honors College

Reid Pezewski is a busy guy. With four majors, and three planned certificates, he is also a Business Scholar and a member of the Honors College. On top of that, he launched a startup before turning 20 – focused on stock/ETF investments – and is in the process of starting another one – a social media-based platform to educate underserved populations about personal finance. A leader since high school, Reid says that he identified back then the importance of collaboration, team spirit, and the pursuit of a common goal. “Understanding the importance of these areas would follow me to UWM, where I became an officer in eSports Milwaukee to start a chess team.” As chess at UWM became “over the board” once again, he registered to renew the Chess Club as its own student organization and became the organization’s president. He is most proud, however, of being a senator in UWM’s Student Association Senate, where he is also vice chairman of the Student Appropriations Committee. He sees a possible future in combining his knowledge of finance and computer science to produce financial technology.

Jackson Roh

Junior
Finance major, Investment Management certificate

Kanye West and Assistant Professor of Accounting Sean McCarthy each played a role in Jackson Roh’s future. Purchasing West’s Yeezy shoes on resale at 16 helped him understand the concept of “buy low, sell high” and a heart-to-heart with Dr. McCarthy helped him realize that investment management may be his true calling. Now a student in Lubar’s highly selective Investment Management Certificate Program, Jackson is awed by what he learns about investing, day in and day out. He has also subsequently bought and sold hundreds of pairs of shoes, “earning not only some nice supplementary income, but a wealth of knowledge that has sparked my interested in entrepreneurship.” A member and officer in the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, Jackson gives back by participating in campus cleanups, park cleanups, and UWM’s Make a Difference Day. Making the most of his time home in Neenah during COVID, he served as a mentor to 12 boys at a local youth organization. This summer, Jackson will intern at Northwestern Mutual as a member of their investment data, analytics, and research team and hopes to work as an equity research analyst upon graduation.

Jamie Rose

Senior
Information Technology Management major; Business Scholars, Honors College

Graduating this semester Summa Cum Laude, Jamie Rose says that he loves to learn. In addition to his major field of information technology management, Jamie says, “I enjoy learning about a variety of topics, leading me to enroll in various diverse subjects and courses that enhanced my learning experience, such as Linguistics, Graphic Novels in Literature, and even the history of Samurai and Geisha in Japan.” While in school, Jamie was employed with Campus Technology Services, where he led many projects. In that position, he trained employees to learn complex computer skills, assisted with mass computer deployments for various campus departments, and communicated with various clients to ensure minimal disruption. He was promoted to supervisor of the student team, working with as many as 12 students, and developed comprehensive training program and materials for new hires. He currently works in the Lubar SAP University Competence Center with SAP software configurations for universities around the world, and is exploring future career opportunities in enterprise resource planning and data center operations.

Kailey Sharpe

Junior
Accounting major, Business Scholars

As a high achieving student in Lubar’s accounting program and a member of the Business Scholars program, Kailey Sharpe is already seeing the payoff from her schoolwork through her job as a part-time accounting clerk for a distributor in New Berlin. She says, “In my year of working there, I am seeing how the topics I am learning in class are applied outside of the classroom.” Beyond her academic studies, Kailey is also highly involved in Delta Sigma Pi, a co-ed business fraternity at UWM. She has held a number of leadership positions including being elected to the executive board as vice president of corporate relations. In this role, she works with other executive board members to plan professional events that incorporate local Milwaukee businesses and secure sponsorships. The fraternity is also deeply committed to service projects, through which Kailey has worked with senior citizen organizations, local animal shelters, and the Ronald McDonald House. Upon graduation, Kailey will take the exam to be a licensed CPA

Lauren Spaulding

Senior
Accounting major

A senior majoring in accounting, Lauren Spaulding has been a member of UWM’s volleyball team since coming in as a “walk on” in her freshman year, balancing practice, games, academics, and a part-time job. In 2020, she was awarded the “Highest Female Student-Athlete GPA” award and was also a recipient of the Leer/Tellier Accounting Scholarship, which is awarded to top accounting students. Lauren credits her collegiate volleyball career for her growth as a leader. “I embraced my role as being the best leader I could be, regardless of the playing time I saw on the court. I realized the importance of effective teamwork, communication, and problem-solving,” she says. As a volunteer in the community, Lauren has been active in “Team Impact,” an organization connecting children diagnosed with a medical illness to college athletics. She has also volunteered for the Special Olympics, helping athletes prepare for their games. Lauren’s future plans include taking the CPA , working at a public accounting firm, and eventually using her communication skills, creative marketing skills, and financial knowledge to be involved in product management..

