Program Highlights - Viterbo University

An occasional newsletter from the Viterbo University
Undergraduate Social Work Program
WI N T E R
SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
2014-15
Highlights
Reaccreditation
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Faculty Updates
2
Spotlight on
Students!
Alum Survey
Student Profile
3-4
2014 Graduates
4
Social Work Club
Student Spotlight
4
Alumni Spotlight
5
Research
6
Program
Reaccreditation
6
Alumni Updates
7-8
2 014
I SS U E
#1 2
From the Director:
Program Highlights
Deb Daehn Zellmer, ACSW, CISW
This fall I have experienced the transformation that occurs through social work education. I
teach social welfare policy, an area of the curriculum that not every social work student looks
forward to! And the Viterbo Social Work Program has not just one policy course but two policy
courses which is atypical for undergraduate social work education. So often students come into
my class thinking policy will be dull and irrelevant.
In my first policy class I tell my students that I hope to make them MAD! So mad that by the
second policy class they will be willing to ACT!! We proceed then in the first course to discuss
human rights and social justice and it doesn’t take students long to realize that human rights are
violated every day not only in some foreign country but also right here in Wisconsin. In our
second policy course, students learn skills in political advocacy and while many students claim
they have no interest or understanding of politics, they are indignant about the social injustices
they see in society and know that the Social Work Code of Ethics calls upon social workers to
engage in social and political action to ensure equal access to meet basic human needs and expand
choice and opportunity.
This is where the transformation occurs! This fall I saw my policy students discover who their
state and federal representatives are and get excited about the opportunity to vote. They selected issues that they felt passionate about, researched these issues, educated others and asked their
elected officials to act! The issues these students lobbied for included raising the minimum wage,
reducing higher education loan debt, accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin,
having law enforcement officials wear body cameras is protect officers and the public, and for
improvements to a neighborhood dog park to increase safety for community members and pets.
I saw students step out of their comfort zones and do incredible work! They created policy
briefs on the issues, wrote
letters to legislators and
to community newspapers, they spoke to
Viterbo faculty and students in several classes,
attended political rallies
and met with Wisconsin
Senator Jennifer Shilling
and La Crosse city officials
to persuade them to act
on the issues they were
passionate about! Shy
students became more
confident, they got fired up about politics and voting, they realized that elected officials are just
people and they realized that they had knowledge and opinions worth sharing! I am so pleased
and proud of their transformation!
Viterbo University Social Work Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Viterbo University Social Work Program is to prepare baccalaureate students for entry level generalist social work practice. In an atmosphere of
integrity and respect, students will develop professional knowledge, values, and skills for service provision and social change. The program is guided by the
Franciscan values of human dignity, social justice, strengths of diverse populations, and respect for disenfranchised members of our global society.
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2
Jennifer Anderson-Meger,
Professor
Jennie continues to teach full time
in the Social Work program and as
research faculty in the Masters of
Servant Leadership program. She
was appointed Chair of the Institutional Review Board for the university which consumes a significant amount of time. In
addition, Jennie was chosen to represent the Viterbo
Faculty on the search committee for the new Vice
President for Academic Affairs. She continues
Connie Fossen,
service on the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counselor, and Social Work Examining
Board for the state of Wisconsin which involves
regular meetings in Madison. Jennie serves as the
assessment coordinator for the program.
This past summer Jennie published two
articles in peer reviewed journals and was
offered a contract by Routledge Taylor/
Francis to write a book based on her dissertation research which will be used in social
work research courses.
Janet Holter,
Professor
Assistant Professor
A manuscript, “Infusing a new ethical
decision making model throughout a
BSW Program curriculum” was published by The Journal of Social Work
Values and Ethics February 2014.
The article written by Connie, Jennie, and Deb describes the ETHICS-A decision making
model taught throughout our Social Work Program.
