…helping her transform the lives of countless veterans.
Returning to the UWGB campus as a non-traditional student in the early 2000s, Elaina Koltz couldn’t help but reflect on the past…with a smile.
“In my history class, we were talking about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989,” Elaina explains. “I had to laugh as I told the class I was there when it happened. It’s pretty sad when you are a part of the history you are studying.”
But reflecting on the past and honoring those responsible for shaping the world is what Elaina Koltz has always done, eventually leading her to a fulfilling career as UWGB’s very own Veteran Certifying Official. This position has allowed Elaina to serve a very special group of non-traditional students–veterans–and Elaina asserts that her UWGB coursework has been vital to her success and the success of these veterans.
“Learning about human development and psychology has helped me in my position, assisting veterans who have been through some hard experiences before returning to school,” Elaina says.
Along the way, Elaina received support of her own in the form of Illene Cupit–one of Elaina’s favorite teachers–who “had lots of enthusiasm,” insisting that, “you could tell she really cared about teaching.” Also providing invaluable guidance was Sarah Meredith Livingston, whose “Women in the Arts” course taught Elaina something entirely new: how to critique art performers and performances.
However, it seems that Elaina Koltz has perfected the art of making veterans feel at home while at UWGB, transforming their lives one at a time.
Name: Elaina Koltz
Grad Year: 2006
Major: Human Development
Minor: Psychology
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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.