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UW-La Crosse Professor of Educational Studies Heather Linville helps local middle school student Julia Bacalso on her digital storytelling project. Through the “We Live in La Crosse: Stories of Belonging” project, Linville hopes to amplify diverse voices in the La Crosse community.
Aini Anderson, a student at Holmen Middle School, created a story about her passion for logrolling — a sport she picked up at 6 years old after her father saw an article in the newspaper.
An award-winning logroller who started at 6 years old.
A school district employee supporting coffee bean farmers in his native Guatemala.
These are the types of stories featured in “We Live in La Crosse: Stories of Belonging” — a digital storytelling project led by UW-La Crosse professor of educational studies Heather Linville.
“As someone who has made La Crosse her home, I’ve been thinking about how to amplify people whose voices are often hidden,” Linville explains. “Our goal is to work with them — people who are multilingual or come from diverse backgrounds — and give them the tools to share their story.”
One week in mid-July, Linville and digital storyteller Polina Vinogradova hosted 15 local students and community members in a computer lab at Lincoln Middle School in La Crosse.
Linville and Vinogradova showed the class examples of digital storytelling, exploring themes of home, belonging and multilingualism.
Students also learned about digital storytelling software and techniques, such as how to blend photos and audio clips into a cohesive narrative.
Some of the stories will be featured during a public exhibition Friday, Sept. 16, at the Pump House Regional Arts Center. The exhibition will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with a cash bar opening at 5:30 p.m.
“When we started the project, they had no idea what their story would be or where it was going to go,” Linville says. “It’s been fun to see them respond to the project and really get engaged.”
With guidance from Linville and Vinogradova, the students developed unique and colorful stories based on their life experiences.
Julia Bacalso, a student at Longfellow Middle School, created a story about her love for Korean pop music.
Victoria Stojalowsky, a student at Logan Middle School, focused on her favorite sports: volleyball, softball, basketball and others.
And Aini Anderson, a student at Holmen Middle School, shared her passion for logrolling, a sport she picked up at 6 years old after her father saw an article in the newspaper.
“I tell the story of when I was a beginner up to today, and how much I’ve gone uphill and gotten better,” Aini says. “Logrolling is fun, but it’s a lot harder than it looks. My friend tried it out and could barely stay on.”
Aini, proud yet humble, says she kept her footing for more than an hour once.
Crafting these memories into a story — and watching others do the same — was educational and rewarding, Aini says.
“It’s a lot of people doing a lot of different things. Everyone set their mind on something different,” she explains. “I’m really glad I did this. It was really interesting.”
Edgar Rodriguez, a teaching assistant interpreter for the School District of La Crosse, took the opportunity to support a cause near to his heart.
Rodriguez remains close to many people in his native Guatemala, including coffee farmers who are struggling due to economic conditions and a hurricane that devastated the country in 2020.
To support them, he sells their coffee beans in the La Crosse area, where profits are much greater. He also runs an Airbnb offering guests workshops on coffee history, coffee roasting and coffee tasting.
He calls these efforts Coffee for Hope, the basis of his story.
“I want to help the community and improve the lives of these coffee farmers and their families,” he explains. “When I started the digital storytelling workshop, I didn’t know much about it. Now, I have an opportunity to express myself and share my story with a wider audience.”
Best of all, Linville notes, these storytelling projects are not self-contained.
The skills developed through the workshop can be applied in many ways, far into the future.
“We want everyone to leave with these skills and these tools,” Linville says. “A story can be more than just words.”
Former vice president of IBM Global Microsoft Alliance.
Former CEO of ATI Physical Therapy.
Scientist researching mosquito-transmitted diseases.
Former captain in the U.S. Army, Purple Heart recipient.
Former president of G. Heileman Brewing Co.
Holocaust educator, high school teacher, community ambassador.
Former UW-L gymnastics coach, led the program to 17 national titles.
General manager of the Green Bay Packers.
Former UW-L football coach, led program to three national titles.
Commissioner of the America East Conference, a Division I athletic conference in the northeastern United States.
Former manager with U.S. and European manned space programs.
American television chef and author.
Filmmaker, journalist and educator specializing in Native American history and culture in Wisconsin.
American Ho-Chunk artist and professor.
President of Koan AgroScience and mapper of the rice genome.
Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District.
Native American singer-songwriter, three-time Grammy Award winner.
Sociologist and professor researching the causes and effects of genocide.
Co-founder and CEO of Preventice Solutions, a mobile healthcare company.
Founder, chairman and CEO of Loop Capital investment firm.
Sprinter, 2004 Olympic Gold medalist in 4x400m men’s relay.
Wisconsin state senator representing La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford and Monroe counties.
Entrepreneur, Festival Foods business owner, philanthropist.
Retired professional fundraiser, community ambassador.
Former commander of Coronado Naval Base.
Vice president of public relations for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Inventor, co-developer of the hand-held calculator.
Mayor-president of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, former journalist and professor.
Did you know the director of “Rebel Without a Cause” and the first black American to compete in the Olympics both have ties to La Crosse?
These photos are filled with many familiar faces and places from our area’s past.
Campus Connection appears Sundays in the La Crosse Tribune to spotlight student and faculty achievements at the UW-L, Viterbo and Western Technical College. The campuses provide these features on a rotating basis.
“We live in La Crosse: Stories of belonging” was made possible by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and its “A More Perfect Union” initiative. It is part of Linville’s sabbatical research.
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UW-La Crosse Professor of Educational Studies Heather Linville helps local middle school student Julia Bacalso on her digital storytelling project. Through the “We Live in La Crosse: Stories of Belonging” project, Linville hopes to amplify diverse voices in the La Crosse community.
Aini Anderson, a student at Holmen Middle School, created a story about her passion for logrolling — a sport she picked up at 6 years old after her father saw an article in the newspaper.
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