Here are the 51ÁÔÆæ graduates who will be honored:<\/p>\n
Nathan Zimmerman (2013 BA Theatre Studies)<\/h3>\n
Nathan Zimmerman is the founder and owner of ZimKnives<\/a>, a business that focuses on making prestige precision knives, swords and other metal tools and implements.<\/p>\n His knives were recently the focus of an entire episode<\/a> of Wisconsin Foodie. Host Luke Zahm traveled from Zimmerman\u2019s shop\/forge on North Avenue to Zahm\u2019s farm in the Viroqua area to do some cooking and show the knives in action. \u201cThat was a fun experience,\u201d Zimmerman said.<\/p>\n Zimmerman started as a mechanical engineering student at 51ÁÔÆæ, intending to follow in the footsteps of his father, Daniel, a computer and electrical engineer. However, he found that he preferred a major where he could do more hands-on work. \u201cAll that theory and math didn\u2019t fit my style of learning.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s what led him to 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s theatre studies program, where he learned the backstage skills needed to support a production.<\/p>\n \u201cMy education was a well-rounded experience. It helped me learn the craft and the financial side of being an artist.\u201d<\/p>\n When he was looking for a job during his first year, he saw an ad for a knife sharpener. That fit with his interests in cooking and crafting. \u201cMy mom (Carol Ann) is Italian, and I grew up eating delicious food all the time. So, I grew up in her kitchen and my dad\u2019s shop.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d already started collecting knives, and soon found himself making some for camping with simple tools he borrowed from his dad. When friends began to ask him to make knives, he started to expand his tools as he earned money.<\/p>\n \u201cI got the idea I could make a business out of that, and here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Now he operates out of a former auto repair building that he is remodeling into a shop and store.<\/p>\n Chefs like Yia Vang, a Minneapolis-based Hmong chef who competed on \u201cIron Chef,\u201d have ordered his knives. They\u2019re also in the Milwaukee kitchen of award-winning restaurants like Birch and Sanford.<\/p>\n Zimmerman himself enjoys cooking. \u201cHaving good knives just really makes you want to cook.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to making knives, he also does some carpentry, making gaming tables for Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons for friends who run a gaming store. When he needs a break from the 2,000-degree forge, he often heads upstairs to play some games.<\/p>\n He’s also still active in theater and is a member of the Stagehands Union.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned a lot at 51ÁÔÆæ \u2013 playwriting, stage management, carpentry, scenery and lighting design, jewelry and metal working. I give credit to the professors and teachers who taught me some really valuable skills.\u201d<\/p>\n Meagan Johnson is the founder and executive director of Milwaukee Diaper Mission<\/a>. As a young mother, Johnson\u2019s own environmental awareness had led to her using and promoting cloth diapers for her two boys. In researching the issues, she discovered one in three (it\u2019s now one in two) families struggled to afford diapers of any kind. Milwaukee, unlike other cities, didn\u2019t have a diaper bank to fill this need. So, in 2020 Johnson founded Milwaukee Diaper Mission, initially based in her garage.<\/p>\n It’s now grown to an organization that\u2019s distributed more 1.5 million diapers and has a budget of $776,000, three employees and hundreds of volunteers. Early on, Milwaukee Diaper Mission expanded to add period supplies, another expensive and essential item for families. The items are distributed through a network of community organizations, including the 51ÁÔÆæ Food Pantry. The effort is funded by donations of supplies and money to buy products wholesale, and a hardworking board of directors guides the efforts. Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo is a prominent supporter, and his fianc\u00e9 Mariah Riddlesprigger serves on the board.<\/p>\n Although her degree from 51ÁÔÆæ doesn\u2019t exactly align with what she\u2019s doing now, Johnson said the skills she learned studying to be an art teacher are valuable. \u201cI think my teaching degree taught me to step up and lead.\u201d At 51ÁÔÆæ, she also worked as a B.O.S.S. (Be On the Safe Side) driver and supervisor, giving her experience in organizing her time and supervising people, Johnson added.<\/p>\n \u201cFour years ago, I didn\u2019t know I\u2019d be doing this, but it brings joy to so many lives. I\u2019m so grateful to be able to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n He earned a BBA with a major in Marketing in \u201908 and Post Baccalaureate Finance Major in \u201909.<\/p>\n Hassan Akhtar is executive director and private banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI develop customized wealth management plans and deliver J.P. Morgan Private Bank\u2019s exclusive platform, tailored to the individual needs of clients and their families,\u201d he said. This includes strategies around wealth and estate planning, lending, investment strategy and banking\/liquidity management.<\/p>\n When he did the photo shoot for the award, Akhtar said he was proud to hold up a 51ÁÔÆæ pennant because 51ÁÔÆæ was instrumental in shaping his career.<\/p>\n \u201cComing from an immigrant background and being in Milwaukee, 51ÁÔÆæ was my school of choice for academics and affordability.