Alumni Spotlights

Alumni Spotlights Alumna gives backBY SERVING AND MENTORING OTHERS

Margarita Avila ’12 immigrated to the United States from Durango, Mexico at the age of 14. Her parents, grocery store owners, didn’t have the opportunity for higher education and wanted to make sure all four of their children received the best education to ensure their success, which would mean leaving their hometown in Mexico.

Jesús Avila ’01 is Margarita’s eldest sibling. He had graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with a degree in chemistry and was working in Madison, Wisconsin, when he suggested to his parents that Margarita could stay with him while she pursued her education in the United States. With her parents’ blessing, Margarita moved to Wisconsin where Jesús, 11 years her elder, took on the role of parenting her. Margarita fondly remembers those years. She said although it was not easy, she learned to become more independent, and her brother made sure she stayed grounded in her faith. They spent their Sundays together, which always included attending church.

Margarita’s sister Nancy Avila ’08 graduated from WLC with a degree in business. As a senior in high school, Margarita visited Nancy at WLC and even participated in an overnight event where she got to experience what it would be like to be a Warrior. Margarita shared: “I had a great time. I got to meet so many incredible people. I loved the environment. I knew then that I would also attend WLC.”

During her time on campus, Margarita was blessed with great mentors. She appreciated that the faculty and staff were Christian servant leaders, as modeled by the Divine Servant statue on the campus quad. Christian servant leadership impacts how Margarita approaches her career today, “The statue is a great symbol and what I think of when I remember my time at WLC. We should think of ourselves as servant leaders and stewards, not bosses or CEOs. We need to set good examples and be role models.”

As a communicative arts major, Margarita took many classes taught by Amanda Retberg ’95, a professor in the Communication Department at that time. Retberg stressed to Margarita the importance of being professional in all you do. “I learned so much in her classes. She was a great mentor and instructor. She was always there to answer questions.”

Margarita earned credits toward her WLC degree with an internship at ESPN in Milwaukee. She learned a lot, became a sports fan, and was even promoted to a new role during the experience. Margarita met many people and expanded her network through the events she was able to attend during her internship. She was ultimately offered a position to work for ESPN after graduation in a sales role, but decided a better fit would be with MiVoz. com. Margarita put to use the marketing, social media, and public relations skilled she learned at WLC to help the online community calendar company thrive in Milwaukee and expand to Chicago.

At WLC, Margarita was a student worker for Pathways to College, a program for firstgeneration college students and their families. A connection from that position networked Margarita to her next career move. Margarita followed mentor Azure’De Williams from Pathways to College to the American Heart Association. Margarita began as an administrative assistant and worked her way up to a director within three years.

After a stint in real estate, Margarita was encouraged by her brother Jesús to consider a position with the Latino Academy of Workforce Development in Madison. She applied and now two years later is their director of workplace development.

The position seems to be a perfect fit and has brought her full circle from where she began. “I love the mission and love what I do. I develop, identify, and provide meaningful opportunities for stronger education and training tracks that lead to sustainable employment for Latino Academy’s participants,” shared Margarita. “I provide the same resources to Latinos in my community that I needed when I immigrated to the U.S. I connect people to resources, new employment opportunities, continuing education, and support them in their new journey professional and personally.”

Just as Margarita has been blessed with mentors in her life, she enjoys mentoring others. She is a volunteer within the Latinos Professional Association (LPA) in Madison. The organization’s mission is to cultivate a community that inspires, develops, and empowers Latino professionals to pursue success. During Hispanic Heritage Month, Margarita was one of four Latino leaders from LPA who were recognized by The Capital City Hues newspaper in their article titled Yo Soy LPA. Her mentoring was also highlighted in the September issue of Brava Magazine.

WLC ALUMNI CONTRIBUTE TO WORLD-CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

During last season’s NBA Championship run, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday competed on the court, but the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks’ winning team also included WLC alumni Andrew O’Herron ’15, Anthony Rodriquez ’17, and Josh Schedler ’06.

Andrew started with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015. Today, he is a group sales account executive who not only sells a wide variety of ticket packages, but also focuses on organizing and facilitating large group outings and events like the Bucks Youth Basketball and Bucks Band programs, as well as Public Safety Night for first responders. Anthony, who has been with the Milwaukee Bucks for four years, is an account sales executive. He connects companies with experiences inside Fiserv Forum that help enhance and create long lasting relationships with their clients and employees.

Josh served the Milwaukee Bucks for 18 years, of which 14 years were in sales. As a premium sales manager, he helped create the team’s home court advantage by filling up Fiserv Forum with fans. His focus was on premium spaces including the suites, lofts, club spaces, and courtside seating.

The three WLC graduates felt well prepared for their roles within the Milwaukee Bucks organization.

Andrew shared: “I walked in to WLC for the first time as a brighteyed, immature teenager who still had a lot of growing up to do. I walked out with a résumé I was proud of and a confidence I’d never had before. The real world would have been a major shock to me if WLC had not prepared me the way it did. We were held to a higher standard, not just as students, but as leaders. Whether it was in the classroom, on the basketball court, or even in social settings, my professors and coaching staff always challenged me to keep learning, growing, and improving.”

Anthony added: “As a communication major, I spent a majority of my time in college presenting in front of others. Classes like Communication and Gender, Professional Communication, and Communication and Conflict are examples where the material was directly applicable to my daily life as a salesman communicating with clients and team members in the office.”

Josh noted: “WLC not only gave me a quality education with a degree in business management and a minor in communication, but more than anything it was the servant leader mentality that I value the most, which has allowed me to help both customers and teammates grow and develop.”

The three WLC grads were not even born when the Milwaukee Bucks won their first National Championship in 1971, so it had to be an unforgettable experience to be a part of the excitement in 2021.

Andrew said: “I won’t ever forget all the love and support the team got from the city this past summer. The Bucks logo was everywhere; we painted the town green. Having the opportunity to travel to Atlanta to watch a crucial road playoff game was incredibly memorable. The energy around Game 6 in Milwaukee was unreal. Having an opportunity to then celebrate with colleagues, friends, and family members who fought through some dark days, I will never take for granted. Sharing a parade float with colleagues I have the utmost respect for was nothing short of surreal. Ultimately, I will never forget the people I had by my side along the way.”

Anthony shared: “I, too, will never forget how crazy of an experience it was being part of the parade. Being able to ride the float, cruising downtown and seeing all the people gathered around to celebrate what the team accomplished, and throughout the crowd I was able to actually spot friends and teammates from WLC all sharing the experience.”

Josh concluded: “The NBA Championship run offered enough drama to write a book about. To think we climbed out of a global pandemic and went from zero fans in the stands all the way to welcoming hundreds of thousands of faithful fans flocking to the Deer District as we rode down Wisconsin Avenue on a parade float with confetti filling the sky. I feel truly blessed to be part of a historic climb from one of the bottom three teams in the NBA in both basketball and business ops to being at the top of the world in both!”

Andrew O'Herron ’15

Anthony Rodriguez ’17 “WLC not only gave me a quality education with a degree in business management and a minor in communication, but more than anything it was the servant leader mentality that I value the most.” - Josh Schedler ’06