Carter Tomkins

Senior
Marketing major, Entrepreneurship certificate; Business Scholars, Honors College

An entrepreneur at heart, Carter Tomkins says his career goal has always been to own and operate his own business. A self-starter and avid learner, he says, “I have tried a few times, experimenting in different strategies such as drop shipping, Instagram marketing, and personal sales.” After graduation, he hopes to start a business in the marine industry, which fits well with his previous work experience and his love for being on the water. He developed a formal business plan for the concept as a student in the Lubar School’s undergraduate Entrepreneurship course, winning a $1,000 prize in a course competition. Through the Lubar School’s Career Center, Carter was also selected to be an intern for a La Macchia Entrepreneur Internship with ConsortiEX. After graduation, he has been invited to continue to work with the company on the inside sales team. During the Covid pandemic, Carter worked with Meals on Wheels to deliver meals three days per week to those in need.

Dionisios Tsioutsiopoulos

Senior
Marketing & Supply Chain & Operations Management majors

Graduating this semester, Dionisios Tsioutsiopoulos says he has made the most of his education at the Lubar School of Business, even choosing to add an additional year to his studies to expand his horizons and learn an abundance of things above and beyond my major requirements. “I feel like that is what college is for – expanding the mind,” he says. In addition to his coursework, his most impactful student experience has been as a member of Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization, where he says he has truly experienced entrepreneurial spirit. In his sophomore year, Dionisios placed second in the organization’s Elevator Pitch Competition. He has especially appreciated the organization’s national reach, through which he’s had the opportunity to network with entrepreneurship students from other universities at CEO’s national convention. He is highly involved in Milwaukee’s Greek community, coaching high school basketball and teaching Greek dance. After graduation, he plans to take a year off and get experience in the business world. He hopes to pursue a master’s degree in 2023. From there, he says, “the possibilities are endless.”

Lindsay Van Der Wegen

Junior
Accounting major; Business Scholars, Honors College

Lindsay Van Der Wegen was awarded a President’s Award for Educational Excellence in high school, and continues to demonstrate a high level of achievement in her college career. A student in both the Business Scholars program and Honors College, she has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average across all semesters. Success in her first accounting course also led to an opportunity to become an accounting research assistant with Associate Professor of Accounting Veena Brown. Last summer, Lindsay interned with Principal Financial Group, where she had the opportunity to take on a leadership role and work on data analysis and accounting projects. Her achievements led the company to offer her an independently led project. After taking the Honors College course, “Wisconsin Empathy Project,” Lindsay and the other students created a new student organization called “Artifacts of Us.” The core idea was to increase empathy for others across campus by sharing life stories. Lindsay interviews participants and then writes about their life experiences. She plans to earn her master’s degree in professional accounting at the Lubar School and pursue a career in public accounting.

Sophia Wentz

Junior
Marketing major, Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies minor; Business Scholars

A former team captain and distinguished U.S. Figure Skating Triple Gold Medalist, Sophia Wentz says she has always stepped up as a leader. A student in the Business Scholars program, she also knew early on that she wanted to explore the opportunities of entrepreneurship. In the spring of 2022, Sophia became a La Macchia Entrepreneur Intern for a startup called Cartwheel. She has been able to work directly with the owner to construct a website and build multiple social media pages for the brand. One of Sophia’s favorite UWM activities is Make a Difference Day. “It’s become a tradition to wake up early every MADD Saturday morning, carpool to the worksite with my friends, volunteer typically by raking leaves for the elderly or collecting litter, and finish the morning with brunch,” she wrote. “I love that Make a Difference Day allows me to make a positive impact on the community while also getting to bond with my peers.” Sophia is currently leaning towards a career in corporate event planning, communications, or recruiting.

Hope Xiong

Junior
Human Resources Management major, Communication minor; Business Scholars

As a Hmong-American daughter, Hope Xiong says that her parents raised her to be a leader and to be independent. “As a first-generation college student in my household, they always hoped for the success in my education,” she says. Hope is a student in the Business Scholars Program and Lubar’s Multicultural Mentoring Program. As a member of the Hmong Student Association, she has participated in many activities, including a play and short film about conflicts between religious and western beliefs in seeking help for mental health issues. In 2019, with the encouragement of her father, Hope created an e-commerce business called HX Cosmetics because she wanted to offer a cosmetics line that was affordable for all. Last year, she expanded her business to other selling websites and saw huge growth in her business. “Although there are many obstacles with managing a small business, I am proud of how much it has expanded,” she says. “I have grown innovatively, made financial risks, and learned through trial and error.” A rising senior, Hope will intern this summer Northwestern Mutual.

Eligibility

Class of 2022 Lubar 25