Hi, I’m Derek from Port Edwards, Wisconsin. I moved to the Chippewa Valley area for my undergrad and loved the area so much I didn’t want to leave! In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my friends playing volleyball (sand or court), hanging out with my family back home, and I am a huge horror movie fan. You can often find me building puzzles with a movie in the background or being active in whatever ways I can.
Advice for a new student:
Step out of your comfort zone and join some clubs and organizations on campus. The friends I have made through them have stuck with me ever since my first year and I can’t imagine life without them. My personal favorites were being a tour guide and playing club volleyball.
College Major/Minor:
I graduated with a Biology Degree with Pre-Professional Health Studies toward PA school and Health Professions Spanish minors.
Why did you choose your major?
My whole life I’ve always wanted to help people in whatever way I can. As I grew up, I really enjoyed learning about the human body and the ways it operates, plus my mom was a nurse and she inspired me to follow the medical path.
What do you love most about UW-Stout?
The thing I love about Stout is all the opportunities for hands on learning that are available to students. Working here allows me to highlight that and so much more to prospective students and families.
My favorite thing to do in Menomonie is…
Walk around by the water and eat at different local restaurants.
A random fact about me...
I grew up on a hobby farm and have seven chickens and three sheep back home.