HOW UWM HELPS STUDENTS WHO ARE PARENTS SUCCEED YOUNG ALUM CARVES A PERSONAL ROLE IN JOURNALISM

When Nyesha Stone graduated from UWM in 2018 with her degree in journalism, advertising and media studies, she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to go into traditional newspaper journalism, and jobs were scarce.

When she arrived on the UWM campus, Justice Grau was pregnant with her son, Jaxson. Grau knew the importance of obtaining a degree, but also understood that this wouldn’t be an easy accomplishment.

“We don’t have family in Milwaukee, and we were new to the area,” Grau said. “I knew I would need support navigating higher education as a firstgeneration student and soon-to-be parent.” She found her answer at UWM through the Life Impact program, which transitioned into the Student Parent Success Program in 2021.

With the support those programs provided, Grau earned her bachelor’s degree in community education, then graduated in December 2022 with a master’s degree in cultural foundations of community engagement and education, as well as a certificate in racial and social justice in education.

The Student Parent Success and Life Impact programs were invaluable to her. “Whenever I was having a hard day, juggling all my responsibilities as a firstgeneration student parent, their offices were always open,” Grau said. “It made me feel seen and recognized. I don’t think I would have graduated without that support, to be honest.”

Jaxson is now 4 years old, and Grau works for the American Civil Liberties

Union as

a community engagement director.

The Life Impact program started in 2005 as a collaboration with the Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation and was originally a pilot program serving a select group of undergraduate parents. Today, the Student Parent Success Program is open to all 1,300 of UWM’s student parents, including undergraduate, graduate and international students.

The program “provides students an opportunity to connect with their parenting peers and receive individualized support from program staff when needed,” said Rachel Kubczak, the program’s director.

At UWM, Grau found that the School of Education’s program in community education matched her interests. She particularly remembers the support she received from Agnes Williams, lecturer in educational policy and community studies. “She was my first-ever Black woman teacher in my entire life,” Grau said. “She was so supportive. It was so encouraging to see someone that looks like you and understands.”

These days, Grau makes a point of telling other parents about her own experiences at UWM. “I want to let people know they can feel supported as I felt supported when I found UWM’s program.”

– Kathy Quirk

So she launched her own communications business, Carvd N Stone, even before she graduated. It has been successful enough that Stone is providing scholarships to help other young creatives.

Stone started Carvd N Stone in 2017 as a news company. Initially, she began posting features to her website, much like a blog, that emphasized positive stories. “People ask why, and I say, ‘Why are we OK with the way news is right now? Why do we accept news as just focusing on the negative when news is just getting information out?’”

In 2020, Carvd N Stone expanded to offer marketing services. “A lot of people need help with the media,” she said. “They don’t know how to connect with the media.”

She started relatively small, providing news releases and newsletters, and has since added social media, campaigns and commercials. Along the way, she’s developed an impressive list of clients, including Safe & Sound, Quad/Graphics and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. She also serves on the board of the Milwaukee Press Club.

“What’s cool is I’m Black and I’m young. Most PR companies are white-male driven, so they don’t have the perspective that I have,” Stone said. “Since I started in college, I’ve been doing something in journalism every single day for six years. I tell people, in order to get better at something, you’ve got to keep doing it. Be consistent and don’t give up on yourself.”

– Kathy Quirk