LaVenia Griffin
LaVenia Griffin, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student who was a little older than other students in her class, felt a little nervous about working on a group project. “I spoke to one of the instructors and she just helped me to realized that I did have a lot to offer.
I had a lot of experience, which could translate into wisdom, and if I just looked at that as strength instead of a weakness, then I would be okay,” Griffin explains.
The instructor was right. Griffin, who received her bachelor’s of business administration degree with concentrations in finance and human resources management in December, completed her degree in less than four years, while working full-time.
Another graduate, Yusef Salameh, who received his bachelor’s degree in education with a focus on early childhood education in December, found his own experiences as the son of immigrants gave him special strengths and insights into the needs of young students who also have immigrant parents.
His mother is from Mexico; his father from Jordan.
“Some of my kids are in the same boat I was in,” says Salameh, who is currently student teaching a diverse group of second and third graders at Horace Mann Elementary in West Allis. “My parents are wonderful people and they really, really cared about education,” says Salameh.
As child, however, he felt his parents couldn’t help him as much as he would have liked because his schoolwork was in English.
Originally from Chicago, Griffin came to UWM after doing some serious soul searching about her career and deciding to prepare herself for the future.
When the company she worked at underwent some major internal reorganizing, she started taking classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Then in her mid-30s, she wanted to develop the skills she felt were necessary to become an employee valued for unique, standout skills. She moved on to UWM through the Panther Tracks program after a discussion with her MATC advisor. “It just seemed like a good idea.”
“My accomplishing this goal and earning my undergraduate degree was definitely a family effort,” says Griffin, a mother of two and grandmother of one, who graduated with a 3.67 GPA. At UWM, she found an area she was passionate about, and is now focused on finding a job in the Chicago area as a recruiter or benefits specialist.
Salameh also found his passion for the field of education at UWM.
A part-time job tutoring youngsters in the SPARK reading program – a partnership involving UWM and the Boys and Girls Club – inspired him to enter the early childhood education program. “It was an amazing experience, watching the students I worked with make progress in learning to read.”
This past year has been a particularly busy one for Salameh. His wife, Angie, is a UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning graduate and a new mom to Zara, the couple’s first child.
He didn’t mind breaking a few stereotypes along the way – he was the only male graduate this December in the early childhood education program.
One of his goals is to become principal of a bilingual public school, helping students from similar backgrounds. Modest about his speaking capabilities, he’s familiar with Arabic and is working on perfecting his Spanish.
“It’s vital that teachers and principals are able to work with young children of different backgrounds, particularly in those early years,” says Salameh.
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