Shane Funmaker, who is from Reedsburg, WI is a senior majoring in Social Welfare/Public Policy.

What has been one of your favorite college memories so far?

My favorite college memories so far has been the opportunity to travel for different conferences, to D.C. for the summer, and being in my own community. Also, the football games are an amazing time every time.

What do you hope to do after college? 

After receiving my Bachelors degree I plan to move to D.C. for a year to gain some Government Affairs experience working with Indigenous Organizations. I am hoping that the National American Indian Housing Council specifically as I also currently sit on the Board of Commissioners serving as the current Chairperson for the Ho-Chunk Nation Housing and Community Development agency. I hope to continue my work on the board as I head back after a year in D.C. to Law School here in Madison.

Why did you choose a social work major?

I chose Social Welfare due to my interest in Policy and ways to directly impact my communities in short and long term decisions. Indian Country has been plagued with constant loss of community members across generations. I only hope to work to help create solutions and healing in my communities and others like mine.

How would you describe your experience in the social work program so far?

The Social Work Program has been very welcoming since I transferred from Madison College with my A.A, at the beginning of Fall 2025. The professors and staff are very well informed but also interested in what the student have to say. I have experienced this first hand with bringing in my knowledge as an Indigenous Student raised in my community.

What has been your favorite course in the program so far and why?

My absolute favorite course in the program was Social Work 636: Indian Child Welfare Act, instructed by the incredibly experienced Stephanie Lozano. This class was able to provide the context and details needed to be an effective Social Work Policy worker. We were able to leave the semester with an understanding of how the Child Welfare System worked for and against Indian Children.

What would you say to someone considering this major?

Do you care about People? If yes, there is somewhere for you to exist and help people within Social Work and something that you love.

What’s something on your bucket list and why?

Recently, I completed an item on my bucket list that I added in 2023, while attending the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Emerging Leaders Program at NDSU. We learned about many aspects of food sovereignty from teachers across North Dakota and Minnesota. At the end of the program, we imagined food sovereignty programs we could implement in our communities. That’s when I came up with the idea for an intergenerational community camp to help foster knowledge transfer.

This month, I was able to bring that idea to life by holding the first Roots of Responsibility Camp at the Upham Woods UW-Extension site, with support from the Running Strong Foundation’s Dreamstarter Program and the Wisconsin Idea Fellowship at the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

My next bucket-list goals are to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and run a Half Ironman.

Is there anything else that you’d like to include? 

As the Executive Director of Cloud Legacies Inc., I’m grateful for the knowledge and wisdom I continue to gain as I work to support communities like ours. I hope I won’t be the last Indigenous student to walk these halls with that same goal. I want to help make the path more welcoming for those who come after me.