Valerie Woiak Story

College is an important time in a person’s life. They learn about who they are and what they want to do with their future. This was especially true for Valerie (Koelsch) Woiak, a 1974 graduate from UW-River Falls.

“Without attending and eventually graduating from a great college like UWRF, I would have never become the person I am today,” Woiak said. “Socially, it created friends that I keep to this day, gave me a wonderful opportunity to go abroad, started my love of traveling and involvement in the fiber arts. Professionally, it gave me a basis and background that allowed me to work for a large company which valued my education.”

Thanks to the strong foundation that UWRF provided, she is now able and willing to give back to the university in a unique way.

In 2006, Woiak placed UWRF in her estate plans. It's a kind of giving that she found intriguing.

“The planned giving idea was one that I saw many years ago in a Falcon Features magazine," she said. "I noticed Kurt and Ruth Wild were contributing and felt that right now I may not have a large amount of money to donate, but through estate planning I can still be a contributor.”

Woiak said planned giving is the perfect solution for those who want to generously support the university and still feel comfortable with their current finances.

“Giving through my estate was a good option for me and is a good option for anyone who may not feel like they can contribute as much as they would like to right now,” she said. 

Woiak said her only hope in giving is that the students who benefit become "better prepared, compassionate, socially responsible" citizens of the world. She also encouraged the students to "pass it on" by donating to UWRF themselves. 

Woiak received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a major in broad area art. She is recently retired from 3M and lives in Houlton, Wis. with her husband, Mike.

Valerie Woiak, '74

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