Made in MKE

These alumni have vastly different backgrounds, careers, and passions. But each are greatly improving the city, to the benefit of everyone.

When alumni return to visit USM, it’s invariably the teachers they want to see first. The mentors who made a complex problem click, who pushed them to think critically, who opened their eyes to greater problems in the world, and yes, even the ones who returned a B+ on the paper they toiled over for days. We know this because alumni tell us. They gladly regale us with stories, some with tears of gratitude in their eyes, of a favorite teacher who saw them as an individual and changed the course of their life.  

Exceptional schools like USM would not exist without exceptional teachers. Within the walls of their classrooms, these educators do something remarkable: they shape the raw potential of youth into the beginnings of engaged and resilient adulthood. But the impact of a USM education doesn’t stop at graduation, and it doesn’t stay confined to campus. It radiates outward, providing immense economic, social, and cultural improvements to the broader community from which residents and visitors alike benefit. 

The six alumni profiled on the following pages are living examples of this ripple effect. They have impacted Milwaukee in a variety of ways, including real estate development, medicine, non-profit work, for-profit work, or a combination thereof. Whether their efforts have resulted in large-scale change or smaller, quieter moments of triumph and progress, each has found a unique way to move Milwaukee forward. 

These alumni have vastly different backgrounds and careers but share the same characteristics instilled in all USM graduates: curiosity, empathy, and resilience. Thankfully for us, they also share a deep love for Milwaukee. 

Louella Amos '95	Tom Florsheim '76
Julia Burke '74	Walter Taylor '17
Bernard Rahming '05	Robert Joseph '88