Inspiring Graduate: KC Maternowski (’26)
- Hometown: Milwaukee
- Degree: M.S. Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology
When searching for a master’s program that interested him, KC Maternowski found that UW-Stout was one of the only schools in Wisconsin that offered an in-person industrial/organizational psychology program.
“Immediately, it stood out to me. When I learned more about Stout’s polytechnic approach and applied emphasis, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. To me, the blend of academic scholarship and real-world application is the perfect bridge to make sustainable, lasting change,” said Maternowski, who has a bachelor’s in business administration from UW-Eau Claire.
After completing a human resources internship at Rockwell Automation, a manufacturing, automation and software company based in Milwaukee, Maternowski received his M.S. in applied industrial/organizational psychology from UW-Stout on May 16, among more than 1,000 of his peers.
Maternowski has begun conversations with Rockwell about a full-time position with the company. “My goal right now is to build my resume and gain some experience, and then continue with my education to eventually teach and pass on the knowledge I learned here,” he said.
Of this year’s graduates, 77.4% were hired prior to graduation, while 99% of recent graduates were employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation.
How do you hope to make an impact in your field?
I believe the best thing we can do is continue to learn and educate ourselves. I always strive for growth and making sure that we all learn from our mistakes. Traditional methods are important, but not at the sacrifice of better, sustainable practices.
My goal is to continue building on scientific and evidence-based reasoning within business, and ensure that organizations recognize their impact on people. I want to change people’s perspectives and the relationships they have with work.
How has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?
Stout has continued to push my work to reflect the rapid, changing pace we see within the market. My projects have continued to develop my portfolio and make me an adaptable candidate for any position.
My favorite experience was working with a real Menomonie-based client and helping create an intervention within their business. Not many people can say they have real-world experience working with real companies, and that is just one of the many things I have done within my program.
What projects were you involved in during your internship with Rockwell Automation?
I took part in a large project overhauling Rockwell’s leave of absence program and efficiency. I interviewed and worked with different departments, becoming familiar with complex systems that allow the company to operate globally.
Working with them for almost a year, I think my biggest takeaway is how important those foundation skills are. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity will support you, no matter your role. You can train and practice for any position, but those skills are what make you stand out as a candidate.
What stands out about your UW-Stout experience?
The number one thing that has always grounded me was my professors. In our program, we have three amazing professors who share their knowledge, experience and expertise in everything that they do. They lead with empathy and understanding, while pushing for excellence and challenging you to become better.
Additionally, they all have experience in our field and actively share what they have learned from their careers, giving students the upper hand. They have their own specialties and disciplines that give a wide, diverse perspective to the material, and encourage those unique voices to share in the classroom.
There is no other school that prepares you to be a better scholar, professional and person like UW-Stout’s M.S. AIOP program does.
How did your involvement impact your experience?
I participated in many research and psychology conferences. My most memorable was the Midwest Psychological Association Conference, in Chicago, Illinois. As a program, we all traveled to Chicago and spent a week attending lectures, presenting our research and networking with professionals. The experience was extremely eye-opening about the larger community outside of Stout and the diverse array of avenues to focus and specialize within our careers.
With my cohort member Josh Green and Professor Dana Linnell, we presented our project on Trust in HR Scale: Development and Validation. The scale measure employees’ trust in their human resources departments. We interviewed subject-matter experts, pilot-tested with human resources management students, and collected final data from a Prolific sample, analyzing the reliability and validity of the scale in a U.S. population.
What challenges did you face in earning your degree, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest struggles within graduate school is just finding a balance for the many aspects of your life. Your schooling and education can feel so heavy, especially when it starts to bleed into your personal life. You have to be a student, a growing professional, a responsible adult, a good friend, a supportive family member or partner, and everything else that makes us unique. When one of these parts of ourselves takes over, it can be hard to find time, energy or motivation to care for another.
But I found that even as I struggled to find this balance, it was the people around me who lifted me and led me to the finish line. It is a special thing to have others you can rely on and a purpose to follow, but you need those things to keep yourself from drowning. You need those things to thrive.
What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?
I am extremely proud of myself for balancing work with school this last year. It was a heavy commitment and took a lot of energy to perform well within both roles, but I felt I gained invaluable experience.
By pushing myself, I learned more about myself than I would have if I had stood still and stagnant. Through my experiences, I figured out how I work, discovered my boundaries, and what it truly means to recover.
There were so many people in my corner, as well, that I could rely on if I ever felt overwhelmed by the pressure. It was such a privilege and honor to finish my degree, not just for me, but for everyone around me who has always known what I was capable of.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of empathy. Care for our friends, family, and neighbors is what leads us to be better people, a better version of ourselves. When we see someone hurt and empathize with them, we immediately search for answers and solutions. When we see many people suffering, we argue for change and action.
We should empathize with ourselves, give ourselves patience and the space to grow. You cannot separate education from people, and learning does not happen in isolation. If we can all become a little more empathetic, there is no limit to what we can learn.
