{"id":6919,"date":"2021-09-21T12:17:11","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T17:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=6919"},"modified":"2021-09-21T12:17:11","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T17:17:11","slug":"new-blugold-becomes-fourth-generation-in-her-family-to-study-at-uw-eau-claire","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/new-blugold-becomes-fourth-generation-in-her-family-to-study-at-uw-eau-claire\/","title":{"rendered":"New Blugold becomes fourth generation in her family to study at UW-Eau Claire"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo
New UW-Eau Claire freshman Lucy Franklin (center) is the fourth generation of Blugolds in her family. Her mother, Beth Franklin, (left) and grandmother, Christy Linderholm, (right) both are UW-Eau Claire graduates. Lucy is holding a photo of her great-grandmother, Ruby (Johnson) Hanson, who earned her nursing degree from the precursor to UW-Eau Claire\u2019s nursing program, so also is considered a Blugold.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like many families, Lucy Franklin cherishes her family\u2019s traditions, those special experiences shared among generations that help to keep them connected.<\/p>\n

This fall, Lucy is carrying forward one especially meaningful family tradition \u2014 becoming a Blugold. The new freshman is the fourth generation in her family to attend the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents, grandma and great-grandmother before me moved on to lead very successful lives after graduating from UWEC,\u201d Lucy says. \u201cI look up to all of them greatly, and it makes me feel inspired to try my best and work hard here to make all of them proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucy\u2019s parents, Beth and Nathan Franklin, are both UW-Eau Claire graduates. Beth earned a degree in English education in 2000, and Nathan earned degrees in economics and political science in 2001. Her grandmother, Christy Linderholm, who graduated with a nursing degree in 1969, was in the second class of nursing students to graduate from what was then Wisconsin State University-Eau Claire.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Lucy was making her final decision about which school she\u2019d attend, it occurred to me that she\u2019d be a fourth-generation Blugold,\u201d Beth says. \u201cDeeper consideration made me realize she\u2019d be a fourth-generation female Blugold, which I imagine is somewhat rare.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Lucy\u2019s generation, it seems more likely for girls to be second-gen college educated. So, for there to be a third- and even fourth-generation college-educated female in our family is something special. For all to attend the same campus makes it even more unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding the right fit<\/h3>\n

Carrying on her family\u2019s Blugold legacy wasn\u2019t always part of her plan, Lucy says. As a kid, she dreamed of being a Badger.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until the college search became more serious that I realized UWEC was the right choice,\u201d says Lucy, who is from Westby. \u201cI toured UWEC and UW-Madison and felt so much more at home in Eau Claire; it matched the vibe I was looking for. I was struck by the wide range of major and minor options and for how LGBTQ+ friendly the campus is. After touring campus, it was clear to me that I would be a Blugold.\u201d<\/p>\n

While her parents didn\u2019t pressure her to attend UW-Eau Claire, they always believed Lucy would thrive at their alma mater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to stay out of it because I didn\u2019t want her to feel like we wanted her to attend UWEC just because we went there,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cWe knew that if she made that choice, she\u2019d be getting a great education at a great campus in a great city, but we wanted her to come to that conclusion on her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere certainly is a lot of satisfaction knowing that she\u2019s going to be walking the same campus and having similar experiences as we did over 20 years ago. It was the right choice. It always felt like the best fit for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campus connections<\/h3>\n

While her first semester at UW-Eau Claire is just getting underway, Lucy already feels connected to the campus thanks, in part, to the many college stories her parents and grandmother shared over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents talk a lot about their time together on campus \u2014 walking to class, studying in the library, eating at Hilltop and hanging out in their dorms,\u201d Lucy says. \u201cI think they were inseparable. My grandma reminisces about hanging out with her friends in her dorm and playing guitar for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her grandmother\u2019s stories are even more special now that Lucy is living on the same floor in Governors Hall where her grandmother lived decades earlier.<\/p>\n

Christy hopes her granddaughter finds the same joy as she did living in Governors Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had some good times there,\u201d Christy says. \u201cI lived in Governors for four years and made many friends. I loved entertaining my friends in my dorm room by playing my guitar and singing. It was often a gathering place for all my friends in the evenings.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than five decades later, Christy still is thankful she had the opportunity to meet people from many different places and backgrounds, including a roommate from Hong Kong. She\u2019s eager for her granddaughter to have similar experiences as she looks to her own future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have stayed in close contact with three of my nursing school classmates, even 52 years later,\u201d Christy says. \u201cI want Lucy to meet a wide variety of students and make a wide variety of friends. I also hope she has real-world, hands-on experiences that broaden her understanding of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family ties to community<\/h3>\n