For the second year, Connie traveled to Nicaragua in
June as part of the Global Partners Program at Gundersen Health Care. With alumni Irene TenEyck and Nicole Sundboom, the social work team mapped community assets in Nuevo Santa Celia – the new community
built by Global Partners. The 25 families were interviewed in their new homes to learn about the assets
and challenges that come with home ownership for
these under resourced families. Connie now serves on
the Global Partners Advisory Board for Nicaragua
Community Development. The Board is developing
sustainable projects that further the collaboration with
Nuevo Santa Celia and the Matagalpa region.
Janet continues her full-time teaching appointment, but is currently settling into her
new role as Field Education Director, taking
over for Connie Fossen this fall. Additionally
Janet serves as Social Work club advisor and
over the past year has worked on the Child
Advocacy Leadership team at Viterbo examining interdisciplinary research and educational opportunities for students
and faculty at Viterbo. Last spring, Janet developed and taught a
course in Community Development for Sustainability majors.
Over the summer, Janet mentored Haleigh Johnson on her
summer research project
related to Dog Parks and
Community Connection and
conducted Ethics and Boundaries training for Community
Care of Central
Wisconsin.
Deb Daehn Zellmer,
Professor
Over the past year, Deb has
transitioned into new administrative roles at Viterbo. In
addition to continuing as Social Work Program Director,
Deb was also asked to serve as Interim Associate
Dean for the School of Human Behavior. In this
capacity Deb has been working with the Psychology and Sociology/Criminal Justice Departments
as well as the Master of Science in Mental Health
Counseling to facilitate the work of these programs. In spring 2014 Jennie and Deb presented
at the Annual Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors meeting in Louisville, Kentucky
on “Critical Issues in Promotion & Tenure for
Social Work Faculty”. This presentation builds
on work the Social Work Department has been
doing on defining social work scholarship on the
Viterbo campus. Jennie and Deb are currently in
the middle of a national research study on the
perceptions of social work faculty of scholarship
and the alignment with institutional promotion
and tenure policies. Deb continues to be involved with fundraising for the Women’s Clothes
Closet, service to the Wisconsin Chapter of the
National Association of Socials Workers through
the Social Policy and Advocacy Day planning
committees and teaching
social welfare policy
courses.
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3
Three students completed summer undergraduate research projects under the mentorship of social
work faculty. Students apply to become Undergraduate Research Fellows and are paid either fulltime or part-time to work on research for seven weeks during the summer. Students can select
their own research topic or work on a project their faculty mentor is searching. Students then present a poster on their research at the Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium held at
Viterbo in November. Summer 2014 Undergraduate Research Fellows are featured below..
Haleigh Johnson
Haleigh Johnson completed a research project asking the question “Do Dog
Parks Influence Human Connections and Create a Healthier Community?
Haleigh distributed surveys at a local dog park, hoping to determine whether
respondents came to the dog park for community connection, and sought suggestions for improvement. Haleigh’s results were positive, with 79% of those surveyed responding that they came to the park to connect with others in the community. Many were willing to provide suggestions for improvement. Haleigh
recently met with the City of La Crosse Parks Director to discuss her findings. Haleigh was
mentored by Janet Holter.
Renee Walton
Renee Walton completed a summer research project that explored the question of best-fit personality and temperament for social work practice. She interviewed 13 social workers as part of her qualitative study to determine what
characteristics make for a strong social worker. Her findings shine a positive
light on the profession and fill a gap in the social work literature. Renee was
mentored by Jennie Anderson-Meger.
Wendy Davey
Wendy Davey conducted a survey with Social Work alumni from years 20112013. Her mentor was Deb Daehn-Zellmer. The primary focus of the survey
was the quality of education received at Viterbo and the participant's views on
the courses. The other focus was the respondent's employment, including wages and how long it took after graduation for alumni to begin their career.
Alumni Survey Findings
by Wendy Davey
Have you ever been sitting in class and wondered, “When will I ever use this information?” Or
maybe even worried that upon graduation, you will not be able to find a job? I certainly have! With
the assistance of my faculty mentor, last summer I asked social work alumni questions just like
those. I participated in the summer research project and sent out an electronic survey to 46
Viterbo social work alumni who graduated in the years 2011-2013. We had a 35% response rate,
and of the 16 that responded, only one said they were not currently employed as a social worker
and would not be returning to this field.
