Media Memo
News Bureau . Schofield Hall 201 . Eau Claire, WI 54702
phone: (715) 836-4741
fax: (715) 836-2900

More than 1,000 students will graduate from UW-Eau Claire during the May 22 commencement. Below are short bios of several talented students who will earn their degrees. You’re welcome to contact them if you’re looking for students to feature as part of your commencement coverage.

• Jesse Okiror. Jesse’s parents are UW-Eau Claire alumni who live in Arkansas. A diversity scholar and political science major, he is involved in many campus activities, ranging from intramural athletics to Student Senate to the Spectator. He studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa for a semester and played semi-professional basketball in the Western Cape Basketball Association and National Campus Basketball League. He was an intern in U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s Washington, D.C., office. He’s worked for the Spectator, WUEC radio, Update News and the News Bureau. He was an academic tutor at UW-Eau Claire and a research assistant at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. After graduation, Jesse will work for the Parliamentary Monitoring Group in South Africa, an information service that monitors parliamentary committees. You can contact Jesse at (715) 379-7569 or okirorja@uwec.edu.
• Kristin Yost. A full-time student and music major, Kristin has a piano studio of 22 students. She has been in close to 100 performances as a soloist, accompanist or ensemble member while a student. She was the recipient of the Viennese Ball Ada Bors Music Service Award and the Outstanding Senior Award from music faculty. She received a full-tuition scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she will be a master’s student in piano performance and pedagogy. An active member of the Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity for Women, Kristin held various leadership positions within the organization and received numerous awards for service and leadership. You can reach Kristin at yostkk@uwec.edu.
• Kelly Plathe. Kelly is a geology major who will attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the fall to begin a Ph.D. program in geochemistry. She’ll work with a leading national scholar, has a 5-year funding commitment and will be a teaching assistant for an introductory geology lab. In May, she will present her research at the Joint Assembly of the American and Canadian Geophysical Unions in Montreal. A McNair scholar, Kelly is a first-generation college graduate. You can reach her at plathekl@uwec.edu.
• Kelly McBride. A political science and journalism major, Kelly won the Devroy award (which included a residency at the Washington Post and a summer internship) and is the 2003-04 recipient of the $5,000 Karl Andresen Scholarship, given to a graduating senior who has demonstrated academic excellence. She held many positions at the Spectator, including editor-in-chief, and spent a semester studying in Australia. In the fall, she’ll attend Hamline University’s graduate school to study nonprofit management. You can reach Kelly at mcbridkg@uwec.edu.
• Sarah Schuh. A political science major, Sarah was in many student organizations, including the Student Senate. She was Student Body president, and served on many campus committees, with topics ranging from the student center to orientation to the Viennese Ball. She’s active in community and state initiatives, including the Wisconsin Economic Summit. She studied in Sweden for a semester. An intern in the district attorney’s office, she plans to attend law school in the fall. You can reach Sarah at schuhsm@uwec.edu.

Judy Berthiaume, Director
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu

Updated: December 28, 2004