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If you find alumni information is out of date, please email alumni@lafollette.wisc.edu so staff can follow up with alumni to update.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
La Follette alum heads Berlin chapter of Democrats Abroad
Since 2021, Constance Chucholowski (MIPA ’14) has served as chair of the organization in Germany, where she currently works as the founder and managing director at a public affairs firm.
Alumni updates – October 2024
Congratulations to our alumni who have recently received promotions or started new jobs!
Ross Ryan – Alumni in the Spotlight
Ross Ryan (MPA, MPH ’17) is a principal performance evaluator at the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau.
Eric Hudson – Alumni in the Spotlight
Hudson has worked at GAO—an independent and nonpartisan agency that is the investigative arm of Congress and serves as a congressional watchdog—for over 20 years.
Yang partners with DHS to create educational materials on dementia for the Hmong community
Yang received her MPA from La Follette in May 2024 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience through the Neuroscience and Public Policy combined degree program.
- More Alumni News
Alumni Profiles
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."
Muhammed Fofana, MPA ’22
"The client-based project was one of my favorite experiences at La Follette. I worked with a great team of faculty, client, and classmates."
Jess Rutstein, MPA ’20
Alum Jess Rutstein works as a FoodShare Program and policy analyst for the WI Department of Health Services.
- More Alumni Profiles