Passing It On
Joe Lillis and Kathy Deuel on Leadership, Learning, and Why Internships Still Matter
Some college experiences stick with you, not because they were fun, but because they quietly changed the way you saw yourself.
That’s what happened for Joe Lillis and Kathy Deuel. They didn’t just find community through the Wisconsin Union Directorate; they found direction, confidence, and each other.
Now, years later, they’re helping create those kinds of opportunities for today’s students through their support of a cross-campus internship program that connects the Wisconsin Union and the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education. It’s personal, purposeful work rooted in the belief that real experience makes a real difference.
As students, both found clarity and confidence through UW–Madison. For Kathy, it was the School of Education that affirmed her calling and prepared her to teach. The coursework, the practicums, and the support, it all translated into a life in the classroom. For Joe, it was the Wisonsin Union programming board, Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD), that first gave him the tools and the trust to lead. Those early experiences organizing programs stayed with him and shaped the way he stepped into leadership in both career and community settings.
That’s why this internship program means so much to them. It’s grounded in the places that helped shape their own stories, and it reflects the kind of support they wish for every student today.
A Story That Brings It to Life
For Emilie W., a School of Education theater production intern with the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT), that support changed everything.
“I had absolutely no idea what to expect coming into this internship,” she said. “I had minimal experience with the technical side of theater, but after a few weeks, I started getting the hang of it. It wasn’t easy. This was my first real experience working in the world of theater, but I was surrounded by supportive and understanding supervisors who helped me figure it out.”
From taking notes at production meetings to coordinating backstage logistics, Emilie became part of the heartbeat of the WUT’s operations. She learned how to read technical charts, prep for load-ins, and manage event flow, skills that now shape her vision for a career in arts administration.
“There has never been a time in this internship where I felt like I was just an intern,” she said. “I always felt like a valued part of the team. My supervisors were patient and flexible, and they helped me find balance instead of burnout.”
Her story, one of growth, gratitude, and self-discovery, is exactly what Joe and Kathy had in mind.
The program makes it possible for students like Emilie to gain professional experience without financial strain, while bringing fresh energy and ideas into the Wisconsin Union and School of Education. It’s a mutual investment in learning and leadership.
If Joe and Kathy could offer advice to their 21-year-old selves, it wouldn’t be about chasing certainty. It would be about:
Staying open.
Follow through on your goals but leave room for detours.
Stay curious.
Learn something new.
Say yes to a place you’ve never lived.
And stay engaged in your community, whatever and wherever that looks like. That’s where meaning tends to live.
Supporting this internship program isn’t about looking back. It’s about building forward and making sure students today have the space, support, and confidence to try, to grow and to figure out what matters to them.
Because leadership doesn’t just happen. Someone has to make the first invitation.
