Madison Eiler
Hometown: Monticello, Minnesota
Year in School: Senior
Interests/Hobbies:
Walking on Lakeshore path, listening to Taylor Swift, attempting to make cutesy crafts, watching reality TV.
Involvements/Employment/Activities:
Employment: 4th Semester Peer Economics Tutor (Econ 101: Trosts and Hansen and Econ 102: Chan and Braxton) and Office Assistant for Tripp, Adams, and Slichter (the best dorms, in theory, at UW-Madison!)
Activities: Senior Communications Chair for Advocates for Alzheimer’s and past English as A Second Language Tutor through Literacy Network–Madison
Where is your favorite place on campus and why?
My favorite location on campus is the basement of Steenbock Library because it’s the most underrated study/midterm/exam spot at UW.
What has been your favorite Econ course?
My favorite course in the Economics department is a tie between Economics 568: The Economics of Health Care with Professor Hansen and Economics 530: Insuring Life’s Risks: Health, Aging, and Policy with Professor Mommaerts! These classes allowed me to further understand the processes of health systems in the United States and how economics supports/constrains healthcare.
If you have any other majors or certificates in addition to Econ, how did you decide to add Econ or add the other major/certificate?
I’m also pursuing majors in International Studies: Politics and Policy in the Global Economy Track, LACIS (Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies), Spanish, and Educational Policy Studies with certificates in Developmental Economics and Business Fundamentals.
I originally came to UW-Madison to pursue a degree in Biology, but I quickly realized that Economics was an area that was interesting to me and connected to other areas of the business world that supported my love of languages and the study of people. As I continued with Economics and Spanish, I found that I wanted to further my understanding of LACIS culture and how education shapes economic development and general business practices.
How do you manage your course load?
Managing my course load is a continuing process as club activities, work, and other social obligations constrain my time; however, I find that selecting courses that are genuinely interesting to my area of study decrease the stressed feelings that can come from difficult coursework in “boring” subjects.
Where did you intern/research, and did you have a good experience? Why or why not?
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern through the UW Intern Abroad Department in Santiago, Chile. I worked as a Communications & Academic Advising Intern for Education USA-Chile, an international education program funded by the US Department of State and a branch of the Office of Global Education Programs. I highly recommend this internship in particular alongside other opportunities from the UW Intern Abroad Department as a means to increase intercultural interactions and provide comprehensive internship opportunities.
While I was abroad, I was able to further my Spanish speaking skills (and learn a lot about Chilean culture and slang!) while developing transferable job skills in global systems/practices, analysis of global markets, and communications with the U.S. Embassy.
What advice do you have for students seeking an internship/research experience?
My advice for students seeking internship/research experience would be to expand your search to include other areas of interest. Although my internship this past summer was labeled as Communications and Advising, I found that sharing other avenues of interest I had in the position allowed me to become involved in areas of business I would want in a full-time position, such as applying for grants through the U.S. Department of State and participating in higher education market analysis for international students.
By expanding my search to include job opportunities that did not explicitly have “Economics” in the title, I was able to learn how economics intersects with all professions (the invisible hand moves us all, of course…) and further developed my skills in other key interdepartmental operations.
Do you know what you want to do after graduation? If yes, what? If not, what advice would you give to another student who may not know either?
My various educational interests and areas of study have made it difficult for me to solidify an explicit plan after graduation! I hope to pursue a career in healthcare and/or business operations to provide support to vital processes in the general population’s everyday life. While these careers are fluid, I know that my goals to expand education, literacy, and health will persevere! With regards to advice for other students, I would share that college is just one tool to explore your interests and passions; therefore, it is normal that the end of college may not enlighten you to the exact company or title for the rest of your life.
I would share that outside interests, connections and networking, and expanding the idea of what your specific major can have for a career are all ways in which a new graduate can find initial opportunities for career placement.