The next piece of information to share with you, I’ll admit is kind of exciting: 55% of the respondents had found employment in the social work field within 6 months and another 18% by a year!
The other exciting bit of information would of course be about the salary. The lowest starting salary was just over $29,000 a year with 10 others reporting incomes between $30,000-40,000.
Now about those classes… using a Likert scale to assess the usefulness of the social work core
classes (practice, policy, research, theory, and field education) NO ONE stated that the classes
were NOT useful. In fact, all of the answers were between somewhat useful and extremely useful.
Comments included that the skills they learned were applied every day! A few mentioned that the
skills they received in Interviewing were also very useful along with understanding policy. One
alumni also stated, “I find myself constantly reflecting upon the Code of Ethics when making
decisions about my practice.”
Hearing what alumni say about their education is important, and knowing that their is life after college is inspiring! It gives me more motivation to succeed and learn, knowing that I actually will use
my education in the field. I enjoyed working with Professor Deb Daehn Zellmer and appreciated
all the assistance from her. I found summer research to be a great experience. It is not only
interesting to be a part of, it’s also exciting to see the results!
Student
Profile:
Brienne Shaker
Brienne is a dedicated, motivated, and an energetic senior in the social work program. Her life epitomizes the
“think global, act local” philosophy except that she
“acts global” too! She continues to seek out ways she
can provide assistance on a
daily basis in her own community and the world.
Brienne describes her trips
to Belize to work with AIDS
education as life changing
and inspiring. She realizes
what we take for granted in
our lives and has witnessed
extreme poverty combined
with unwavering hope. During her time in Belize,
Brienne provided hands-on
care and education for women and children. Brienne
stated that there are AIDS
clinics every time you turn
around in Belize City. The
socioeconomic imbalance is
visible by the stark contrast
of the coasts covered with
upscale resorts and the steel
and cardboard shacks where
many locals live. Her experience showed her how critical education, advocacy, and
empowerment, are for individuals and families faced
with AIDS.
Brienne continues to be motivated to help families and
children find ways to improve their lives. She was
secretary of the Social Work
Club last year and continues
this involvement with the
new mentor program. She is
a member of The National
Society of Leadership and
Success which requires a
large time commitment in
service and leadership activities. Brienne works at the
YMCA providing care
for youth while maintaining an 18-credit
course load.
When asked what she
likes the most about the
Social Work program
Brienne indicated that her
classmates have become her
family. They help each other
(continued pg. 4)
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WINTER
2014 Graduates
2014
Club Officers: Pres. Kassie Schmitt, VP Ashley Bright, Secretary
Courtney Wesela, Treasurer Mollie Huepfel, PR Jordan Knapp
Social work club is off to another
great start this year! This year’s officers are: President- Kassy Schmitt, Vice
President- Ashley Bright, SecretaryCortney Wesela, Treasurer- Mollie
Huepfel, and Public Relations- Jordan
Knapp. Club participated in a Trick-or
-Treat for cans in October, gathering
70 lbs. of food, which was donated to
Viterbo’s food pantry. This winter,
the club again plans to adopt a family
from a local school to provide a family
with holiday gifts and goodies.
Senior fun and frolic during
fall firedrill!
Faculty Advisor,
Janet Holter
Student Spotlight:
Bridget Brummet
(Shaker, continued from p. 3)
through learning challenges
and support each other in their lives.
Brienne states one of the greatest
challenges is the amount of written
work but acknowledges this is also a
strength of the program.
She feels very ready to enter the profession and is looking forward to her
field education practicum with Vernon
County Social Services next semester.
