Hometown
Waunakee, WI
Undergraduate education
Political science and geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, May 2025
Accomplishments
Accelerated student; Waunakee Village Board trustee since 2021
Expected graduation date
May 2026
Why an MPA?
I grew up in a home where public policy was something discussed in some form or another almost nightly at the dinner table. My mom has worked in local government for nearly 30 years and my dad in small business economic development for more than 20 years. Public service runs further back in the family as well: mom’s parents spent their entire working careers at Mendota Mental Health Institute, while my dad’s father was a prominent Madison attorney specializing in municipal law and a Dane County supervisor who led the county’s effort to take over the airport in the 1970s. I decided when I was 14 years old that I was going to run for the Waunakee Village Board as soon as I was old enough to be eligible, which I did successfully in 2021. I have been re-elected twice since with the highest percentage of the vote of any village candidate on the ballot. I am proud to be the youngest person ever to hold an elected office in Wisconsin. I served on several committees for the village, school district, and Dane County as well before running. After learning about the Accelerated MPA Program, I decided it would be a great route to take to pursue public policy as a full-time career with only needing to spend five years in school.
Why the La Follette School?
Small class sizes, proximity to home, an Accelerated Program where I could get a head start on my degree, and the national prestige of the school in the field.
Career goals
I’m planning to stay in the Madison area and work in the public sector or do some sort of government relations work in the private sector. I have a wide variety of interests ranging from local government to lobbying and campaign work, so that should serve me well.
Advice for prospective La Follette School students
Connections are your friend – make as many as you can both before and during the program with peers, faculty, and others in the region whether they’re in your field or not. You never know when they might help you or pay off some day! Explore a wide variety of areas of interest both inside and outside of the classroom. Finally, enjoy the time you’re in the program. Build good relationships with others in your cohort and attend social events like Mandatory Fun Time (MFT) as many weeks as you can.
Volunteer activities
I started a group called the Friends of Six Mile Creek in 2020 after I was bored during a COVID work furlough. I’d noticed a plethora of log jams in the local stream in Waunakee blocking the flow of water, which was causing significant seasonal flooding issues in the main local park. An elderly neighbor and I spent one morning a week working on a particular section with our chainsaws removing blockages near a walking path, and that quickly piqued the interest of passersby. After dozens of workdays removing blockages every year since as well as a growing Facebook group and volunteer roster, I’m proud to say the group is now a non-profit. Seasonal flooding has been reduced from what it used to be and now kayakers can make trips on the creek when the water’s high enough without obstruction.
Anything Else?
In my spare time, I enjoy doing political campaign consulting around the state, doing yard and handyman work, hiking, visiting historic cemeteries, genealogy, and spending time at our family property in Sauk County.