Over the past three and a half years, Shannon Abolins has become a cornerstone of the Morgridge Center team, holding multiple roles that have contributed to nearly every facet of the office.
Abolins first discovered the center during her freshman year while working at the Gordon Dining and Event Center. When she saw a special events internship listed on the UW jobs portal, she seized the opportunity and was quickly hired.
In this role, Abolins organized internal events aimed at fostering community among student interns and professional staff. From pumpkin painting and flower planting to bowling and yoga, her efforts brought people together and created a sense of belonging within the team.
“The community building events I planned allowed students to really express themselves outside of the typical work responsibilities. I was able to connect with my colleagues on a much deeper level,” says Abolins.
Once a junior, she was offered an additional role as the fiscal intern, making her an essential member of the administrative team. In this position, Abolins continued her original duties: planning community building events, while adding financial responsibilities, such as catering requests, travel bookings affiliated with the center, and E-reimbursements.
She explains that her work as the fiscal intern rarely involves direct interaction with students and instead focuses on internal operations that support the programming staff and ensure compliance to university policy.
“The biggest challenge was adjusting to the requirement to strictly adhere to university policies and procedures, which plays a crucial role in providing effective support,” says Abolins.
Recognizing her talent for quickly understanding and applying university policies, Abolins was offered the transportation intern position in January of her senior year, shortly followed by an additional offer of a graduate student hourly position, titled administrative specialist, while she pursued her masters degree at UW-Madison.
“Working as a transportation intern taught me a lot about using programs like Excel and tracking expenses—skills that go beyond what I was used to in the past,” says Abolins. “While all of my roles complement each other, each has its own idiosyncrasies and unique set of challenges.”
By ambitiously taking on four distinct roles—special events, fiscal, transportation and additional administrative support—Abolins became a whirlwind of productivity at the center.
Although navigating multiple tasks was challenging, Abolins highlights the strong administrative foundation she gained. She emphasizes that even if someone isn’t directly responsible for administrative work, understanding policies and procedures can ease the workload for those who are.
This insight informs her vision for the future, where she aspires to be a transformative force in education. Abolins aims to shape policies at the local or national level to create equitable opportunities for all students, regardless of their background. Her passions lie in initiatives tailored to support LGBTQ+ students, BIPOC students, and students with disabilities—groups she believes are often overlooked.
“Even if I’m not an administrator in the future and focus more on programming or policy writing, I’ll still have appreciation for the complexities and nuances of an administrator’s role,” says Abolins.
Initially an elementary education major, Abolins switched majors after discovering the Educational Policy Studies department as an undergraduate her sophomore year. She added a second major in political science during her junior year and is currently in the midst of receiving her masters in educational leadership and policy analysis within the educational evaluation track.
“I’m about to finish my first semester, but I’m currently in a class called politics and education, and it’s exactly what I wanted to learn—how policies and education intersect, influencing teachers, faculty, students, parents and communities, and how these groups work together to support the public welfare of the education system,” says Abolins.
In addition to her masters program at UW-Madison, Abolins has been awarded a study abroad scholarship through the Brittingham Viking scholarship organization, which aims to create mutually beneficial relationships between America and the Nordic countries.
Abolins will study at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland, from January to May 2025, followed by the International Summer School in Oslo, Norway, from June to August, completing the full nine-month program.
“It is a scholarship program that fully covers my tuition, living, and travel expenses, so I’m very, very grateful,” says Abolins.
As a diligent scholar and colleague, Abolins is admired by many at the center for her academic accomplishments and workplace contributions. Beyond her ability to be an excellent role model, she also built meaningful relationships that she credits as instrumental to her success.
“I think the culture of where you are working is so important, and that’s a huge reason why I stayed here [Morgridge Center] for so long,” says Abolins. “I’ve experienced other internships during my summers as an undergrad, but I always came back.”
During her time at the center, Abolins has formed lifelong friendships and felt consistently supported by her supervisors, which she believes makes all the difference when managing both work and school.
“My supervisors have changed over the years, but both were incredibly supportive,” she explains. “They always ensured that I was a person first, a student second, an employee third.”
Although Abolins’ absence will be deeply felt at the center, she plans to return in fall 2025. For students interested in following in her footsteps, the Morgridge Center regularly posts job openings on the UW student jobs page.
“If you are even remotely debating getting involved with Morgridge—whether through CBL, Badger Volunteers, workshops or anything else,” says Abolins. “I would enthusiastically say, go for it!”