Mother of two always wanted to get an MBA and is ready to walk the stage again at UWO Commencement

Sarah Bolwerk, second from left, who will graduate next week with a master’s degree in business administration, takes a family photo in her commencement dress. She is with her sons, Caleb, left, and Cayden, right, and her husband Justin Bolwerk.

When Sarah (Miracle) Bolwerk ’13 was questioning her decision to work full time, be a mother and present partner to her two boys and husband. And returning to school for her master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, all she had to think about was her mother.

Bolwerk’s mother, Valerie Williams ’01, who earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources, was a single mother raising three children and working as a waitress at a local restaurant. Bolwerk’s parents divorced when she was 4, and her father was not a part of her life growing up.

“My mother knew that to better her life and the lives of us kids, she had to go back to school,” said Bolwerk, of Winneconne, who will be among the more than 1,300 graduates who will walk across the stage at the start of the school year on May 18. Bolwerk will earn his master’s degree in business administration.

“(My mother) persevered through the challenges of working, going to school and raising three children for the first few years, on her own and then with the support of my stepfather,” Bolwerk said. “It took my mother seven years to complete her undergraduate degree. I am so inspired by her. She did her best for our family.

Her mother is equally proud and inspired by her daughter’s achievements.

“As a parent, you dream of your children growing up into happy, successful, caring adults,” said Williams, who works as a human resources professional for a dairy manufacturer in Appleton. “I am honored that she considers me as someone who inspired her to be more and do more. I couldn’t be more proud of Sarah’s accomplishments and the extraordinary woman she is. Honestly, she is an inspiration to me!

Bolwerk majored in accounting and earned her business degree from UW Oshkosh in 2013. The summer after graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Justin Bolwerk ’13, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. Soon after, they had two sons, now ages 5 and 8.

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Bolwerk always wanted to get an advanced degree, but didn’t know how to add school to his already busy home and work life. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked full time as an accountant, first at Oshkosh Defense and then at Miller Electric Manufacturing in Appleton, where she progressed to the position of accounting manager. She is now responsible for financial planning and analysis for M2S Group in Appleton, an engineered coatings specialist comprising three companies: Appvion, Decorative Films and Nekoosa Coated Products.

“I was holding back because I had kids and I didn’t have time… but then again, I always had in mind that my mother had completed her undergraduate degree with three children and as a single mother,” Bolwerk said. “Then why can’t I do it?” And I have a supportive husband and two children who can help me.

It took a supervisor from her old job to give her the push she needed.

“He said, ‘Hey, if you want to be a controller, CFO, CFO (CFO) one day, I highly suggest you go back and get your master’s degree,’” Bolwerk said. “I came home from work that day and did my research. I knew I wanted to do my master’s program at UWO. I understood how long this was going to take. I applied that evening and was enrolled in classes two weeks later.

That was in January 2021. Today, she is getting her MBA. Her mother and stepfather, as well as her husband and children, will be in the audience to cheer her on at the start.

Her mother is not surprised by her daughter’s ability to juggle multiple roles well.

“Sarah was always someone who strived to succeed,” Williams said. “In high school, she got her first job at age 15 and saved for a year so she could buy her first car after getting her license, and at one point she worked three part-time jobs, all while juggling cheerleading and powerlifting, AND while maintaining straight A’s and a social life And did she tell you that she recently coached her son’s soccer team in addition to her job and school?

Even though Bolwerk’s children are still a long way from college, she hopes they will one day see her as a role model, like her mother was to her.

“I want to show them that anyone can be successful if they set a goal and achieve it,” she said. “It’s a balance between having high aspirations and going after what you want and not having to overwork yourself to get there.”

Learn more:

Study Accounting at UWO

Study Human Resource Management at UWO

Financing studies at UWO