Wield the power of your experiences, you have what it takes
By Julia Wolf
Receiving honors for the sophomore class, left to right, are Holly Nesvacil, Natalie Steiger, Jadyn Waegli and Lucy Lindeman. Missing, are Bryannah Bremness, Tristan Drier, Eliana Eiler, Eva Enestvedt, Anna Glenz, Lauryn Goettl, Morgan Moldrem, Garrett Nerdrum, Lillian Olson, Jacob Rowe, Tyler Rowe, Kyle Seiberling, Brayden Sonnentag and Peter Weir.
Receiving honors for the junior class, in front, left to right, are Olivia Goodman, Shelby Gunem, Emily Malecki and Mallory Kyes. In back, are Allyssa Derks, Samuel Gindt, Makenna Barone and Tad Weiss. Missing, are Madison Grunseth, Teanna Miles, Breana Miller, Shane Pilgrim, Samuel Scheidler, Kaleb Sonnentag, Gavin Tegels and Ethan West.
Rae Anne (Buss) Ho Fung, a licensed psychologist, shared words of wisdom with Cadott honors students, at a congratulatory banquet, hosted by the Cadott Lions Club, May 12, at the school forest. She shared the story of how she found her way to resilience and growth.
Ho Fung is a Cadott High School alumna, and now has a doctorate in counseling psychology from UW-Milwaukee. Ho Fung currently is a licensed psychologist and specializes in trauma psychology. She is also an Army National Guard veteran and was deployed to Iraq, in 2009-10.
When preparing a speech, she says she always comes back to her truth and her desire to instill hope in others.
“I was one of those kids that shouldn’t have made it,” said Ho Fung.
She says she had domestic violence, and alcohol and drug use in her home, endured sexual abuse, had incarcerated parents and her mom died when she was a child.
“Trauma was threaded through the fabric of my life,” said Ho Fung.
She joined the military when she was 17, and it was her way out. It afforded her an education and her first career as a teacher in urban Milwaukee.
“From Milwaukee to the Middle East, I saw the world through the lens of trauma,” said Ho Fung.
The need she saw across the world, led her to more schooling, as she pursued her PhD. Ho Fung says she learned to channel her pain into empathy. She says she made it out and is committed to reaching her hand back, and pulling others up and through.
Ho Fung says everyone faces challenges in their lives and, chances are, some of the students have been touched by some of the experiences she described.
“If you are anything like I was at your age, you may be wondering, ‘do I have what it takes?’” said Ho Fung. “I’m here today to tell you, ‘yes.’”
She says she can say that with confidence, because they have the same roots in a small-town atmosphere.
Ho Fung says Cadott offers community, which helps develop meaning and purpose.
“It is the foundation of wellness,” said Ho Fung.
She encourages everyone to think of how they will strategically build community going into the next phases of their lives, including through friendships. She also asked students to reflect on who their mentors are and how they will grow to embody the qualities of a mentor themselves.
Ho Fung says gratitude is also important, and says finding large and small things to be thankful for every day, is important.
She says Cadott also instills hard work on residents, through activities like shoveling long driveways, mowing the lawn and farming.
“As things get tough in this stage of young adulthood, remember your roots,” said Ho Fung. “Remember, you can do hard things. Let the perseverance that helped you thrive here, be applied to whatever obstacles you face.”
Lastly, Ho Fung turned her attention to values.
“This is a town built on values,” said Ho Fung. “The values of community, hard work, family, spirituality, friendships, teamwork, and on and on.”
She says the most important thing she can impart on the students, is to take stock of their values and what their lives would look like if they were fully living those values.
“Trauma is threaded through the fabric of my life, but it is not my life,” said Ho Fung. “Learn to wield the power of your experiences, both bad and good, to shape a life that is filled with meaning, purpose and love.”
