In August 2026, after five years of exceptional service, WiLS Operations Assistant Nick Smith will strike out for new adventures in the Twin Cities. We are endlessly grateful for those years, and he will be sorely missed. We are a better organization because of his work. In his own words below, Nick shares a reflection and a look ahead.
When I leave WiLS in August, I’ll have worked here for five years, two months, and twenty-nine days. Approximately 18% of my life thus far and 9.5% of WiLS’s existence. I’ve changed immensely since WiLS decided to hire 23-year-old me, and my time here has been a strong catalyst of that. I’ve learned and grown, and I’m looking forward to taking all of this with me in my next journeys.
I’ve been working on our Cooperative Purchasing and Admin teams for a good while, but this fall I’ll be starting a master’s program in cartography and GIS at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. I just moved up to Minneapolis last week, the hottest week of the year of course! After ten years of enjoying living in Madison, it felt like the right time to try something new and strike out somewhere else for a while.
Though I love my coworkers dearly and they’ve become good friends over the years, I’m looking forward to a change in pace, a change in scenery, and a change in life. I’m excited to be able to work in-person again and explore a vibrant new city. I’ll be biking around, taking the trains, immersing myself in community, and trying all sorts of new things. I find it really easy to get set in my ways – for better and for worse – and a shake-up like this is exactly what I need right now.
I’m also excited to have a dishwasher in my new apartment; that’s pretty huge for me.
Suffice to say, the last year for me has been full of a lot of change, and now that the precipice of leaving WiLS and starting school is upon me, that pace is going to both settle down and accelerate. I’ve made the hard decisions, I’ve made the hard moves, and now it’s time to dive into the next chapter.
I’m more grateful than I can say for all the love, support, and assurance my fellow WiLSians and our wonderful community have given me these last five years. As the tears start to flow typing this, I’m so glad to pass on this wonderful experience to Liz and Marcy (who you will learn more about in next month’s Chronicle!). It’s no secret that there’s something special at WiLS, and I’m going to miss that. I hope to take with me even just a sprinkle of it and pass it on.
I promise to keep in touch, and if you see me around, don’t hesitate to say hello!
