Jolene Anders

I’m currently a Staff Sergeant in the Wisconsin Army National Guard (WIARNG) and first enlisted in December 2010 as a Human Resources Specialist. After completion of my initial entry training, I started my bachelor’s at UW–Madison in 2012. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and Iraq in 2016, causing me to step away from classes for three years. I returned to campus in the spring of 2017 and finished my B.A. in Political Science in 2019. I became a Veteran Services Coordinator at UW and started the first coffee club for women veterans on campus that same year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was put on active duty orders again in March 2020. Between the state’s pandemic response and other missions, I was on orders for over two years before returning to campus a second time in July 2022. I couldn’t be more excited to be back at UW, and I’m passionate about helping students navigate the college experience and find purpose after the military. When I’m not working for either UW or the WIARNG, I’m usually spending time with my dog or going to concerts with my husband.