UWL Campus Connection: From Intern to Employee (Madeline Geszvain)

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UWL marketing alumni build careers, community in La Crosse

Across Wisconsin, communities are facing the challenge of retaining young professionals after graduation.

In La Crosse, UWL alumni are showing how that challenge can be turned into an opportunity. By building connections during internships and finding fulfilling work at local organizations, recent UWL graduates are choosing to stay and invest their talents right here in the Driftless Region.

For three marketing alumni - Hayden Knoll, '23, McKenna Bladl, '24, and Madeline Geszvain, '23 - the transition from students to professionals happened seamlessly.

Madeline Geszvain Highlight:

For Geszvain, mentorship played a pivotal role in her decision to intern, and ultimately work full time, at Dairyland Power Cooperative. It was her UWL marketing professor, Nese Nasif, who encouraged her to apply.

"Professor Nasif's confidence in my abilities and guidance was instrumental in shaping my decision," Geszvain says. "It's clear that I wouldn't be in my current full-time position at Dairyland without her encouragement."

During her internship, Geszvain supported the member services team, contributing to communications, events and outreach to Dairyland's cooperative members. The experience opened her eyes to the importance of utilities in powering communities.

"I found the utility industry to be far more fascinating than I had expected," Geszvain says. "What resonated with me most was the sense of purpose behind the work we do - powering communities and supporting member cooperatives."

Now, as an event coordinator, Geszvain helps organize everything from internal meetings to Dairyland's 500-attendee Annual Meeting. Just months into her role, she assisted with the planning for President Joe Biden's 2024 visit to a Dairyland member cooperative.

"This unique opportunity allowed me to collaborate with the White House staff and Secret Service, which is a milestone I never imagined achieving so early in my professional journey," Geszvain says.

For Knoll, Bladl and Geszvain, the decision to stay in La Crosse reflects more than professional opportunity. It's also a commitment to giving back to the community where they studied, grew and built connections.

"I'm grateful UWL prepared me not just for a job, but for a career that feels meaningful," Bladl says.