The Fox Valley chapter asked recent scholarship winners for details on going to school during a pandemic – here are two of their stories:
From 2018 scholarship recipient – Samira Barti x’22 Nursing
COVID has been a learning curve for all but I think the biggest thing has been learning how to do online school. As a nursing student being hands-on is essential to mastering our skills. However, you can't really be hands-on six feet apart. UW has currently paused our clinical so we have been doing them virtually/ in socially distanced labs. While this time has been uncertain, I have truly learned how to be adaptive. Most importantly I will be the best tele-health nurse out there. I don't know when I'll see my first live patient but hopefully, it's before I graduate!
From 2019 recipient - Lucas Adrian x'22 B.S. Civil Engineering and Certificate in Environmental Studies
There are two words that have bounced around my mind and been said by my professors, faculty, and UW leadership that I think are particularly good at describing Badgers, especially in times like these: resourceful and resilient. When UW had to make the quick transition to online learning this spring, my professors spent their spring break converting material to an online format. The spring semester finished as a success for me, and I am grateful for what my professors did to ensure their students' success as much as possible.
Another way I have seen Badgers be resourceful and resilient is with my friends and peers. We have found ways to connect through Zoom or Microsoft Office programs to collaborate on projects, presentations, and homework. On a weekly basis, if not more frequently, my friends and I video chat to go over assignments together and to see each other's faces! While we would rather be together in person, we have found acceptable alternatives for the interim. A virus has not stopped us from connecting!
UW was not quick to throw in the towel and go to a complete online format like other universities. I believe that would have been very detrimental to students, particularly those who are pursuing engineering, the sciences, medicine, or other majors where a hands-on component in classes like labs is vital to learning the material. The UW faculty developed ways to ensure safe classroom learning, whether it be distancing in larger rooms, providing necessary PPE, utilizing new tools and technologies to aid in learning and safety, and more. This fall, I still have a few labs that I attend in person, for which I am grateful. Even the Terrace is open for students, while at the same time ensuring health and safety for all. Again, talk about resourcefulness and resilience!
I look forward to the day where we can once again attend football games, gather for tailgates, sit by the lake, and enjoy Madison for what it is. But, in the meantime, and always, Badgers will continue to be resourceful and resilient for whatever comes our way!