The donors, Joseph and Elaine Wojtowicz, are proud of their connection to the University and wish to provide a fund for the purpose of supporting graduate students in the School of Social Work whose intent is to help people as professional social workers.
Joseph Wojtowicz graduated from UW-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963 and a Master of Science in Social Work in 1970. His wife, Elaine Wojtowicz, graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1994 with a degree in Liberal Studies.
In school, Joseph was inspired to do psychiatric social work. After completing his master’s degree, he worked at Winnebago Mental Health Institute for a few years before going into adoption work, including special needs adoption. There, he found the benefit of combining psychiatric social work and adoptions in helping families and children, placing around 200 children so that they could have forever families.
Before retiring, Joseph did social work for the state for over 25 years. He also taught undergraduate social work classes at UW-Oshkosh, and worked with students from that university in social work placements throughout his career.
Joseph and Elaine established this scholarship to help future social workers. Joseph appreciated the opportunity to get a master’s degree, which led to a meaningful career in social work. “Society needs good social workers,” he said.