Editor’s note: People of UW is a human interest series produced by features associates. The series — published online and on our social media accounts — aims to highlight a student at the University of Wisconsin making an impact on the campus community. These Q&As are lightly edited for clarity and style.
Evi Radcliffe
Evi Radcliffe embodies next-level diligence by participating in three different organizations and working a job, all while maintaining a high level of performance as a student. Participating in various extracurriculars, such as A Moment of Magic and Women in Finance and Accounting, has propelled her to no longer wait for change, but instead help create the change she seeks.
Tell us about yourself.
I am currently a sophomore in the School of Business, double majoring in real estate and finance. I am involved in the club’s Women in Finance and Accounting, Badger Volunteer and am in an executive position on A Moment Of Magic. Also, I have a job at our local grocery store, Madison Fresh.
I am pursuing finance because I want to help people and it lets me talk to people, which I enjoy and excel at. Also, I am in finance and real estate because I want to change the current narrative of business and help people in a genuine way, rather than just for economic gain. In the future, I hope to be a CEO or CFO of a company, especially since I like to live by the saying, “go big or go home.” With such an important position, I would focus the company’s efforts on volunteering and bettering the community to have a positive and productive impact on others and the surrounding area.
What are the organizations you’re involved in?
I am involved in Women in Finance, which is a group that helps women get exposed to the finance world, learn skills needed for success and provides networking opportunities. Career-wise, it’s a super helpful and beneficial club to be involved in. For Badger Volunteers, I work with a team of students and an organization called the Empowered Caregiver Community where we are working to support and give back to family caregivers. We put on podcasts and take part in workshops with the intention of uplifting caregivers in our community. Lastly, I am involved in a group named A Moment of Magic (AMOM), where we work with organizations like Make-A-Wish to help support and improve the quality of life of hospitalized kids. It’s an unbelievably rewarding club to be a part of, I get to be hands-on and meet people and, most importantly, I get to see the “magic” actually happen. We do walks to raise awareness and help aid our cause, and we have superhero parties and video calls with the kids we are supporting.
How have these experiences altered your perception of leadership and what it means to help people?
The organizations have exposed me to new connections I wouldn’t normally connect with, exposed me to different perspectives and gotten me out of my comfort zone, which I think are all things that are necessary to experience before becoming a leader. I honestly threw myself into getting involved in the organizations, and although I have had to work hard to get to where I am now, I am so thankful I did. I love being so involved, the orgs have helped me become more inclusive and compassionate for others and opened my eyes to various forms of empathy.
How do you balance everything you are involved in?
It is definitely a challenge. What personally helps me to balance everything is writing down everything in my planner and staying consistently on top of what I have going on, on a daily basis. Also, going to the gym and maintaining an optimistic mindset motivates me to work hard and hold myself accountable.
Who inspires you?
My mom, Tammy. She has been through so much and yet always finds a way to be giving and caring to everyone. Also, my roommate Faith, who is my best friend. She is super confident and consistently pushes me to be better because she wants to see me succeed.
Why do you think organizations like the ones you are involved in are essential to college campuses?
To start, WIFA is so career-oriented, which I think is super beneficial in a lot of ways. Personally, I came from a small town so I lacked a platform to be exposed to different opportunities, but because of WIFA, I now have that platform and exposure which have furthered my career immensely. For example, through WIFA I’ve gone to Chicago twice, where we toured different businesses and offices and just got to see into a potential future for ourselves, which is unbelievably valuable. There are countless beneficial aspects to the organizations I’m involved in; the exposure, the resources, the networking, they all offer me the tools I need for success.
Because of the abundance of organizations and opportunities, you can get involved in here, I have found that I feel, and now know, that I can make a change if I want to. With how big our university is, I’ve found that you don’t have to compromise what you stand for or what you want to do for others, you are allowed to be true to yourself and can act on it too! I can’t emphasize enough how important and essential the types of organizations I’m involved in are for colleges to have them, and I hope students take the utmost advantage of the resources their school offers them.
Any advice you’d like to give to other students?
Madison sets you up for success. If you want something, you just need to put in the effort and work, and you can make whatever you want to happen. From my personal experience, the clubs I’ve been in are one of those things that you don’t know you need to experience until you experience it. So with that, act rather than react! Talk to people and research online things you are interested in, and then find a club and join it. Get out of your comfort zone and experience things that open your eyes. Getting involved makes you more well-rounded and compassionate, two things that are so important and necessary at this time in our lives. And most importantly, be genuine and kind, and people will remember you and do the same!
