Jennifer Blazek
College for Rural Wisconsin Program Director
608.262.4480
Jennifer serves as the College for Rural Wisconsin Program Director for the Division of Enrollment Management. In this role, Jennifer leads UW-Madison’s programming efforts under the STARS College Network designed to support college-going rates in rural communities and small towns. Representing the division’s admissions, financial aid and research work in this area, Jennifer is the key liaison to community partners and stakeholders to identify and address barriers to college access. Passionate about serving rural and farm communities, Jennifer previously served as the director for UW-Madison’s Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC), one of the oldest continuous programs at UW-Madison and the state’s first strictly agricultural course. Prior to her work at FISC, Jennifer was an Agriculture Extension Educator for both Polk and Dane Counties in Wisconsin.
Jennifer grew up in La Crosse County in Wisconsin and received a M.S. in Agroecology and a M.A in Latin American Studies from UW-Madison and a B.A. in Spanish and English from UW-La Crosse. Outside of work, Jennifer is an avid classic film fan, helps out on her mother’s beef farm, and enjoys hiking and paddle boarding around the state.
Rural Peer Advisors
Cassian Frederick
Hometown: Warrens, WI
Major(s): Engineering Physics
Fun Facts:
Henry Fries
Hometown: Waupaca, WI
Major(s): Political Science; Psychology
Fun Facts: I have many years of experience in banding and studying neotropical migratory birds (or anything else that flies into our mist nets) to better understand migratory patterns and life cycles of these amazing creatures.
Mattie Place
Hometown: Belmont, WI
Major(s): Political Science; Agricultural Communications
Fun Facts:I love cars, and I drive a Jaguar XJ.
McKenna Riley
Hometown: Rockland, WI
Major(s): Biochemistry, minor in Health and the Humanities
Fun Facts:
Avery Simpson
Hometown: Brooklyn, WI
Major(s): Elementary Education, minor in English, and certificates in Leadership and Educational Policy
Fun Facts: I am a beekeeper and am learning to play the banjo!
Jack Taylor
Hometown: Princeton, WI
Major(s): Landscape and Urban Studies, Anthropology
Fun Facts: I have a deep appreciation for our state’s forests and waters and want to see them protected and preserved for future generations, and I believe this is accomplishable through education on sustainable farming, land use, and policy whether you live in the cities or rural regions of Wisconsin. Rural students in particular have a vested interest in seeking post-secondary education to benefit their communities through the services they provide and the policies they support.