UW-Rock County Student Finalist for Alice in Dairyland
By Kristina Recob
UW-Rock County student Ann Marie Ames moved up to the finalists and is now on her way to representing Rock County as Alice in Dairyland.
Upon winning, Alice in Dairyland will have a one–year public relations contract through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). She states, "It's really exciting to represent this county and this school because finalists are more often from UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls or UW-Madison."
Ames was the agriculture reporter for four of the five years she worked at the Janesville Gazette. Currently she is the crime and public safety reporter for the Gazette and is on her way to possibly becoming the 65th Alice in Dairyland.
Ames will be graduating with her associate degree from UW-Rock County this May. Ames is a returning adult student, who said that she “wasn’t ready for college at 18.” She put school on the back burner until she heard about the Right Start Program. This program allows part-time students to take their classes with a mixture of the classes being online and on the campus during a seven-week period. This allows part-time students to get classes done faster. After hearing about the Right Start Program she was interested and was ready to jump back into school and started in 2010.
She chose UW-Rock County because it was close and small, but most of all Ames loves the professors at UW-Rock County. Ames was inspired by her professors because, “They really want you to do well. The professors are not there just because they get paid, they are there because this is a subject they love. When you go into a class and see someone teach you something they love,” said Ames, “it makes the class more interesting.”
Juggling the responsibilities of school, work and the Alice in Dairyland competition, Ames says scheduling her calendar is an “Olympic Event.” When discussing her busy lifestyle she said that, “I couldn’t have done it without my boss and my coworkers. My boss allowed me to have a flexible schedule and my coworkers were there for me when I couldn’t cover a story.” She also stated that UW-Rock County worked with her schedule because there were many classes that she could take that would fit into her busy lifestyle. Overall, Ames’ experience at UW-Rock County and participating in the competition was a good experience, but she states that, “I would never plan it like this again.”
For more information on Alice in Dairyland, visit aliceindairyland.com.
"UW-Rock County is more than buildings and classrooms. It's a support network for my future. I've earned a scholarship each year which helps me pay for my education and shows me that others have faith in me. I love the fact I can get a University of Wisconsin education so affordably and close to home."
Gwen Turner
Janesville
Special Education
"The science faculty at UW-Rock County were excellent and very personable. When I transferred to St. Anthony I impressed myself with how well I was prepared. UW-Rock County 's small size made it easy for me to learn the tough subjects and get to know my professors and advisors on a personal level."
Alisha Woolsey
Janesville
St. Anthony College of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2007
"The UW-Rock County campus feels like a big family. Here I have come out of my shell and met many so many interesting people. The campus is just the right size for getting involved. I love working with fellow students and faculty and staff to plan campus-wide events. I also served on the committee to hire our new dean."
Elise Parrish
President, Student Government Association, 2005-06
Beloit
Communications
"When I decided to enroll and earn my degree I had a lot of questions. The advisors were always patient and helpful. From registration to paying tuition, I can take care of all my university business online. The icing on the cake is that I can now get my bachelor's degree in engineering at UW-Rock County through UW-Platteville's collaborative program!"
Jordon McBride
Milton
Engineering
