UW-Stout students share experiences at national companies in Q&As
Menomonie, Wis. – Student success is the leading goal of University of Wisconsin-Stout’s FOCUS
2030 strategic plan, ensuring they are career-ready before graduation.
The Cooperative Education and Internship Program is one facet on that road to success. Nearly
1,000 students are enrolled each year in CEIP, completing co-ops and internships at more than 500
companies in Wisconsin and nationally.
Three students recently shared about their summer co-ops and internships, highlighting their
experiences; challenges they overcame, including communication, conflict resolution and time
management; and how they hope to make an impact in their fields.
Read their full Q&As:
Izabelle Quade: Prent Corporation, Janesville
Madelyn King: Four Seasons, Minneapolis
William Boyce: Weidner Apartment Homes, Fitchburg
Career Services’ programs and events invites students to connect with employers and include the
biannual Career Conference Week, the Built Environment Career Fair, Wisconsin BioHealth
Summit, Government & Nonprofit Career Fair and Internship Draft Day.
Izabelle Quade, Prent Corporation, Janesville
With manufacturing facilities around the globe, Prent Corporation provides custom thermoformed
packaging solutions for medical devices, electronics and more for many of the world’s leading
Fortune 100 companies.
At Prent Corporation’s headquarters in Janesville, industrial and product design student Izabelle
Quade is seeing these solutions firsthand and applying skills she’s learned to help design packaging
during her product design engineering cooperative this summer and fall.
“Prent creates packages that house products that save people’s lives in the medical field. Making
people’s lives better is what I strive for. From making something that someone can enjoy to
something that changes their daily lives,” Quade said. “It has been incredibly cool to see the process
of packaging engineering from start to finish and all the tasks that must be done along the way.”
As an addition to Prent Corporation’s product development team, Quade assists in designing and
redesigning thermoformed packaging. Thermoforming is the act of heating up plastic and forming it
within a mold.
“I have worked on designs for packaging for a heart replacement valve kit and catheter kits. I’ve also
helped with the organization for our tool room and am assisting in the prototype lab,” she said.
Quade, of Buffalo, Minnesota, also has an interaction design minor and plans to graduate in spring 2028. She would like to work in product development.
“Everyone needs the right tool for the job. I hope to design things that people can interact with and
find satisfaction in,” she added. “No matter the industry I go into after college, I would like to make
things that better people’s everyday lives. Whether it’s simply through how they feel about the
products they use or how they interact with them, I want people to find use in the items that I help
create.”
Madelyn King, Four Seasons, Minneapolis
High atop a five-star hotel in Minneapolis, UW-Stout real estate property management senior
Madelyn King completed her summer cooperative experience as a private residences intern with
Four Seasons.
“What I love most about the real estate property management major is that no two days are ever the
same. I enjoy the fast-paced environment, but especially the opportunity to build meaningful
connections with both residents and coworkers. I hope to be a positive moment in someone’s day,
whether by helping solve a problem, offering a warm welcome or simply making someone feel at
home,” said King, who is also majoring in hotel, restaurant and tourism management.
Her internship at Four Seasons, which has 34 private residences at its Minneapolis location and
manages residences in 21 countries, provided her with just the luxury residential living management
experience she was looking for.
“In luxury residential living, we help to create a house a home through thoughtful touches, caring
gestures, world-class amenities, and a team of staff with a profound expertise in property
management in the world’s most sought-after destinations,” King said.
Her main responsibilities were assisting with resident interaction and guest services; coordinating
housekeeping and engineering tasks; managing package deliveries, vendor access and concierge
requests; and supporting the team with residential operations and governance-related tasks.
King, of Brownsville, plans to graduate in May 2026 and is excited about the possibility of continuing
with Four Seasons or pursuing a role where she can combine hospitality, property management and
community-building.
“UW-Stout does an incredible job preparing students for real-world experiences. The coursework is
relevant and applicable, and I’ve found myself using what I’ve learned in class almost daily. I’m
thankful to UW-Stout, my professors, and the REPM program for helping shape my career path and
giving me the tools to succeed in this internship and beyond,” she said.
King was one of 20 UW-Stout students who received the university’s 2025 Outstanding Cooperative
Education and Internship Program Student of the Year Award. She was awarded for her excellence
and achievements in a previous internship with Whistling Straits.
William Boyce, Weidner Apartment Homes
Serving as a seasonal leasing specialist at The Vue at Pinnacle Park and The Lafayette, UW-Stout real
estate property management senior William Boyce completed his summer cooperative experience
with Weidner Apartment Homes. The residences are both located near nature reserves in Fitchburg.
The Lafayette is a luxury property with two buildings less than five years old and offers modern
finishes. The Vue is comprised of five buildings and has more traditional home colors.
“What I love most about the REPM major is the variety in real estate, as well as the core concepts
that are found in every avenue of the field. I know various professionals who have pivoted in
different directions in real estate without having to restart their career ladder,” Boyce said.
Weidner Apartment Homes, headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, was recognized on the
National Multi-Family Housing Council’s 2024 50 Largest Apartment Owners List as the 12th largest
private owner of apartments in the U.S. It represents more than 315 multifamily residential
communities, with more than 72,000 units in 13 states and Canada.
“Every day is different in property management. I hope to impact the real estate property
management field by changing the stigma of property managers. Most people only recall their worst
memories of moving out of a property they lived in. I hope to create some lasting memories,” Boyce
said.
“I know for certain that my courses and experiences at Stout will help me make an impact in the
industry. Stout’s REPM major is unique and gave me a head start compared to a new hire unfamiliar
with the industry.”
Boyce, of DeForest, plans to graduate this December and is interested in a career in real estate
appraisal. As a senior airman in the Wisconsin Air National Guard, he is set to begin Airman
Leadership School in 2026, which he’ll complete before beginning his real estate career.
“UW-Stout’s Veteran Services has made utilizing my benefits a breeze. I have heard of other airmen
at different schools having little to no help putting their benefits to use. Thanks to Veteran Services, I
will be able to graduate debt- and stress-free,” said Boyce, adding, “Brian Hackner, military
education benefits coordinator, has been a huge help.”
UW-Stout’s Career Outcomes site provides CEIP and First Destination reports, which declared that
100% of recent REPM graduates are employed or furthering their education within six months of
graduation, and have an average starting salary of $58,000. UW-Stout’s real estate property
management program is one of only a handful of its kind in the U.S.
CEIP received the 2024 annual Excellence & Innovation Stewards of Place award from the American
Association of State Colleges and Universities, “for its outstanding results and potential to influence
and serve as a model for other institutions.”
UW-Stout, a member of the Universities of Wisconsin, is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a
focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn
more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.