Brienne shared that her classes and
experiences at the Salvation Army and
Hamilton Early Learning Center have
Left
to right: Hannah
Johnson,
Kaitlinfield
Hamman,
Tess
prepared
her well
for her
placeHostert,
Landry,
and Sara
Severson.
ment. Linda
Future
plans
involve
more travel/service, social work with families
and children in the nonprofit sector,
and graduate school for her MSW.
There is no doubt that Brienne is having a major impact on the lives of others with her hard working and caring
approach to all she does.
Service to country and service to others pretty much sums up senior Bridget
Brummet. Coming from a “military family” with both her Dad and grandparents
providing military service she wanted to continue this tradition so she joined the
Air National Guard in 2005. She has had three deployments- twice to the United
Arab Emirates and once to Saudi Arabia. Her duties have involved providing programs for troopers during their time off in a community center, working in a
flight kitchen preparing meals for the pilots and in a military fitness center. She
also has had to face the most difficult reality of the service as part of the team of
people who sends fallen warriors home. Bridget would receive bodies from the
field and prepare them to fly home. On her last deployment she was called to
the scene of a military plane crash to be part of the search and recovery team
where she worked for four days straight collecting remains of victims. In spite of
this very psychologically tough work, Bridget says her military experience has
taught her how to work with people with varying backgrounds. “When you
meet someone with a difficult personality you can’t just quit, you have to find a
way to work with that person.”
After her first deployment, Bridget reconsidered her major in elementary education and decided to enter a field where she could have an impact in changing the
environment that contributed to people’s difficulties and give them tools for success. She chose social work and has never looked back. Her long term goal is to
work with at-risk youth or in the prison system.
Bridget is certainly not one to sit around! Bridget tutors students in social work
theory and research methods. Recently she stepped down
from being VFW Quartermaster so she could more fully focus
on her senior field placement. Bridget is involved with the
Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches judging cheerleading competitions around the state and recently started
working with Huber clients in nearby Monroe County. Two
years ago Bridget transferred to Viterbo University from UWOshkosh to help care for her grandfather and she loves the
small class size and knowing her professors personally.
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5
Alumni
Alumni Spotlight
Spotlight
Jenny Delo ‘10
Jen started her social work
career at Coulee CAP
providing foreclosure case
management and administration of federal funds to
buy, refurbish or rebuild
foreclosed
homes for
low income
families.
She learned
a great deal
during this
limited employment
position about contractors
and builders!
Juvenile delinquency work
at Wood County was Jenny’s next position. She appreciated working with adolescents because they state
their opinion and make their
own decisions. However,
her caseload of mentally ill
youth was challenging and
complicated.
Today, Jen is employed by
Lutheran Social Services as a
special needs adoption
worker. She appreciates the
happy ending of adoption,
quite different from removing children from their
homes in her previous position. Paperwork is the challenge of this position because of constant changes
from the state and LSS.
Jenny came to the Viterbo
with a completed history
degree. Jenny stated that
she appreciated the Social
Work Program with small
class size and personalized
education.
2014
In summer of 2014 we caught up with a few Social Work Alumni for an update and thoughts
on their experience at Viterbo.
Amanda Neuman ‘10
Amanda has been employed with Western Wisconsin Cares (WWC)
since September 2010.
“My field placement was
with WWC and this
helped me get hired.”
WWC provides case management services to optimize the health and independence of adults with
long-term care needs. An
interdisciplinary team including the client, a nurse
and a social worker, work
together to assess the
needs and preferences of
the client and implement
an individualized care plan.
In fall 2012, Amanda entered the part-time MSW
program
through
the UWMadison
taking
weekend
courses
on the
UW-Eau
Claire
campus. Her MSW emphasis was mental health so
she transitioned her caseload from working with
elderly and disabled individuals to serving those with
severe and persistent mental illness. This allowed her
to apply what she was
learning immediately.
After completing her MSW
in spring 2014, she decided
to make yet another
change in her work at
WCC. She now serves as
a Functional Screener assessing eligibility for Medicaid funding and WCC
services. This is more focused work learning that
each person’s story,
strengths, needs and preferences is different. Her
work is very interesting
and rewarding. “At the
end of each day, I know I
have made a difference in
someone’s life”.
