With the end of the Fall semester, some of Lakeland’s seniors start to celebrate a new beginning, such as Ms. Kaytlyn Weidig, who will be graduating a semester early and moving into their professional plans outside of school.
Weidig is one of Lakeland’s many Graphic Design majors, and is local to the school, coming from Sheboygan. She had applied at many other schools after high school, and got accepted into all of them, but decided to stay local with Lakeland due to the ease of getting scholarships and financial aid, experiences, and the ability to experience the Co-op program.
Beyond her title, Weidig is a hardworking student, who tries to put max effort into everything, and maintaining responsibility for all work and school things and deadlines. She is a very goal-orientated person, and incredibly determined to push herself. According to both her and some of her professors, she is also very opinionated, and known to speak up and share her mind.
Over the last few years at Lakeland as well as work experiences, she had learned more patience, and gained more confidence compared to how she felt as an incoming freshman back in 2020. Throughout the years she felt more able to come out of her shell and grow as an individual as both a student and a professional. A big start to her journey was her interest in Lakeland’s Rotaract club, where she found herself taking leadership as a freshman due to the other students graduating from their roles and maintaining that presidency over the next three years. Currently she stepped down from her position, due to scheduling as well as graduating shortly, but is still a general member, and helped the membership number grow over the years.
Lakeland’s co-op program is one of Weidig’s most liked qualities from the school. Not only was she able to start working towards paying her tuition, but also earn credit and experiences. She really likes the ease and flexibility of the program and found it to be something helpful over her time as a student. Weidig was given the opportunities to work with the Sheboygan Symphony as an intern, Seems, and other jobs through the guidance and recommendations of her professors. The support and care from professors also made her time at the school more enjoyable.
“While college is about learning specific things, it’s also about learning to learn, gaining soft skills, and the best way to learn for yourself. If you’re not taking advantage of those opportunities to build on those skills, you’re putting yourself at a disservice following your college education.”
She will soon be holding her diploma but will not be ending her growth there. As her time as a Lakeland student ends, Weidig is excited to continue to explore opportunities and job fields that she likes, and work on her personal goals. She advises any current and future students to always work your hardest, and go out and meet new people, and surround yourself with those who help bring out the best of yourself. It is not just about good grades and a diploma, it’s about growth.