Lifestyle

Like the last vestiges of winter giving way to spring, graduation is an annual rite of passage in Wisconsin. As our staff developed The Wisconsin 100’s Education Issue, we decided the best way to showcase the feelings, thoughts and hopes that accompany graduation season should come from recent and upcoming graduates themselves.

St. Norbert College student-athlete Fiona Hehir will be entering the workforce as an elementary teacher after graduating this May. During her time at SNC she played for the women’s soccer team, where she learned soft skills like time management and organization, built strong relationships and eventually found a familial unit on campus – something Hehir values.

In the fall of 2016, Emma Baumgart, Corporate Communications ’18, found her dream career path thanks to a new major offered at Marquette University. The Environmental Studies major allowed Baumgart to combine her creative, communications-focused interests with her passion for environmental issues.

There’s no place like home … or at least that is what Notre Dame graduate Rachel Lauterbach believes.

Shuyi Wong, 24, is a graduating senior at Marquette University from Malaysia. The hefty doses of snow and freezing temperatures presented some personal challenges but did not stop her growing affection for Milwaukee.

This May, about 2 million college graduates nationwide will enter the workforce. While many seek different cities offering new opportunities, Marquette University senior Brendan Flanagan is looking in the city he’s called home as an undergrad.

Each semester, Branigan Communications welcomes an intern to the team to assist with a variety of tasks and experience agency life. It’s always rewarding to see how students progress during this preview of life in the “real world.”

In 1973, the National Trust for Historic Preservation established May as Preservation Month. Whether it’s the first place you traveled to or a landmark that reminds you of home, Preservation Month encourages people to share stories of the places that are significant to them and their communities.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway opened this month to alleviate flooding along the Mississippi River in New Orleans. This is the twelfth time the spillway has opened in its 80-year history.

Wisconsin ice rinks and ski hills are capitalizing on Olympic fever.

Water slides, roller coasters and other entertainment venues still dominate the Wisconsin Dells, but youth sports is a growing niche for the kitschy tourist destination.

Chasing the ever-elusive work-life balance? Consider a move to Madison. The state capital ranked No. 1 on a recently released list of the top 25 cities in the United States with the best work-life balance.

She shocked the world taking gold for Team USA, and Kikkan Randall’s becoming a household name. Alaskans have long known, though, about Kikkan’s grace, infectious positive attitude and dedication to helping others.

Feed the Children distributed its 1 millionth H.E.L.P. (Homeless Education and Literacy Program) backpack with community partner support. H.E.L.P promotes school attendance and completion across the nation.

In 2015, Eau Claire saw an estimated economic impact of $35.6 million from five major music festivals, one of those being Eaux Claires, a two-day music and arts festival started by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National.

Every five years, thousands of bikers roll into Milwaukee for Labor Day weekend to attend Harley-Davidson’s Anniversary Celebration, bringing many new faces and business into town. This year marks the 115th anniversary, and the company is preparing for an expected 100,000 visitors between Aug. 29-Sept. 2.

Each September, more than 2,500 athletes and 3,500 volunteers converge in Madison for IRONMAN Wisconsin — a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, 112-mile bike ride into rural Dane County and 26.2-mile run through downtown Madison.

For entrepreneur Amanda Santoro, time has proven to be the biggest challenge since launching her organic baby food label in June 2017.

Meet Millie, the Canine Concierge greeting guests and helping make the Hilton Milwaukee City Center feel like home for business travelers.

Hotel Madrid’s Spanish influence carries over into its Bodegon restaurant, where the rustic cuisine of Spain takes center stage — with a few delicious surprises.

As a global communications VP for Johnson Controls, Betty Arndt logged lots of frequent flyer miles — nearly 30 trips a year, a third of those international. Now retired, she continues her world travels with husband, Tom.

If you’re a seasoned traveler to Milwaukee and think you’ve done it all, try one of these activities just a bit off the beaten path.

How do you put 25 years of stories into words? Sometimes, you can’t. That’s how Giving Gallery: Community in Process, a first-of-its-kind art exhibit, came to be.

It’s street food in Thailand — rolled ice cream made on an iced grill, topped with fruits or sweets. Find it at Rollicious Creamery and Fro-zone. Just look for the long lines.

2018 will be a fitting year for our state motto, “Forward,” with exciting developments and productions ahead. Here are four of the biggest:

For a new team in a new arena, in a city without professional basketball since 1987, everything is a first. For the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate who opened Oshkosh’s Menominee Nation Arena in December, the first challenge is building a culture from a fluid roster of Bucks assignees, draft picks and journeymen.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/247883410

Every year is full of milestones and reasons for excitement. Here is a sampling of what the team at Branigan Communications is looking forward to in 2018:

There’s often a temptation to bow out of rigorous training during the winter months. Here are three ways to keep up the momentum:

Ancient Babylonians created the concept of New Year’s resolutions 4,000 years ago. But it was Julius Caesar who established January, named for Janus, the two-faced god, as the beginning of the new year on the calendar. Janus had one face looking forward to the future and one looking backward reflecting on the past.