On Nov. 13, four UW-La Crosse employees will be honored the La Crosse Center’s South Hall Ballroom by the YWCA for the 2014 Outstanding Women Award. The honorees from UW-L are Andrea G. Hansen, an activist for Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Jennifer Kosiak, a professor of mathematics, Janie Morgan, a UW-L alum with a degree in psychology as well as a master’s degree in education professional development, and Barbara Stewart, the UW-L associate dean for Campus Climate and Diversity.

Hansen has been a Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies activist and educator for over 30 years. She holds a master’s degree in sociology from Iowa State University, and some of her initial focus in her career was on battered women. She took this focus to the next level by being part of several battered women and rape crisis movements from 1980-1993.

Hansen said that the most fulfilling part of her career is being the director for the Self-Sufficiency Program (SSP), which is a pre-college program that supports low-income single parents that wish to attend college.

“The Self-Sufficiency Program brings our department’s scholarship and learning into the community to make a difference in women’s lives. We know that when women have access to higher education, the whole family benefits. Their children are more likely to go to college, and the community benefits as well,” said Hansen.

Hansen attributed the great amount of success in her career to the connections that she has created and been a part of throughout her life as well as the relationships she has with many different people.

Hansen also encouraged young women to truly know themselves and to know the world that they live in. She remarked that if young women stay in tune to what they love in life and then seek to be a part of the projects, opportunities, and experiences that give them joy and meaning, then they will be successful not only in college, but in life as a whole.

Kosiak, another one of the outstanding women being honored by the YWCA, is a highly accomplished mathematics professor at UW-L. She said the most fulfilling part of her job is seeing all of her students be successful in her classes, and then watching former students of hers utilize her teachings in their math classes. She also stated that she loves watching her students have “aha” moments when in comes to finally understanding difficult concepts.

Kosiak encouraged young women to set high goals for themselves and to surround themselves with people who will support them in achieving their goals.

“To me, working with colleagues and students has been very rewarding, and I would not have gotten this far in my career without their support,” Kosiak said.

trees and rocks. Whether teams of students or single detectives piecing together the clues, students have enjoyed their search.

Klinkosh noted how much beauty the campus has to offer, which she sometimes misses on the way to class.  A college targeted toward people who enjoy nature, rich history and a solid community atmosphere, UW-L manages to bring people together and strengthen relationships.

Although the mystery of this year’s medallion has been recovered this past week, Quarberg hoped the tradition that has been going strong since 2012 can continue on for many more years to come.