{"id":11716,"date":"2024-12-10T08:51:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T14:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&#038;p=11716"},"modified":"2024-12-10T08:51:44","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T14:51:44","slug":"friends-thrive-together-at-rock-county-and-whitewater-campuses","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/friends-thrive-together-at-rock-county-and-whitewater-campuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Friends thrive together at Rock County and Whitewater campuses"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_11719\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11719\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11719\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-1024x408.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Maribel Rodriguez (left) and Alma Diaz-Cosme posing for a photo outside of Hyland Hall on the first day of classes for the fall semester on Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Diaz-Cosme and Rodriguez)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-1024x408.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-300x119.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-768x306.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-1536x612.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2024\/12\/WHT_Maribel-Alma_2260-2048x816.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11719\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maribel Rodriguez (left) and Alma Diaz-Cosme pose for a photo outside of Hyland Hall on the first day of classes for the fall semester on Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Diaz-Cosme and Rodriguez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Two students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater embraced the power of shared experiences \u2014 and a resulting fast friendship \u2014 to make the most out of their time as Warhawks.<\/p>\n<p>Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez met as students at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/rock\">UW-Whitewater at Rock County<\/a>\u00a0in the fall of 2021. They had each made last-minute decisions to enroll at URock after exploring alternative college and career opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the duo is thriving together at the Whitewater campus in the university\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/cobe\">College of Business and Economics<\/a>, both as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/cobe\/bachelors\/degrees-and-majors\/marketing\">marketing<\/a>\u00a0majors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always having someone there for me,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cWe have a lot of classes similar to one another \u2014 having that other person knowing what you\u2019re going through has really helped me. We have similar life experiences \u2014 she knows how to help me, and I know how to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/4qbL63kcJmw?si=QKp-uZgLvA94I46p\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Diaz-Cosme grew up in Janesville after her family moved to the United States from Mexico. She spoke Spanish exclusively before starting school and entering the Janesville School District\u2019s ELL program, which she continued with through fifth grade. When it came time to graduate high school, she applied to schools around the country before discovering URock just months before she was to start college, citing cost and location as the main drawing points.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/mmr\/news\/2024\/11Nov\/Maribel-Alma-03.jpg\" alt=\"Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez pose for a photo and hold up signs that say go Warhawks and U Rock Here.\" width=\"100%\" \/><figcaption><em>Alma Diaz-Cosme (left) and Maribel Rodriguez pose near the Warhawk Solution Center at UW-Whitewater at Rock County during their time as students on the Rock County campus. (Photo submitted)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Rodriguez\u2019s family, also originally from Mexico, resided in Clinton. She was in Clinton\u2019s ESL program through fourth grade after starting to learn English at the age of 6. Her older brother attended URock, and she decided to enroll at the Rock County campus in July 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Diaz-Cosme and Rodriguez, both\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/students\/first-generation\">first-generation<\/a>\u00a0college students, met through the campus\u2019\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/rock\/students#latinos-unidos\">Latinos Unidos<\/a>\u00a0student organization. When Diaz-Cosme became president, she made Rodriguez her vice president. The duo also worked on the URock\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/fye\/leadership\/hawksquad\">Hawk Squad<\/a>, assisting at orientations and with campus tours.<\/p>\n<p>While they were students at URock, Diaz-Cosme and Rodriguez began taking classes on the Whitewater campus at the encouragement of Dave Carlson, a former advisor on the Rock County campus. In the fall of 2023, they both started as full-time students on the Whitewater campus. They were exposed to numerous hands-on experiences through the business school, including competitions with the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amawhitewater.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Marketing Association<\/a>\u00a0and other sales contests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce we did SOAR with the transfer students from URock to here, it was nice to have each other and see familiar faces,\u201d Diaz-Cosme said. \u201cMost people had their parents, but we had each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/mmr\/news\/2024\/11Nov\/Maribel-Alma-08.png\" alt=\"Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez walk down a hallway together.\" width=\"100%\" \/><figcaption><em>Maribel Rodriguez (left) and Alma Diaz-Cosme walk together to class at Hyland Hall on the Whitewater campus. (UW-Whitewater photo\/Kyle Winter)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Diaz-Cosme has expanded her role with UW-Whitewater\u2019s national champion AMA chapter, currently serving on the new member committee and on the social impact board as vice president of event planning. She\u2019s built her skills through practical learning and experiences \u2014 hallmarks of a Warhawk education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m communicating more,\u201d Diaz-Cosme said. \u201cSelling to others in competitions has helped me. I was less outgoing at URock, here I\u2019m more outgoing because of all the leadership positions \u2014 they\u2019ve helped me be more confident in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rodriguez echoed her friend\u2019s sentiments, especially with self-confidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve had to do a lot of presentations, individually and with groups (\u2026). This last year doing the Perfect Pitch and those competitions, it doesn\u2019t take a shy person to do it,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n<p>Both students have worked hard to support themselves as college students.<\/p>\n<p>Rodriguez worked at a local dance academy while attending URock and has continued to work in customer service at Woodman\u2019s in Beloit while working toward her real estate license, which she received last spring.<\/p>\n<p>Diaz-Cosme was employed as a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings in Janesville before securing an internship with Sherwin-Williams, where she currently works part time in management and sales.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/mmr\/news\/2024\/11Nov\/Maribel-Alma-07.png\" alt=\"Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez sit together at a table looking at a laptop.\" width=\"100%\" \/><figcaption><em>Maribel Rodriguez (left) and Alma Diaz-Cosme interact during class at Hyland Hall. (UW-Whitewater photo\/Kyle Winter)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Both Rodriguez and Diaz-Cosme have jobs waiting for them upon graduation. Rodriguez will start her career as a realtor with Shorewest Realtors after crossing the stage at the December\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/commencement\">commencement<\/a>, while Diaz-Cosme will work full time at Sherwin-Williams when she\u2019s done at UW-Whitewater this May.<\/p>\n<p>Rodriguez credited her experience at the university with giving her the skills necessary to land her first job out of college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to be confident, and I\u2019ve expressed myself more,\u201d she said. \u201cI had to show Shorewest why they should have me as a realtor and how I can help benefit the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two friends look to continue their connection beyond UW-Whitewater, whether it\u2019s a quick phone call that turns into a 30-minute conversation or a visit to campus from Rodriguez, who will reside in Beloit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s there for me whenever I need it, she\u2019s the first person I go to if I can\u2019t figure something out,\u201d Diaz-Cosme said. \u201cI talk to her about life. I trust her \u2014 it feels like I\u2019ve known her my whole life. We know a lot about each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re almost like sisters, but more than friends,\u201d Rodriguez added. \u201cI don\u2019t want to let her go, but I know she\u2019s got it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos submitted and Kyle Winter | Video by Kyle Winter<\/p>\n<p>Link to original story: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/news\/archive\/2024-11-friends-thrive-on-campus\">https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/news\/archive\/2024-11-friends-thrive-on-campus<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater embraced the power of shared experiences \u2014 and a resulting fast friendship \u2014 to make the most out of their time as Warhawks. Alma Diaz-Cosme and Maribel Rodriguez met as students at\u00a0UW-Whitewater at Rock County\u00a0in the fall of 2021. They had each made last-minute decisions to enroll at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[84],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-11716","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-whitewater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/11716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=11716"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=11716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}