As the semester comes to a close, many University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students are preparing for spring commencement on Sunday, May 14. One of those students is The Racquet Press’s social justice reporter, Anna Fischer.

Fischer is a communication studies major with a public advocacy emphasis. Before declaring her current major, Fischer said she wasn’t sure about what she wanted to do. She said she came to UWL undecided, changed to pre-veterinary, and then changed to political science before ultimately deciding on communication studies during her junior year.

“It’s been a journey, but I’m very happy to be graduating,” Fischer said. “I genuinely had no idea. I didn’t know where I wanted to be and there were times where that was stressful. Thankfully I had an amazing adviser who really helped me out. If people reading this are undecided and freaking out right now- it’s so normal.”

Fischer said that communications assistant professor Brandon Anderson was the UWL faculty member who made it possible for her to graduate after four years with all of her major changes. “I was able to get six credits for my internship last summer which is huge,” said Fischer. “My policy is to make sure that you ask questions. If you don’t ask, the answer is always going to be no.”

Fischer also said it was important for her to have a personal support system. She said that her boyfriend and her two roommates know her the best and that it was helpful for her to lean on them because they are experiencing college at the same time as her.

Along with her adviser and personal support system, Fischer is involved in various student organizations on campus and credits them for leading her toward communication studies. “I think it’s better to figure it out as you go and start joining student orgs and getting jobs,” she said.

Fischer is also the president of the communication studies honors society Lambda Pi Eta, and she plays the trumpet in the UWL jazz band. “[Lambda Pi Eta] was definitely the highlight of my time at UWL,” said Fischer. “I felt super involved, and we do a lot of good service projects. We just made cards for Bethany St. Joseph’s residence. It’s a great way to get to know people in the department, and I’ve gotten to dig into my leadership abilities specifically in my major.”

Fischer is a reporter and multimedia journalist at News 8000 WKBT. She said her time at the Racquet has helped with this job and will help her in the future. “This is where I got my first reporting experience, so it was a better experience than I could have asked for. You get so many good workplace skills like proper email etiquette, how to talk to people, and how to improve your writing skills,” she said.

Fischer joined the Racquet Press staff during her sophomore year at UWL. She said her favorite article of hers is “‘The RAs Always Pay the Price’: Former and Current Resident Assistants talk about what really goes on in Res. Life”. “That was a really eye-opening piece especially because I have a lot of friends who are RAs so being able to sit down to learn about what they do and have to go through was really interesting,” she said.

Outside of UWL activities, Fischer said she likes to be outside in the sun. “I really like that La Crosse isn’t flat,” she said. “I came from a flat and ‘boring’ hometown, so having the Bluffs is very different. I like that it’s a chill town. There is a lot to do, but you don’t feel like you have to be somewhere.”

Fischer’s favorite place in La Crosse is Grounded Patio Cafe. She says she likes how its location downtown makes it feel like it’s in the heart of La Crosse. “I feel like when I think of the coffee shop of La Crosse it’s Grounded,” she said. “I always run into people I know there.”

  After graduating in May, Fischer said she is looking forward to having some time to rest. “I’m excited to have some time off!” she said. “I want to relax and apply for jobs. I’m not applying to any at the moment because I’m waiting until the chaos of graduation has passed.”

She said she is planning on applying to news stations to be a multimedia journalist, but she would love to anchor as well. Fischer said she would love to leave the Midwest, but she doesn’t have a specific location in mind. “I’m focusing on the quality of the station and the leadership there because I am learning that that’s the most important in this business. I’m open to anything, but I would love to live somewhere warm year-round,” she said.

Fischer said another life goal of hers after graduating is adopting a cat.

Click here to read Fischer’s articles with The Racquet Press.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Photo taken by Jessica Fitzgerald.