UW-Whitewater
Kallie Penass, a criminology major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from Legend Lake, and Hailee Rugg, an English literature and language arts education major from Lena, are among more than 4,400 Warhawks who are first-generation college students on the Whitewater and Rock County campuses.
First-generation college students — or students who are the first in their families to attend college — make up more than one-third of the undergraduate population at UW-Whitewater. Nearly two-thirds of students on the Rock County campus alone are first-generation.
UW-Whitewater participated in the annual First-Generation College Celebration, a national effort led by First-Gen Forward. Held on Nov. 8, FGCC Day champions first-gen students’ contributions to their communities and connects them to the resources they need for success.
UW-Madison
Just over 1,600 students received doctoral, bachelor’s, master’s and professional degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August 2026. Among them was Shawano’s Morgan Van Eperen, who graduated from the College of Letters and Science with Bachelor of Arts degrees in legal studies and psychology.
UW-Whitewater
Derek Metzner from Sobieski, who is studying business at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, will perform in the university’s Jazz Ensemble II during the 2026-27 academic year.
Metzner plays trombone (bass) for the group, which includes 22 student musicians.
Jazz Ensemble II is a jazz big band including saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section. An audition is required to join the group.
