Academic Adviser
Contact Information:
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
226 Schofield Hall
Phone: 715.836.3487
Fax: 715.836.4939
e-mail: matsonsb@uwec.edu
Duties:
I help new freshman during Orientation, and work with “undeclared” students throughout the year. I also teach a Career Exploration course each semester.
Background:
I was born in Eau Claire, WI., but left at an early age for the wild west. Along the way I have lived in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Denver, and finally ended up in Missoula, Montana. That is the place I call home. I completed my BA in Psychology from the University of Montana in 1982, and received a MA in Counseling with an emphasis in Higher Education from the University of Colorado-Denver in 1991. I currently live in Eau Claire with my husband, Steve Majstorovic, who also works here at the university. We have two children-- Shane, a urologist in residence at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and Sofia, studying Art History at UW Madison.
Past Employment:
1990-1991 University of Colorado-Boulder, Career Services Intern
1995-1997 Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA Learning Skills Center
1997-1999 Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, High School Program
2000 - present University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Student Services Coordinator
Interests:
I find lots to fill my time; I like to cook, and garden. I am currently trying to maintain a rather wild small piece of land my home is on which is a bit of a challenge! I love to do most things outdoors, and to be as active as possible. Skiing is my #1 love, either kind, and I like to run, bike, hike, and camp. When I do put my feet up, I love a good mystery — Dashiel Hammet and PD James, to name a few.
Were you undeclared?
I was an undeclared student until I was a junior. They told me I had to decide, and I looked back on what I had the most credits in, and majored in Psychology. Not the best way to make a decision. I try to have that be a lesson in how not to decide on a major for the students I work with. But it ended up being the right one for me. I am interested in what makes people tick, and psychology is a great way to learn about behavior. It is also a great major to learn about how research is done and how to draw conclusions and make hypotheses based on data. A skill I use all the time!
Something fun!
Since I left the Rocky Mountains, I have had to do more X-country skiing than downhill. I now love it just as much as downhill skiing—a totally different kind of challenge! What I love most about it is the quiet, and how you can really feel how it challenges your entire body. There are many great places to X country ski in Wisconsin, and Eau Claire. I participate in the American Kortelopet / Birkebeiner in Cable, WI held every year, just a few hours from Eau Claire, with almost 8000 participants from all over the world. It is a famous marathon ski race with history and meaning for many of the Norwegians in the upper Midwest. An event not to be missed!