\u201d<\/p>\n He started his work journey during his sophomore year when he got a position at Robert W. Baird. Being able to work during the day and attend classes at night made his professional career possible, he said. \u201c51ÁÔÆæ helped me network and make connections that grew into lifelong relationships. I try to give back to 51ÁÔÆæ and Lubar as much as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n He got J.P. Morgan Private Bank involved in the Lubar 25<\/a> program that recognizes outstanding undergraduates and contributes every year. He\u2019s also active in recruiting students from the Investment Management Certificate Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n David Binder is senior vice president at MLG Capital<\/a>, a real estate investment firm.<\/p>\n He appreciated his time at 51ÁÔÆæ.<\/p>\n \u201cThe offerings of the business school in Milwaukee, with everything going on in this city, was great\u2026 Just meeting folks and having the opportunity to talk to individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n He had looked at other business schools, but ultimately chose 51ÁÔÆæ because of that flexibility, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a working student. I was taking 16 credit hours and working full time as well.\u201d Having night programming helped him balance his obligations, Binder said. \u201cI even took a class or two online,\u201d he recalled, which at that time wasn\u2019t as common as it\u2019s become.<\/p>\n \u201cI could have the true college experience, while having a schedule that allowed me to pay for an apartment, a car and all the other things I needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n Before he graduated in 2009, he was involved in the mortgage business, focusing on single family homes to four-family apartment units.<\/p>\n After graduation, he went into the securities side of finance, an area that he enjoyed, but he eventually decided that he wanted to focus on relationships and real estate investment. \u201cI could have more control over the day-to-day investments of the real estate world,\u201d he said, \u201crather than dealing with the volatility of markets, which are driven by millions of things.\u201d<\/p>\n His focus at MLG Capital, which he joined in 2013, is on fundraising, marketing, operations and technology. He sits on the MLG Operations, MLG Cares, Making a Difference and other committees focused on doing good in the community and continual improvements to the organization.<\/p>\n Among his passions is mentoring young people, especially if they have interest in the real estate world, and he and his wife are supporters of numerous youth, education and health-related causes across Milwaukee.<\/p>\n One of the charitable organizations MLG supports is Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, which serves children with critical illnesses, and Binder helps with those efforts. Last year, for example, the company helped Make-A-Wish grant a young boy\u2019s wish for pontoon boat, celebrating with a fun event in the company parking lot.<\/p>\n His upbringing encouraged such charitable activities, Binder said.<\/p>\n \u201cTime is limited, and if I can spend some of that time giving back when someone asks me, I\u2019m happy to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Alec Knutson (\u201912 BA History, Political Science & Pre-Law)<\/strong><\/p>\n Like many students starting their first year of college, Alec Knutson had no idea what he wanted to do. \u00a0His academic performance in high school and early college was, he said, \u201cnon-stellar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou feel bad because you\u2019re not excelling and you don\u2019t know what you want to do that first day you step on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n Knutson had chosen 51ÁÔÆæ because it offered a variety of majors, but he soon found multiple opportunities beyond academics.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was great about 51ÁÔÆæ and what I love and am so thankful for is all the opportunities that started to present themselves. 51ÁÔÆæ was super impactful on my career and growth as an individual and as a professional.\u201d<\/p>\n After becoming involved in the legal clinic, he decided to focus on majors in political science and history. \u201cI had these amazing professors, and I really became invigorated in my studies. I decided I wanted to go to law school.\u201d<\/p>\n As he became more passionate about his studies and decided he wanted to be able to make an impact on his community, his grades improved. He served as both president of the history and political science honor societies and became office manager of the Legal Clinic.<\/p>\n As he became involved with these majors and student organizations, his confidence in his academic skills and leadership abilities grew. After earning bachelor\u2019s degrees in history and political science and a certificate in peace studies and conflict resolution from 51ÁÔÆæ, he went on to earn a law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a master\u2019s in public administration from Hamline University.<\/p>\n After a series of jobs in government and politics, Knutson joined Milwaukee County as director of government relations, \u201cworking on behalf of the community and advocating for resources.\u201d<\/p>\n He calls it his dream job, and said it wouldn\u2019t have happened without 51ÁÔÆæ.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m just very thankful for that experience I had at 51ÁÔÆæ. At another school maybe I wouldn\u2019t have had those opportunities to get involved and supportive professors who really cared about student performance. I’m just so grateful for that experience at 51ÁÔÆæ.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/03\/40under40-300x200-DSC00251-Zimmerman3.jpg\")
Meagan Johnson (\u201909 BFA Art Education)<\/h3>\n
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Hassan Akhtar (\u201908 BBA Marketing, \u201909 Post Baccalaureate Finance)<\/h3>\n
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David Binder (\u201809 BBA Marketing)<\/h3>\n
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Aaron Matter (\u201909 BBA Finance with Real Estate Certificate)<\/h3>\n
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