How getting involved helps UW-Oshkosh students find home

The first week at UW-Oshkosh can feel full of possibilities and for new students, it also can feel like a lot to figure out at once.

There are classes to find, routines to learn and people to meet. There also are chances to get involved, from student organizations and campus jobs to teams, traditions and events happening across UWO.

For a group of recent graduates who were part of the UW-Oshkosh cheer team, the advice to new Titans is simple: try something, keep showing up and pay attention to the places that make campus feel more like home.

Through cheer, they found close friendships, confidence and a place to belong.

"You're exhausted. You have homework. Too bad, you have cheer," said Thea Bender, a business administration graduate from Madison. "But that was two hours with your friends to hang out. Without that now, I miss my friends a little more."

A place to belong

For new students, finding community might not happen all at once. For the former teammates, it happened over time through the everyday parts of being involved.

Practices, games and competitions gave the group a routine, but the relationships are what stayed with them.

For McKenna Kane, a nursing graduate from Menomonee Falls, that support is what made the team feel different.

"There was a comfort that came with walking into the room with all your teammates," Kane said. "It was immediate, like an invisible hug. It was like, I had a horrible day or I was having trouble with so and so, but these were my girls. I knew they had my back."

Memories beyond the big moments

The group had plenty of big memories, including reaching finals at nationals during their sophomore year.

"At nationals, it was a whole different league," said Elizabeth Munz, an arts and science graduate from Windsor. "There were teams from the South, teams where that was literally why girls were going to college. And then we were going up against them and we didn't even have a coach. The fact that we made it to finals that year was a moment I will never forget."

But their advice to new students is to pay attention to the smaller moments too.

"Don't take the practices for granted," Bender said. "Every day, you're like, I had a long day. I have a two hour practice. Then you look back and those are your best memories."

Let UWO become yours

As a new year begins, the former cheerleaders hope new Titans give themselves the chance to find their own version of that.

Try something. Meet people. Come back again. Notice where you feel supported.

For them, cheer became the place that gave them confidence, memories and friendships that lasted beyond graduation.

"I've built friendships with all these girls that I know will last a lifetime," Trautner said. "That means everything to me."

Learn more:

New students can explore ways to get involved at UW-Oshkosh by visiting Rec Fest and Titan Fest during the first week of school or by learning more here about student clubs and organizations.

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