…preparing him for a career that didn’t exist when he was a student.
When Arie DeWaal graduated in 1972, he never dreamed of being a Federal Hydroelectric Licensor because, quite simply, the job didn’t exist. However, thanks to a comprehensive UWGB education, Arie earned the position a few years after graduation and hasn’t looked back.
“UW-Green Bay gave me the footing to succeed,” Arie says. Facilitating this sense of success, Arie cites the leadership and professional knowledge of Don Gandre, Bill Laatch, Bill Kuepper, Jim Murray and Kumar Kangayappan. “UW-Green Bay professors had a genuine interest in their students,” he said.
Arie says he was well prepared and ready for the workforce following graduation. He joined Mead and Hunt, an architectural and engineering firm, in 1975. Shortly after his arrival, he earned the position of Federal Hydroelectric Licensor, a career path created by a burgeoning new industry and a company that he’s proud to serve. As a testament to his leadership and his UWGB education, Arie says Mead and Hunt started small, but he’s helped the company expand to 27 offices and 600 employees. And one of those employees is near and dear to his heart: Arie’s son, Chris, who is following in his footsteps.
Facing an uncertain future, Arie knew that a UWGB education would transform him into a viable candidate for many careers, even those that didn’t yet exist.
Name: Arie DeWaal
Grad Year: 1972
Major: Regional Analysis
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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.