Michele & Tad Lipschultz

Overcoming obstacles and beating the odds is nothing new for Michele Lipschultz. Her life began as an uphill battle. Michele’s father died of cancer before she was born. She had no brothers or sisters, it was just Michele and her mother living on their own in Gainesville, Florida. The environment in her home was not a healthy one. They did not have much money, and even though Michele’s mother did the best she could, Michele’s childhood was filled with heartache and pain. By the time Michele was in high school, she was homeless for a time, and was in and out of the foster care system.

Through all of this, Michele had a dream. Her dream was to break the cycle, beat the odds, and graduate from college, something her mother was unable to do. Michele was willing to do whatever it took to realize her dream. She knew her mother could not help her financially, so Michele worked multiple odd jobs to save money for college, including many long, hot days in the tobacco fields of Florida. She resisted the temptations that were put in front of her, all because she had a dream, to graduate from college.

After saving every penny she could, and acquiring some financial assistance, Michele was able to enroll in college. Michele wanted to major in business, and after doing her research, she felt a degree from a northern university would hold more weight than one from Florida, so she came to Wisconsin.

The road was not easy, and during her early college career at UW Oshkosh, the same outside temptations she resisted before almost became too much for Michele to overcome. She nearly gave up her dream. But she didn’t give up, she kept fighting. She continued to do whatever it took to achieve her goal. She continued to work hard, even spending her summer vacations in Alaska working in salmon fisheries to help pay for her education.

Then it happened. In 1996, Michele’s dream came true. She not only graduated from UW Oshkosh, she did so with a double major in marketing and finance. Michele was not done though. After being out of school for years, she wanted to go back and get her master’s degree. She had a new dream. She was married, she was working full time, her husband worked full time, and she had two children. Life was very busy, sometimes downright hectic, but once again she found a way to make it happen. It took almost 6 years, and lots of hard work, but in 2008 Michele graduated with an MBA from UW Oshkosh.

Michele is an inspiration and hero to her family and friends. She is a perfect example of someone who had every reason to give up, but never did. Her perseverance, hard work, and willingness to do whatever it took to realize her dreams is a great example for everyone. Michele realizes that she beat the odds, and she is extremely grateful for it. To this day, Michele tries to repay that gratitude by doing volunteer and charity work, and she has a true passion and gift for working with, and helping young women. The Michele Lipschultz Freshman Scholarship was established in 2008 to honor Michele, but more importantly, to help other young students beat the odds and make their dreams come true.