Aaron Wingad
- Eau Claire and Rice Lake, Wis.
- Biochemistry and molecular biology major
- What's next: Working for a year in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., as the recipient of a Truman-Albright Fellowship
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Aaron Wingad achieved a couple of impressive firsts during his time at UW-Eau Claire: When he graduates May 21 with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, he will leave the university with the distinction of being its first Truman Scholar and the first UW-Eau Claire student to serve on the UW System Board of Regents.
Wingad, who was born in Eau Claire and grew up in Rice Lake, was one of 60 students from 54 U.S. colleges and universities selected as 2010 Truman Scholars. The scholarship provides up to $30,000 for graduate study as well as leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and internships within the federal government.
In addition to his work as a regent, Wingad has served in numerous leadership positions at UW-Eau Claire. He was director of the Student Academic Affairs Commission, a student senator, a member of several administrative search committees, co-founder and president of the student organization PHD: Progress on Health Disparities, a teaching and research assistant, and a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee. He also volunteered at the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic and in health clinics in rural areas in Mexico.
After graduation, Wingad will work for a year in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., as the recipient of a Truman-Albright Fellowship. After the fellowship he will pursue a doctorate in public health policy at the University of Cambridge in England.
More on Aaron Wingad
A UW-Eau Claire person, class or project that's had the most impact on his life: The experience that has affected me the most is not a class or person. On the contrary, it was my experience in the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate. I really enjoy my major and my time in the classroom, but I realized early on that I didn’t want my college career to end there. I took a chance and applied for an open spot on the Student Senate. I was appointed and then elected as a student senator for the next 2½ years. During this time, I found another passion of mine. I found out how rewarding it is to work with peers to solve real-life problems. It was exciting to me because the problems were complex and every day there was something new. These experiences changed my course in life. I entered UW-Eau Claire as a pre-med student, but I’ve realized that I want to combine my interests and pursue a career in public health policy. But that’s what college is about: opening your eyes to who you are and figuring out all the different ways to go where you want in life.
Most memorable highlights of his time at UW-Eau Claire: The friends that I’ve made at UW-Eau Claire will stick with me for the rest of my life. Everyone has been so friendly since the first day I got here. I lived off campus with family and I still found it easy to meet people. With the friends I’ve met here, I’ve traveled around the United States and to other countries. We’ve made trips to California, New Orleans, Mexico, Ecuador and many other places. Ecuador was one of my favorites. We were there testing and treating indigenous communities in the Andes Mountains for Chagas disease. I never thought I would be walking over mountains during my time here at UW-Eau Claire, but I did.
How he defines the UW-Eau Claire Advantage: Opportunity. There are so many opportunities here at UW-Eau Claire to take advantage of. Inside and outside of the classroom, at UW-Eau Claire you can truly make your education everything you want it to be. For example, by showing interest in my first chemistry lab, I was given the chance to research with a professor during my freshman year. This research then led to a publication in a national journal my sophomore year. In addition, because of my involvement in student government, by the end of my freshman year I oversaw the allocation of a multimillion-dollar budget on behalf of students. I did this for two years and then at the end of my junior year, I was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to be a student on the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents is the governing body for the UW System. The board sets all policy, hires the leadership and determines the $5 billion budget for the 26 campuses in the UW System. This has been a remarkable opportunity to push myself to serve in this role and a tremendous learning opportunity. Because of the incredible support and advice from wonderful faculty members and friends, these opportunities have taught me the skills and the confidence to do anything I want in life.
Advice for success to incoming UW-Eau Claire students: Seek out overwhelming situations. I’ve learned that anything really worth doing should feel impossible at the beginning. It is through those experiences, overcoming what I thought was impossible, that I have learned the most and have grown the most as an individual. Just coming to college may seem daunting, and here you will confront challenges seemingly too hard to beat. Dive in. Learn to love the insecurity found in facing the toughest challenges and realize that through the process of overcoming the impossible, you will learn more than you ever could have imagined.
Learn about other May 2011 graduates.
