Students can meet and work with La Follette School alumni and friends, many of whom hold important positions in international organizations; federal, state, and local government agencies; nonprofit organizations; and private business.
Ways to connect
Many La Follette School alumni and friends share information about their jobs and workplaces, participate in professional development functions that highlight their knowledge and experience, and provide informational interviews for students.
Mentoring
Alumni also serve as mentors, meaning students can arrange to meet with them two or more times to talk about career opportunities, visit a work site, discuss interviews, and/or review resumes.
How to get alumni contact information
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Talk to the La Follette School Staff
Talk to the Director of Career and Employer Services, Associate Director, other student services staff, or outreach staff
Find and contact them via the alumni search feature on the La Follette LinkedIn Page; and/or the UW LinkedIn Page.
Don’t forget to check the LinkedIn page for your undergraduate school if it was not UW. You may have double the alumni to call on for assistance!
Badger Bridge
Look alumni up on Badger Bridge (access limited to University of Wisconsin–Madison students & alumni).
Badger Bridge is a UW-Madison specific networking tool that allows you to both re-connect with old classmates as well as enabling you to utilize the trusted UW-Madison environment to expand your professional network.
UW Alumni Facebook Groups
Join UW alumni groups on Facebook related to the city where you hope to live.
Examples: DC Badgers, Big Apple Badgers, Mile High Alumni, Chicago Badgers, etc…
Employer websites
You can try to find alumni contact information on their employer’s web site
If you find alumni information is out of date, please email alumni@lafollette.wisc.edu so staff can follow up with alumni to update.
Alumni News and Profiles
Alumni News
Alumni updates – January 2025
Learn which of our alumni started new roles and attended conferences this month.
Abigail Swetz – Alumni in the Spotlight
Abigail Swetz’s (MPA ’19) favorite part about her role as executive director at Fair Wisconsin is that every day is different from the last.
Alumni updates – December 2024
Learn about some of the many ways La Follette alumni are making a positive impact this month.
UniverCity partnership inspires new homestead credit in Adams County
While completing his La Follette degree, John O’Malley (MIPA '23) partnered with UW–Madison's UniverCity Alliance on a project that inspired a new Homestead Credit Incentive program.
Tom Hruz – Alumni in the Spotlight
Tom Hruz (MPA ’97) has served as an appellate judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III, since 2014.
- More Alumni News
Alumni Profiles
Richard Shrout, MPA ’72
"The big lesson that I can pass to current students is the knowledge that a masters degree is just a ticket to get you into the door. Life after that is a continuing process of learning new things and sharpening what you thought you already knew.”
Corissa Uselmann, MPA ’20
"I think the biggest thing I learned at La Follette is that our job isn’t done until we have completed an evaluation stage on any given project or work product. I have taken this to heart and have actively worked towards implementing data-driven feedback loops in every role or project I have worked on professionally."
Karina Virrueta Running, MPA ’17
"The workshop course was as challenging as it was rewarding. I also made lasting friendships with my peers and the professors."
Hilary Shager, MPA ’05
"La Follette is the epitome of the Wisconsin Idea. And it’s certainly not just about Wisconsin—the staff and faculty have done so much to connect students with alumni and new, real-world opportunities."
Sophia Rogers, MPA ’19
"La Follette has prepared and empowered all of us to do amazing things."
- More Alumni Profiles