When asked about her MSW
program, Amanda said “It
went so fast!” While it was
difficult to work fulltime and
attend school on the weekends for two years, she’s glad
she did it. “Graduate school
definitely built on the Viterbo
social work foundation.”
In the future Amanda would
like to combine her clinical
skills and experience with
disabled individuals in provide
behavior therapy. She also
has an interest in managing a
group home or providing
guardianship services. “Social
work provides so many opportunities. I know I’ll always
find something interesting
within the profession!”
Michelle Sivanich
Tryggestad ‘10
In the Social Work Program
Michelle learned a great deal
from student group work.
She found the collaborative
process resulted in the best
outcomes and she learned
from each student’s perspective.
After graduation Michelle
worked at Dungarvin serving
individuals with physical and
cognitive issues in a community support role. She landed
her first social work position
at WWCares first with a
mental health caseload and
then a frail elderly caseload
for two years.
A challenging job search
ensued when WWCares
restructured and eliminated
many positions.
Now Michelle is employed
at Lutheran Social Services
working with adults who
self-direct their own care.
She stated that she was
selected for
this position
because of
her application statement about
selfdetermination—a
credit to her learning in the
Social Work Program.
Michelle assists members in
goal determination and
then supports the individual
to access the resources
they need to reach their
goals.
Interestingly, in her new
position she works with
Community Liaison Program at La Crosse County
to access resources for
recipients, an agency where
Michelle volunteered as a
student. Her busy family
life has settled and she is
thinking about a MSW
Program next year.
Thank you to our featured alumni,
and to all of our graduates for the
work that you do everyday! Keep
those updates coming!
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6
WINTER
2014
Seven Rivers Scholarships
Senior social work students Sheila Juricic, Renee Walton,
Jenny Clark and Brienne Shaker were awarded People’s
Choice Best Poster award at the November, 2014 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Their poster, Handicap
Accessibility in Historic La Crosse was a photovoice community
project in the Social Work Practice II course. The students
used photos to depict the challenge between maintaining
historic architecture in downtown La Crosse buildings while
providing access to people living with different abilities.
Successful Reaffirmation of Accreditation
In October the Viterbo University Undergraduate Social Work Program was granted reaffirmation of accreditation by the
Council on Social Work Education for the maximum possible of eight years. The following were identified as strengths of our
social work program:
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A strong commitment by Viterbo University, the College of Nursing, Health and Human Behavior and the Social Work
Department to undergraduate social work education.
A competent and committed social work faculty with many years of experience in social work practice and social work
education. The faculty is widely respected on campus, providing leadership to the Social Work Program as well as within
the University and the community.
An active Social Work Club that provides service to the University and the community.
Competent graduates who are filling regional needs for professionally trained social workers and who experience success
in graduate education.
Engaged alumni who provide program support in the form of shadow experiences, classroom speakers, field instruction,
advisory council membership and adjunct teaching.
A well conceptualized competency based social work curriculum that builds upon the University’s core values and Franciscan heritage.
Supportive individualized academic advising that guides students through the social work major and addresses student’s strengths and areas for improvement.
A strong Field Education Program with a diverse range of generalist practice experiences, competent Agency Field
Instructors and individualized field placement procedures.
The implementation of a comprehensive and detailed assessment plan that directs decisions for curriculum and
program improvement.
We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our students, the Viterbo faculty and administration, our Community Advisory
Board and our Field Education Instructors over the past three years to achieve reaffirmation of accreditation.
PAGE
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WINTER
This Field Education year began with a
bit of a change as Janet Holter took over
as Field Director. Connie Fossen
decided to step down after 7 years as
field director to go back in to the
classroom full time. Thank you Connie
for your amazing work over the past
years! Field Fair again kicked off our
year with Viterbo’ s Debra Murray
continuing education session on
Resiliency in Action, followed by
orientation for new agency field
instructors. Our group of 19 seniors
met with nearly 30 field instructors to
Field Agency
Spotlight
Chileda joins the Social Work
Program in 2014 as a newly certified Field Education site. Located on the south side of La
Crosse, Chileda is a residential
center and day school for children ages 6-21 with cognitive
and behavioral challenges.
