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Hailee J. Bartz

  • Senior, Art History and Film Studies double major

UWM was not my original path and neither were the areas of study I found home in. Life rarely abides to such plans, however, and I have to say I am quite pleased with the direction my studies have taken. This spring I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Film Studies, as well as a minor in Religious Studies. My love for Art History has flourished at UWM, and I found that studying images was a true passion of mine.

On a whim, I decided to take Introduction to Film Studies as an elective and I fell in love with the class. Professor Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece persuaded me to take up a minor in the field, which eventually turned into a double major. Making that decision has truly been one of the most fulfilling choices of my academic career. So many professors at UWM have touched my life: Michael Aschenbrenner, Zachary Finch, Richard Leson, Jocelyn SG, Tami Williams—all of whom have challenged me to be a better student and encouraged me to be where I am today. As a result, I have realized that I want to pursue a career in teaching in hopes to inspire students the same way I was.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.