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Senior journalism student 

Sabrina Adkins-Schuck at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. (Photo by Mike Dorsher)

By Andy Karr
UW-Eau Claire Journalism Seminar Student
Wednesday, May 15, 2002 


Senior Sabrina Adkins-Schuck isn’t married, but with her hyphenated last name, people assume she is all the time. Take last summer for example. One co-worker saw Adkins-Schuck’s name on a time card and said, “I didn’t know you were married.” The common confusion doesn’t bother Adkins-Schuck. She’s used to it. 

Her hyphenated name actually comes from taking the last name of her stepfather, who adopted her. Adkins-Schuck 
decided to add his name to the name of her natural father. 

“My real dad is my father, but my stepdad is my dad,” she said, using “dad” to indicate her stepfather’s strong presence in her life. 

“He was the one who was just there.” 

Adkins-Schuck wanted to use her stepfather’s name to show her bond to him. At the same time, though, she didn’t want to shun her natural father by dropping his last name. The resulting hyphenation has lead to the confusion about her marital status ever since. 

While marriage isn't yet a part of Adkins-Schuck's life, graduation soon will be. Originally from Radisson, she is in her final year at UW-Eau Claire and plans to graduate next December. Though she majors in print journalism, Adkins-Schuck doesn’t necessarily see herself going into the field. After graduation she may opt to attend law school, something that has always interested her, with a possible focus on criminal law. 

“I think criminal would be more interesting than corporate or contract law,” she said. “It would be interesting if I were a prosecutor to try to make the links (from the defendant) to the crime,” she said. 

Adkins-Schuck also might explore the possibility of writing for a magazine if she doesn’t go to law school. Whatever she ultimately decides, she doesn’t see herself working for a daily newspaper. She sees magazines as allowing for more creative freedom. 

“I’m more of a magazine writer,” she said.“I like when you can have more of an opinion. Most news stories, unless you’re writing opinion, have to be objective.” 

In her spare time, Adkins-Schuck enjoys hanging out with friends, running and playing intramural volleyball, even though her intramural volleyball team started off the season with a loss. She recalls one play during the first game where one team member she describes as the team “spiker” watched a ball sail up into the air. But rather than spiking the ball, he stood in place and the falling ball hit him in the head. 

“He didn’t even realize the ball was on our side,” she said. 

Though her volleyball team may need to work on some of its skills, Adkins-Schuck said she doesn’t mind as she only plays to have fun. 

One of her favorite college memories is spring break last year when she and a group of friends drove from Eau Claire to San Antonio, Texas. One day the group chose to drive across the border into Mexico to go bar-hopping. Along the way, they saw a sign alerting motorists of a nearby prison and advising they not pick up hitchhikers. 

“It was just funny that they would need to warn people about it,” she said, “like there were a lot of escapees or something.” 

The group avoided giving rides to strangers and went on to have fun bar-hopping and exploring Texas on the rest of their vacation. Adkins-Schuck said she’s looking forward to graduation, but she knows she’ll miss her friends when she’s done. 

“I think I’ll miss the people more than the classes.”