Chileda provides behavioral
programming for children with
Autism Spectrum disorder, attachment disorders, and other
developmental disabilities.
Julie Shea, MSSW, APSW serves
as Chileda’s Director of Family
Services. Julie’s background
includes working in agencies
related to domestic violence,
treatment foster care, outpatient AODA services, and day
treatment facilities for adolescents. Julie supervises Chileda’s
case managers, and handles enrollment assessments and administrative work needed for
programming. Welcome Chileda
to Social Work field education!
learn more information about potential for
placement in the spring.
This year the YWCA housing programs
joins our field program. The YWCA has
been a long time partner with the Social
Work Program, and we are excited to
welcome another YWCA program. We
would like to again thank all of our Field
Education agencies and social workers for
your time and commitment to this exciting
and essential part of social work
education.
2001
Shelley Gabrielson is working at Western
Wisconsin Cares as a matrix specialist. She
also joined the Civil Air Patrol and is now a
2nd Lieutenant.
Sabrina (Meichtry)
Kent is currently enjoying life as a wife and
homemaker. According
to Sabrina her employer
is her family and she is
loving every minute of it!
2003
Sarah (Ness) Lee and Joshua
Lee celebrated the birth of a son,
Calvin Boon Lee on August 22.
She is a dialysis social worker
with Mayo in Rochester, MN.
2006
Megan Gerke is working for Access Alaska,
a center for independent living, in Fairbanks,
AL.
Betsy (Innocenti) Thesing is working for
Lutheran Life Communities in Arlington
Heights, IL. She received her masters degree
in gerontology from Concordia University,
River Forest, IL in 2013.
Bethany LaFontaine is working at
the Western Wisconsin Cares as a residential
coordinator. She and Aaron Taylor celebrated
the birth of a daughter, Gracelyn, who joins
proud big sister, Rayne age 4.
2014
Friar Frolic
Friar Frolic: LtoR: Elli Walleserr, Carly Vig, Jennie Anderson-Meger
Stephanie Varilek
Danielle (Olson) Puccetti is working at
the Tomah Veterans Administrative Medical Center as a patient centered care coordinator. She will complete her PhD for
Healthcare Administration at UW-Madison
In 2015.
2007
Ashley Myhre married Nick Farley December 7, 2013. She is currently busy
implementing new branding and marketing
as an admission/marketing coordinator for
Southview Acres Health Care
Center. They reside in Eagan, MN.
2008
Linnea Fiser and Matt Larson traveled
across country to Beaverton, OR to start a
new adventure. She will finish her masters
in business administration in
December 2014.
Rachel Thomas-Miller and husband Joe
Miller adopted a baby girl in May 2014,
Troian Victoria was born on September
29, 2013. Rachel is working as a Service
Coordinator-CLTS Waiver for Lutheran
Social Services in Appleton, WI. They reside in Little Chute, WI.
Lindsay (Weber) and Cory Weibel anticipate the arrival of baby Weibel in February 2015. She is working at Morrow
Home in Sparta. WI.
Cont. from p.7
2009
Emily Nolte is
Serena Burke is working at Bethany St.
Joseph as an assisted living director.
Noelle (Sander) Chambers is working at
Family Works in Madison. She completed her
masters degree from University of Madison
with an emphasis in Children, Youth and
Families.
2010
Jenny Delo is working for Lutheran Social
Services as a special needs adoption social
worker.
Jamie (Sontag) Dayton is
the director of social services
for Mulder Health Care in
West Salem, WI. She completed her masters degree in May
2014. Pictured is Jamie with
her pre-school daughter!
