Theresa Manderle found her calling at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Well, to be more accurate, the 2019 alumna found it through UW Oshkosh. Because while she was a student of the University for five years and earned a human services leadership (HSL) degree last spring, she did it all from afar.
Manderle is a native of Sheboygan and was able to complete her education through the Human Services Leadership collaborative program, meaning many of her classes were taken online, in small group settings and often in the evenings, on the campus of UW-Sheboygan.
The collaborative program, launched in 2015, allows students access to the HSL bachelor’s degree at lower cost by connecting them at regional sites and with the help of experienced faculty. Along with UW Sheboygan, four other sites have been involved in recent years.
“My family was here to support me,” Manderle said of her choice to stay in Sheboygan, where she lived and worked, while pursuing her degree. “That was a huge reason—so that I still had my support system around me while going through stressful times. I don’t deal well with stress and they were there to help me so much.”
Theresa Manderle
Manderle is now nearly a year into her career as the Birth to 3 program coordinator for Sheboygan County. She helps connect families with young children and services provided by the county, which include those by physical, occupational and speech therapists and early childhood educators.
“The most rewarding parts for my job are the kiddos and how they transform throughout our process,” she said. “Being able to see and hear them not only be able to walk or crawl and meet that milestone, or be able to say their first words and say ‘mama’ for the first time, to see that progression.”
Manderle carries the rare distinction of having earned a degree from UWO while having stepped foot on a UWO campus just once. Her lone trip to Oshkosh was to take part in the LGBTQ+ Resource Center’s SAFE training. Before getting into the HSL program full-bore, the collaborative program allowed her to knock out her easily transferable general education courses at UW-Sheboygan.
HSL lecturer Mylia Yang taught Manderle in three of the program’s core classes. Each of those had an out-in-the-field component, and Yang said she heard nothing but positive feedback about her performance. Manderle’s calm demeanor and positivity helped her stand out, she said.
“When she talks you can feel the passion in her voice,” Yang said. “She truly cares for the vulnerable and strives for what is right.”
While staying in her hometown close to her family and completing the program, Manderle also kept steady jobs in Sheboygan. She spent time working in a Piggly Wiggly deli, as a morning stocker at Menard’s and as a daycare teacher. She lived at home with her parents and said her focus was always on her studies and working to support herself, not living the traditional campus life.
When it was time to transition from retail to her long-term career, things happened fast. She accepted her position with the Birth to 3 program the day before her spring commencement. She didn’t attend the ceremony and instead was preparing for her first day in her new role.
Nearly a year later, she said she’s right where she’s supposed to be.
“I want to help families the best I can and I want to make sure that kids are able to run and be just like other kids and not be discriminated or be bullied because they can’t walk or talk,” she said. “I want to be there to support the families before any of that happens,and I want to make sure they know their child is beautiful and perfect in every way.”
Learn more: