Personal support, international opportunities sparked nonprofit professional

“I am more than grateful I transferred from UW-Fond du Lac to Ripon and was given the opportunity to grow as an individual,” says Haley Madson ’09 of Ripon, Wisconsin. Madson knew she wanted a bachelor’s degree but did not have a school in mind.

Madson decided to attend UW-Fond du Lac for their guaranteed transfer program to any four-year University of Wisconsin school. After finishing her associate degree, Madson moved to Ripon and learned about the College.

“I looked into my major, class size and credibility of the college, and it was a no-brainer,” she says. “I knew I would get the one-on-one attention I needed from the professors because of small class sizes. This was very important to me as a non-traditional student, who was also expecting her first child.”

The transfer process was easy for Madson, and almost all her credits transferred. “I had the support I needed from the start of the application, through the financial aid process, until the day classes started — and really until the day of graduation!”

“Being a transfer student has its benefits,” Madson says. “Being able to jump right into core classes is great! I never felt like I didn’t fit in or belong because I didn’t start my degree at Ripon College as a freshman.”

Being a transfer student also allowed her to bring new ideas to her classes. “The classes I took had a lasting impact, not just on who I am today but on the career path I chose,” she says. “Professor Joe Hatcher’s Peace Studies course in the rural Blue Mountains of Jamaica changed my outlook on the world and my life. I learned about my passion for international development, global health, and issues of justice and equality.”

After graduation from Ripon, Madson worked for six years for a nonprofit in Jamaica, and three years for the nonprofit Diverse Options. She currently is the volunteer services coordinator for the Department of Social Services of Fond du Lac County.

Find your spark at Ripon College.