UW-Eau Claire always will have a special place in their hearts, say Beth and Nathan, noting that they still were students when they became engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an important time in our relationship,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cWe went from being high school sweethearts, to engaged in college, and then married shortly after graduation. It was where we matured and took the next steps into adulthood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went from crossing upper campus to see each other every day in our dorms, to walking through the Randall Park neighborhood to each other\u2019s apartments, to living together in the Third Ward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucy Franklin started her career as a Blugold when she was 4-year-old preschooler at the Children\u2019s Center, which then was located on campus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After college, the couple lived in Eau Claire for several years. They were married at University Lutheran Church on campus; their wedding photos were taken on campus. Lucy was born in Eau Claire and attended preschool at the Children\u2019s Center, which was on campus at the time.<\/p>\n

So, when Beth brought Lucy back to UW-Eau Claire for an informal campus visit, they also spent time in the community, with Beth showing Lucy notable places from her early childhood.<\/p>\n

During the visit, mother and daughter both felt a special connection with the campus but also with the city. It\u2019s comforting to know and enjoy a community that her daughter now will call home, Beth says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we drove around, she felt that both UWEC and the larger community matched the personal vibe she was hoping for,\u201d Beth says. \u201cHer decision provides reassurance. I know the paths she\u2019ll walk and the neighborhoods she\u2019ll likely live in. I believe the professors, administrators and staff possess the same dedication to provide the best education and experiences for their students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan and Beth say that while the campus looks different, it still feels the same to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great that they opened up the campus to the river so there\u2019s more of an appreciation and a way for students to enjoy nature,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cWhen we were there, you couldn\u2019t see it unless you were walking over it, and then you were in such a hurry to walk over it because you were freezing. Even with all the renovation, it\u2019s amazing how they\u2019ve managed to maintain an intimate campus feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was a beautiful campus 20 years ago; the work undertaken since then is remarkable,\u201d Beth says. \u201cLucy is so lucky to be amongst that beauty every day. Walking across the bridge on our campus tour last year, I felt the same connection to the \u2018Chip\u2019 that I did 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a foundation<\/h3>\n

Lucy\u2019s decision to attend UW-Eau Claire sparked plenty of conversations and storytelling about the generations of family members who attended the university.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all had a great time reminiscing about our time at Eau Claire,\u201d Beth says. \u201cMom shared lots of stories that I hadn’t yet heard. I had a lot of fun going through old photos and documents from our family over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all are thankful for the lifelong friendships and life-changing experiences they enjoyed as Blugolds, as well as for an education that prepared them for interesting and rewarding careers.<\/p>\n

Beth, who now works for the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, taught middle and high school English for many years; a career path inspired by an English course she took in college.<\/p>\n

Nathan began his career in the political field, working for Wisconsin legislators and a governor, as well as on presidential campaigns. He now works for Gundersen Health System. A first-generation college student, he says his political science professors were engaging and approachable, helping him navigate college in ways that prepared him for future success.<\/p>\n

After earning their degrees, Lucy\u2019s grandmother and great-grandmother both enjoyed long and successful careers in nursing, careers that spanned more than 40 years for each of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was very highly respected by her co-workers,\u201d Christy says of Lucy\u2019s great-grandmother. \u201cAll I ever thought about was going into nursing because she was so good at it. She treated everybody equally. It didn\u2019t matter if you were the doctor, the nurse or the housekeeper. It was uncommon for a woman at that time to do what she did. Most women in the Greatest Generation didn\u2019t have the opportunity to pursue higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to a bright future<\/h3>\n

While they enjoy remembering their own time on campus, Lucy\u2019s parents and grandmother now are excited to see Lucy experience all that UW-Eau Claire offers.<\/p>\n

Lucy has not yet declared a major, but she is considering criminal justice and psychology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a difficult time discovering my interests over the years, but I\u2019ve found that nothing fascinates me more than criminal mental health,\u201d Lucy says. \u201cI\u2019m specifically interested in how criminal\/inmate mental health influences their behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she explores her options, Lucy is looking forward to making her own college memories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am most looking forward to having many new experiences and meeting new people,\u201d Lucy says. \u201cI\u2019m excited to be involved in the Eau Claire and campus communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Lucy now a Blugold, her parents and grandmother hope to make a few new UW-Eau Claire memories of their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the exciting things about Lucy attending now; we have a good reason to reconnect,\u201d Nathan says.<\/p>\n

Written by\u00a0Judy Berthiaume<\/a><\/h6>\n

For the Media<\/strong><\/p>\n