Three more grad visits wrap up LU Colloquium week
Gaining early experience in your chosen pathway and building relationships with faculty members were two of the many suggestions shared by three successful Lakeland graduates on Friday.
Current and prospective Lakeland students heard the advice as part of the annual Science, Technology & Education Colloquium, the third of three events held during the week that spotlight successful Lakeland graduates.
Tony Johannes, ’96 MEd ’04, a math teacher at Sheboygan North High School; Mai Lor ’19, senior probation and parole agent with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections; and Lacey Lubeley ’10, clinical research manager with the department of radiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health shared stories about their time at Lakeland and how they maximized their Lakeland experience to position themselves for post-graduation success.
The annual colloquium events invite prospective students to Lakeland to hear from the graduates as part of a day that also includes interviews for Lakeland scholarships. For current students, the events provide an opportunity to interact with Lakeland grads to build their networks.
Johannes graduated from Lakeland with degrees in secondary education, math and history. A teacher in the Sheboygan Area School District for 20-plus years, he has been a leader for the district and his efforts led to him winning a Kohl Fellowship. He was also elected to the school board in Kiel, where his lives with his wife, Cary (also a Lakeland graduate) and daughters.
He encouraged students to get involved outside the classroom to expand their network. He told the tale of a band trip where he first met a fellow Lakeland student and band member while riding the bus.
“He was the best man at my wedding,” Johannes said. “You will meet lifelong friends outside of your major. The relationships here are unique, it’s like a high school-type relationship. You will become a family in a sense.
“We all sat down in the dorms rooms and tried to figure out problems. That’s the nature of what Lakeland is.”
Johannes also encouraged students to understand the difference between feedback and criticism. “If someone gives you an opportunity to do better, that’s a positive and accept it as feedback,” he said.
Lubeley initially had an interest in photography, switched to education and landed on science when she joined her sister at Lakeland and took her first science classes. She graduated with a bachelor’s in biology and her undergraduate work with Professor of Biology Paul Pickhardt led to a summer internship at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee.
She was recently promoted to clinical research manager within the department of radiology at UW-Madison and she leads a team of 10 clinical research coordinators and students while also staying involved with the various research efforts.
“I fell in love with science,” Lubeley said. “I get to do what I love, which is research.”
She encouraged students to get to know faculty members and spend time with them outside the classroom.
“They’re not scary; they’re just humans,” she said. “They want to get to know you. There is a lot to learn from them outside of the classroom. They can give you really good advice.”
Lor completed a bachelor’s in criminal justice and psychology. In addition to her role as a senior probation and parole agent in Marathon County, she serves as a co-chair for her regional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and is also a local liaison agent with ATTIC Correctional Services, Inc. and Marathon County’s Drug Endangered Children taskforce.
“Being able to work with people, getting them the help they need and supporting them while upholding public safety in rewarding,” she said.
Lor said Lakeland Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Karin Miofsky encouraged her to remain at LU for an extra semester and that advice proved valuable.
“It’s OK to slow down and enjoy the rest of your time here,” said Lor, noting that she and Miofsky keep in touch. “Take advantage of the opportunities here. It allowed me to have more experiences here and those are helping me now. I attribute who I am to my experience here.”
