This coming weekend, our neighbors at Alumni Park and the Wisconsin Alumni Association are hosting a celebration for alumni and students who have chosen a path of service.
As one of the five pillars of the Wisconsin Idea, service and alumni that have contributed greatly to it are celebrated each and every day in the new Alumni Park. There, a large panel currently pays tribute to several alumni like our own John and Tashia Morgridge who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in the world in all different fields.
Specifically, Badgers have had a long history of national service. The campus’s military history dates back to 1858 as Camp Randall was established as a military training ground for the civil war. In Vietnam, Korea, Iraq and all of our nation’s other wars, Badgers have served the United States. Today, UW-Madison is committed to helping veterans and active-duty personnel gain a world-class education.
In celebration of Veteran’s Day, on Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday Nov. 11, participate in a drop-in letter writing project and give thanks to student veterans of military service or any alum who has inspired you.
In partnership with the Morgridge Center for Public Service and Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB), there will be postcards available for visitors to write a letter of thanks to UW student veterans or any alum who they wish to thank. Letters to student veterans will be delivered to the Veteran Services & Military Assistance Center here on campus.
Letter writing will take place in One Alumni Place just off the park from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Friday and from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
There will also be a panel discussion featuring alumni in public service in One Alumni Place on Friday from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. As volunteerism and giving back for the common good are hallmarks of UW-Madison alumni who use
their education to make a difference for others, hear from alumni firsthand who have followed diverse paths of public service.
The panel will feature Camp Heartland and Camp Hometown Heroes founder Neil Willenson ’92, social justice educator Laura Klunder ‘06, MSW’07, founder and CEO of One City Early Learning Centers Kaleem Caire ’00, and former Wisconsin governor and returned Peace Corps volunteer Jim Doyle ‘67.
While this weekend is all about celebrating service from alumni in the park and giving back to those who have contributed so much to the world already, there are always ways for you to personally get involved and give back to the community. Stop in to the Morgridge Center for Public Service during the week to learn how you too, can make a difference.