UW-River Falls Career and Internship Fair connects students with employers, opportunities

 

UW-River Falls Career and Internship Fair connects students with employers, opportunities

Alumni play a major role in recruiting UWRF students for jobs and internships

Oct. 9, 2026 — University of Wisconsin-River Falls students explored career possibilities, made professional connections and learned about job and internship opportunities during the university’s fall Career and Internship Fair, held Wednesday at the University Center.

The fair brought together students from all majors with 95 employers. Students could also have a free professional headshot photo taken to use in social media profiles and job application materials.

“There is real value in giving students the chance to talk face to face with employers,” said UWRF Director of Career Services Jessica Wekkin. “They can ask questions, learn about opportunities they may not have considered and practice presenting themselves professionally. Those are skills that will serve them well throughout their careers.”

Employers participating in the fair represented a range of industries.

Josh Rhoades, an assistant supervisor in the Infectious Diseases Serology Lab in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine in Rochester, Minn., has represented Mayo at the fair for several years.

“We like to come up to River Falls looking for individuals who are studying biology, chemistry or biomedical science, looking for them as a possibility for lab techs or just to get them into the door and introduce them to Mayo Clinic,” Rhoades said.

Many of the employer representatives were UWRF alumni. Karleigh Wolkerstorfer, a campus recruiter for financial services company Northwestern Mutual, is a 2017 exercise science graduate and played on the women’s hockey team, winning four WIAC championships and making three trips to the NCAA Division 3 Final Four.

“We are hiring interns to be certified financial advisors,” Wolkerstorfer said. “We have had a number of River Falls students come through our internship program and then go full time with us.” 

Wolkerstorfer said it is a treat to recruit students from her alma mater.

“I love coming back to campus as often as I can, whether it’s for the Career Fair or coming to sporting events,” she said. “I just love this campus.”

For John Klemp, a regional sales manager for John Deere Dealership Riesterer & Schnell, the career fair was a return to the very spot his career started. 

“After my junior year at UWRF, I was hired for an internship at Riesterer & Schnell right here at the Career Fair,” said Klemp, who graduated in 2017 with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. He followed that up with an internship at John Deere corporate, then took a full-time position with Riesterer & Schnell after graduation. 

“My goal here is to find the next group of interns for Riesterer & Schnell,” Klemp said. “We’ve had a great internship program that has brough us a lot of great employees. We’re looking to continue that.” 

Career Services offered resources and advice to prepare students for the Career Fair, including resume help, guidance on how to dress, interact and follow up with potential employers, and the opportunity to research employers using the Handshake app.

Emma Gilliland, a junior marketing communications major from Osceola, has been gaining experience as a student doing social media work for the men’s hockey and football teams and as a student employee in University Marketing and Communications. For her, the fair was an opportunity to look toward the future and make some connections.

“I prepared for the fair by going to a resume review session in Career Services, picking out a business casual outfit and reviewing the list of employers so I knew who I should talk to,” Gilliland said. “It was fun. There were a lot of people there.” 

The fair is one of the career development opportunities offered by UWRF Career Services to help students prepare for life after graduation. Other events include resume review sessions, practice interviews, an etiquette dinner and employer panels where students can network and learn from employers in their fields. 

The help doesn’t end on graduation day.

“We’ll continue to work with alumni who are seeking employment,” Wekkin said. “And past alumni making job transitions will sometimes reach out for help with resume updates, job searching and advice about the changes artificial intelligence is bringing to the process. We are always happy to help our Falcons succeed.”

The next UWRF Career and Internship Fair is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Photo: Kelsey Brenna, a human resources coordinator for Uline, talks with a student at the UW-River Falls Career and Internship Fair Wednesday. 95 employers were on hand to discuss career and internship opportunities. UWRF photo.