Vanessa (Weisbrod) Bablitch is working
as an information and referral specialist; Mobile crisis responder for Gundersen Health
System.
Breanna Schell is working at St. Stephen’s
Human Services as an outreach worker in
Minneapolis. She completed her masters degree in social work in 2013.
2012
Kelsey Haakenson is working for Longview
Home for Boys, LLC as a group manager. She
resides in Viola, WI.
Nicole (Emberson) Johnson is working
for Creative Community Living Services. She
passed both the National Social Work exam
and Wisconsin state exam in March 2014. in
Black
2014
Ashley Brown is working as a children’s
long term support waiver social worker with
the Children’s Services Team for Juneau
County Department of Human Services in
Mauston, WI. She passed her exam and became certified in July.
Jill (Everson) and Ron Stoltz were married on October 4, 2014. She is currently
working at Care Wisconsin. The reside in
La Farge, WI.
Sara Grandy is working for Sibley County
as a child protection social worker. She resides in Hutchinson, MN.
Hannah Haley is working for Ostrander
Care and Rehab as a social worker and activites director in Ostrander, MN.
2013
Theresa (Hostert) and
Alex Hefner were marEmily Aerts is pursuing her MSW at Colum- ried on June 20. She is
bia University School of Social Work with an
working at Monroe County
anticipated graduation date of May 2015.
Department of Human
Services in the children and
Emily Ernest is working at Hiawatha Valley Sadye (Birkholz) Holback and Matthew live
families department.
Mental Health Center as a mental health prac- in Humble Texas. Sadye is working as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist for
titioner. She and Andrew Krage are engaged
Ashley Janovick was chosen to receive the
Tri-County Services in Conroe, TX.
Title IV-E Grant for graduate school. She is
and planning a Sept. 26, 2015 wedding.
attending UW-Madison. In addition, Ashley is
Katelyn (Hoppens) was
working in a social work position at
Kelly (Jessen) and Derek Zumbrunnen were married to Brandon
La Crosse County with Integrated Support
married July 19. She is working as a care coWalmsley on
and Recovery Services. She and Justin Paar
ordinator for Bluestone Physician Services
September 19, 2014 at
are planning a July wedding.
located in Stillwater, MN.
he Villa Bellezza in Pepin,
WI. They honeymooned
Hannah (Johnson) and Jake Fox were
in Puerto Morelos,
Jennifer Neuhaus is working for Western
married last August in Owatonna, MN. She is
Mexico.
Wisconsin Cares as a social work case
working as a First Contact Specialist for
Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging in
manager in Sparta, WI.
Chrystal Stegen celebrated
St. Paul, MN.
the birth of her first baby, and
2011
Angela (Babcock) Pokorney and Ryan
celebrated the birth of their first daughter,
Ariana, June 2014. She is currently working at
Juneau County Department of Human Services. They reside in Mauston, WI. S
Whitley (Barolak) Vogel is working as a
resident care assistant for Milestone Senior
Living in Woodruff, WI. They reside in Eagle
River, WI.
Ashley Martyniuk is working for Youth
Villages as a senior foster care counselor in
Columbia, TN. She received her MSW from
University of Milwaukee in 2013.
Michael Witzke is currently working for
Lutheran Social Services Foster Care. He is
pursuing his masters for social work through
St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.
first social work position at
Bethany St. Josephs Care
Center working with the
population she loves.
Kyra Lollis is working at
La Crosse County with Integrated Support
and Recovery Services.
Brooke Murdock passed her social
work exam and became
certified in July.
Tiffany Young is working
at Logistics Health.
Jenni Moris is working at Family and Children’s Center in La Crosse as a case manager
social worker.
http://www.viterbo.edu/sowk
 Update Alumni Records — stay in touch!
Marriage, birth, address/phone changes,
employment, awards
 Field Agencies — linked
 Alum interviews — video clips
 Social Work—webpage
Viterbo University
900 Viterbo Drive
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: 608-796-3097
Fax: 608-796-3050
Email: [email protected]