Women in the Union: Where are they now?
By Nancy Payne x’16
In honor of women’s history month, we sent out a questionnaire to just a few of the many outstanding women affiliated with the Wisconsin Union throughout the years to see what they’re up to. If you or a woman you know is an exemplary Union woman, please feel free to share your story in the comments below!
Cressida Hanson ’06
Hanson in the middle with the WUD Film committee in 2005
Hanson in 2013
Thinking about your days as a UW student…
Role(s) in the Union: A Wisconsin Film Festival intern and part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Film Committee, and constant attendee of Union music and film events
Major: B.A. in English and Communication Arts
Proudest achievement: Being a part of the Wisconsin Film Festival all four years I attended UW. I started as a student ticket cashier, but went on to help initiate the audience award ballot and coordinate the student shorts competition. Our solicitation of student shorts was so successful we had to build two programs to air the selected films, instead of the usual one.
Favorite Union event you were a part of: Lakeside Cinema screenings. Choosing which movies to screen with the WUD film team was hardly a task. No summer was complete without heading to the Terrace with friends, grabbing a pitcher of beer and watching an outdoor movie (still true!).
Favorite Babcock ice cream flavor: Cookies & Cream
One thing you wish you could relive: Meeting Roger Ebert in the WI Film Festival office in Vilas Hall. Film professor David Bordwell was with Ebert and brought him to the office to introduce him to all of us. I was so honored to be introduced personally. One of those “doing mundane tasks, turn around and *wham*” moments.
Thinking about life after UW…
Role(s) in the world: Children’s book buyer at the independent bookstore Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, California. I have a MLIS degree, so previously I was a reference assistant/event coordinator for a community college library. I have also worked as a librarian on board a cruise ship.
Proudest achievement: Having a library event I designed and planned featured on the American Libraries Association Programming Librarian website
One thing you miss most about UW: Summers on the Terrace. Summer is not complete without at least one stroll down the Lakeshore Path to the Terrace.
Sources of inspiration for your career and everyday life: I have two mottos I follow: “Change is the only constant” and “Everything is a potential story.” My background may look more varied than others (English teacher in South Korea and librarian on a cruise ship are certainly my more unique life stories) but these experiences have taught me more than had I proceeded on a straight path. Even though I am no longer working with films, my time with WUD solidified my joy for event planning. That knowledge has helped me as librarian, and now as book buyer. Would I have predicted being where I am today, when I was enrolled as UW student? Not necessarily. But I sure enjoy the winding path I have followed.
Katie Harbath ’03
Harbath on right on graduation day in 2003
Harbath on a work trip to Sydney,
Australia in 2013
Thinking about your days as a UW student…
Role(s) in the Union: WUD Public Relations Coordinator
Major: B.A. in Journalism and Political Science
Proudest achievement: My work at the Badger Herald. I spent three of my four years there and experienced both the 2000 election and 9/11 with those colleagues. We also managed to take the paper from paste up every night to digital, which was a lot harder than it sounds today.
Favorite Union event you were a part of: Being the public relations coordinator I got to be involved in many of the events that the Directorate did. I’ll be honest it’s hard to pick a favorite, though I was always a fan of the nights when we showed old movies in Der Rathskeller.
Favorite Babcock ice cream flavor: Blue Moon
One thing you wish you could relive: Summer nights on the Terrace
Thinking about life after UW…
Role(s) in the world: Global politics and government outreach manager for Facebook. Digital director for the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)
Proudest achievement: Creating, proposing and executing the creation of the global expansion of Facebook’s global outreach team
One thing you miss most about UW: The Terrace
Sources of inspiration for your career and everyday life: I really look up to strong female leaders such as Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer.
Nancy Payne is a UW sophomore majoring in Strategic Communication frequently seen in Der Rathskeller eating a bag of Stiftskeller popcorn with a bowl of Chocolate Peanut Butter Babcock ice cream on the side.
