The founder of a national veterans’ service organization and former University of Wisconsin football player Jake Wood will provide a commencement address on the Wisconsin Idea as Badgers prepare to receive their diplomas later this month.
The 2011 senior class officers selected Wood, a UW alum and co-founder of Team Rubicon, to address mid-year the graduates during two ceremonies on Dec. 18 at the Kohl Center.
Senior class president Steve Olikara said while none of the recently established commencement speaker funds were used for the winter ceremonies, officers are currently engaged in searching and contacting top tier speakers for spring commencement.
According to a statement from UW, Wood’s organization, Team Rubicon, provides military veterans a sense of “purpose, community and self worth through volunteer service” through the opportunity to lend their skills working in disaster zones.
Members of the group recently helped with the disaster relief effort after tornadoes devastated the town of Joplin, Mo. in May.
Olikara said class officers were inspired by Wood’s story and that he embodies the Wisconsin Idea through service with his work advocating for veterans.
“The thought was to really inspire winter graduates to live the Wisconsin Idea in their own innovative way after they leave campus,” he said.
Olikara also said the class officers select the commencement speakers for both winter and spring graduates and work with the secretary of the faculty and chancellor to invite the speakers and get final approval.
After graduating from UW in 2005, the statement said Wood served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan as a squad leader and is now advocates nationally on behalf of veterans and the issues they face upon return home from combat.
The statement also said he was also an offensive lineman on the UW football team from 2001 to 2004.
Class officers are also currently in talks to secure a “top tier” commencement speaker for spring, a process Olikara said marks the first time officials have worked with a new structure to engage alumni and have the funds in place to reach out to high profile speakers.
“The one sentiment I reject is that UW-Madison isn’t a good enough university to be recruiting top tier speakers,” Olikara said. “What we do matters to the broader community … our commencement needs to reflect that.”
He also said the commencement speaker fund would be necessary to establish a new “all graduates” event for commencement, which could be catalyzed by securing a world class speaker for graduation.
He added the possibility of an event at Camp Randall is also in talks, but nothing has been firmly decided by the University Committee, who oversees commencement policy.
Olikara said in the past officers did not reach out to top tier speakers with enough advance notice and have not had the structure to engage with alumni while having the funds in place for security, honorarium and other associated costs.
While the speaker for spring graduation is not yet confirmed, he said the individuals officers are in touch with are among the “top speakers in the word.”
Winter commencement ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 at the Kohl Center.
