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If you find alumni information is out of date, please email alumni@lafollette.wisc.edu so staff can follow up with alumni to update.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 – March 2025
Read about which alumni have recently published new reports and tools, and who is running for office this spring.
Supporting state service agencies
Service agencies tend to be an especially good fit for La Follette alumni, who have had the chance to practice skills that are needed to excel at a nonpartisan institution.
La Follette at work: alumni report strong employment outcomes
According to an alumni employment survey that was conducted in the summer of 2024, La Follette School alumni enjoy favorable employment outcomes after graduation.
“Eat and Greet” series connects students with policy experts
Alumni and friends serving in state environmental public policy positions were invited to discuss their career paths with students in January.
Alumni updates – February 2025
Learn which alumni started new positions or earned recognitions this month.
- More Alumni News
Alumni Profiles
Andrew VanderMeer, MPA ’24
"In short, the core set of skills La Follette teaches were identical to what my employer was looking for!"
Anna Barry, MPA ’21
"At La Follette, I developed critical skills in synthesizing policy and initiatives which I now apply to my work in communications."
Tatiana Cruz, MIPA ’24
"The La Follette School offers top-tier policy training, a supportive community, and strong faculty mentorship that prepares you for both academia and policy work."
Grace George, MPA ’21
"I really enjoyed the friends I made while at the La Follette School."
Sam Schneider, MPA ’23
"At the La Follette School, I developed not only the technical skills to analyze and implement policy but also the ability to approach complex issues with an open-minded perspective."
- More Alumni Profiles