Spring is (finally) in the air and there are a number of exciting things happening with WIEA. . .
The new term is off to a great start. Students continue to do good work, engaging with all of the professors in ways that demonstrate academic growth. The classes continue to work well together, with the upperclassmen coming alongside the newer students.
Robin has been invited to do a presentation about the program at this year’s Correctional Education Association Conference in Madison on April 24th. This is significant due to the fact that this is a Midwest regional conference, which allows us to get the WIEA story out to educators around the Midwest!
Alumni Corner
Our Dean of Students, Robin Knoll, has completed the second round of graduate visits. This round included visits with not only 2021 graduates, but also with those who graduated in 2022. The graduates continue to be involved in responsibilities such as tutoring, Chapel Clerks, Library Clerks, Food Service Lead, and additional education opportunities (especially Culinary Arts). A common theme Robin has heard from nearly every graduate is the realization that they had become a family during their four years in school. At a recent visit, graduates from both classes shared that they constantly seek one another out for advice and guidance because they know the journey they were all on together, and the skills and insight they each now carry with them. Many of those who are in positions like tutoring or clerking are realizing that they are now using their psychology education to counsel others as they do their work. One student shared that when he feels frustration over things out of his control, instead of lashing out (old habits) and getting into trouble, he seeks the counsel of a fellow graduate to talk things out.
Meet a Board Member
Bob Koebele - is a volunteer member of the Board of Directors and serves as Treasurer for WIEA. He is a 1980 graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and a minor in Accounting. Personally, Bob owns a financial services firm. In 2017, he was appointed to the Council for Offender Re-entry for the Department of Corrections and the State of Wisconsin, where he continues to serve. Bob has been married to his wife Kris for 42 years and has two sons.
Please join us in prayer
Specific prayer requests:
The application process for the fall 2023 cohort starts in mid-April. We are praying for a full cohort to start in October!
Prayers for the continued focus and discipline of the current students.
Prayers for the program’s graduates, that they would rely on the Lord amidst their continued transition out of the program and that God would continue to place them in positions of influence at their various institutions.