Posted 12:20 p.m. Friday, July 9, 2021
UW-La Crosse instructor is tops in Wisconsin, Midwest
An instructor in UW-La Crosse’s ROTC Eagle Battalion has received high teaching marks in Wisconsin — and across the Midwest.
Sgt. 1st Class JoAnn Wampole-Swanson has been named the Wisconsin Military Science Instructor of the Year, recognizing her as the No. 1 Wisconsin Army National Guard Instructor in the state. That honor put her in the running for a similar honor in the Midwest.
Wampole-Swanson won that too, being named the Midwest Brigade’s Instructor of the Year. The brigade includes 47 ROTC programs across the Midwest, including those on campuses in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Wampole-Swanson teaches first-year students from UWL and Viterbo University in the Eagle Battalion. Students from Saint Mary’s in Winona and Winona State University also serve in the battalion.
Lt. Col. Erik Archer, chair of the UWL Military Science Department, says Wampole-Swanson is an exceptional teacher and leader. He calls receiving both distinctions an “incredible honor,” but “absolutely appropriate” given her ability and talent.
“She is passionate, welcoming, dedicated and every student leaves her classroom feeling like they're part of a special team,” says Archer.
Wampole-Swanson, who has been at UWL for two-and-a-half years, enjoys being an instructor and mentor to cadets who are growing and developing as future leaders in the U.S. Army.
“It is amazing to me how much students learn and grow in a short period of time,” Wampole-Swanson notes. “It's very rewarding to watch them develop. I learn just as much from them as they learn from me. Every one of my students brings something unique to our classroom and I like to think they shape me into a better person, instructor and leader.”
Wampole-Swanson doesn’t believe she does anything out of the ordinary. But her students know differently.
When the university switched to virtual classes in March 2020 due to COVID-19, she reached out to her students — weekly.
“I would call my students each week just to be in contact and see how they were handling the change and to make sure they were financially sound and if they had food and necessities that they would need while social distancing at home,” she explains. “Being an NCO/Instructor is like being a parent. You think about them like your own children and hope they make right choices, but more importantly, learn from their mistakes.”
Ever humble, Wampole-Swanson says it’s an honor to serve the Army and UWL.
“I am thankful for being a part of what makes our future a great one,” she says. “I believe in our institution and the great people it provides to a great nation. It is an honor to serve, and I am extremely grateful that my Army career has brought me here to UWL.”
Want to find out what the Eagle Battalion is like?
Here’s a short, end-of-the-year assignment created by a UW-La Crosse Eagle Battalion member that gives an inside view of being in ROTC: https://youtu.be/JuXEqT9zBOQ