Before Burke’s speech, Chancellor Debbie Ford welcomed the graduates, their families and guests, noting that this was the first in-person Spring commencement ceremony in three years. “We are together again, the way it should be.” Ford also acknowledged that this is the third consecutive year that a record number of students are eligible to receive their degrees. She credited the university’s Bold Goal to substantially increase the number of UW-Parkside graduates by 2025 – a key element of the university’s 2025 Strategic Framework.

Photo: Front L-R: Members of the Heide family: Paula Heide-Poggenburg, Krista Reck, Kathryn Thompson, Timothy Thompson | Back L-R: UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford, Charles Heide, Jr., UW-Parkside Vice Chancellor for Advancement Willie Jude II

Somers, Wis.-The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has announced a major multi-year gift commitment for student scholarships from the Brookwood Foundation, led by Kenosha’s Heide family.

The C.P. and Anna Heide Scholarship recognizes Christen P. Heide and Anna J. Heide, who were business and civic leaders in Kenosha, beginning in the early 1900s. Their son, Charles H. Heide, Sr., and his wife Kathryn Heide, along with children Kathryn Thompson, Krista Reck, Charles Heide, and Paula Heide-Poggenburg, established the scholarship in 2018, in conjunction with UW-Parkside’s 50^th anniversary, to benefit students with financial need or hardship.

When fully endowed in the UW-Parkside Foundation, the family’s latest commitment will provide multiple, full-tuition scholarships each year, for years to come.

“Our grandfather, C.P. Heide, often said, ‘Work as hard as you can, learn as much as you can, do as much good as you can,’” said Charles H. Heide, Jr. about the family’s commitment. “That philosophy guides our work in the community, particularly our decision to create the scholarship at UW-Parkside. In turn, we hope that it inspires students and gives them the support they need to overcome challenges, achieve their goals, and make a difference in their own community or future profession.”

The relationship between the Heide family and UW-Parkside is long standing, as the university’s campus is located near the Heide property and Hawthorn Hollow in Somers, which is home to the Charles and Kathryn Heide Schoolyard Observatory. This combined stretch of farmland, natural lands, and park land creates a “green oasis” in the community. However, the relationship goes beyond proximity: members of the Heide family are UW-Parkside alumni, and Charles H. Heide, Sr. collaborated with UW-Parkside faculty members on scientific and environmental research.

Read the full story here.

“Kenosha.com’s Mitch Ferraro catches up with Willie Jude II — the Vice Chancellor for Advancement at UW-Parkside — in this week’s edition of “Keeping it Real.”

Watch the interview here.

Chancellor Ford joins president of Gateway Technical College Bryan Albrecht and President John Swallow of Carthage College.

View some of the top stories from UW-Parkside's Spring 2022 Semester including "Chancellor Ford's Congressional Hearing Testimony", "UW-Parkside’s Communication Department receives UW System’s highest honor", "Parkside Day Participants Give and Give Back: A Record Breaking Year", and much more!

The Alan E. Guskin Center for Community and Business Engagement is looking for emerging leaders at UW-Parkside to join the 2022-23 cohorts of the center's local leadership programs. Leadership Kenosha and Leadership Racine are professional development programs that connect participants to community organizations, issues, and leaders in education, business, nonprofit, and government sectors, building their network while developing essential leadership skills. The nine-month program starts in September and applications are due in June. If there is someone in your department whom you would like to recommend (or if you are interested yourself), please reach out to Debra Karp or Amy Garrigan in Community and Business Engagement, by May 31, and they will share the next steps.