By Meggan Meisegeier
mmeisege@uwsuper.edu
Meet Scott Holmes. He is the newly appointed Interim Director at the Veteran and Nontraditional Student Center (VNSC) at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He is also a former student of UW-Superior, graduating last year with a bachelor’s degree in English.
After a long career as a chef, Holmes had to have a spinal fusion surgery that spurred his decision to return to school. He started out as an Elementary Education major but decided to change his major to English with a minor in Writing.
When Holmes started at UW-Superior, he checked off every requirement of a nontraditional student. He is a veteran, a parent and over the age of 25. However, these extra responsibilities never slowed Holmes down. The VNSC was a big help in Holmes’s integration into college life, offering help and advice. He joined multiple clubs and committees such as the English Club and the mock trial team. In the spring of 2018, Holmes was elected president of the Student Government Association.
“Get involved. Join clubs and get to know the campus and the people in it. But also, be careful to find a balance between your classes and your life,” said Holmes when asked what advice he would give to incoming nontraditional students.
After graduating, Holmes took a job overseas in China, spending four months teaching English. He would have stayed longer, but life had other plans. After the outbreak of COVID-19 began in the Chinese city of Wuhan, combined with the resulting quarantines, Holmes was told that the school he was teaching at was going to close. This factored into his decision to return home.
After returning home, Holmes started his job as the Interim Director of the VNSC this past March. However, he soon found his job here was affected as well. With school closures at UWS and across the country, Holmes now works from home. He holds virtual office hours from 10-12 every Tuesday and holds online meetings weekly with other departments.
