Submitted by Julian Emerson, UWRF
RIVER FALLS, WI – A former University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) student athlete who found his life’s direction after enrolling at the university nearly three decades ago as a nontraditional student has been hired to raise money for his alma mater’s Athletic Department.
Scott Sekelsky recently began working in a newly created position in the UW-River Falls Advancement Office. Sekelsky will focus on fundraising and creating partnerships to benefit the university’s athletic programs. His hiring marks the first time UWRF has had a dedicated fundraiser for athletics.
“There is a lot to learn, but I am very excited about this new role,” Sekelsky said. “My biggest motivation is I care about this place, and I want to see it succeed.”
Sekelsky enrolled at UW-River Falls in 1996. He hadn’t even heard of the university until a classmate at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities told him about the smaller campus just across the Mississippi River.
“I thought UW-River Falls might be a good fit for me,” Sekelsky recalled. “It turns out it was.”
At the time, Sekelsky was looking to get more physically fit. He hadn’t previously been a distance runner but decided to join the UW-River Falls cross country team. He finished near the back of the pack in his first race, but he was hooked.
“That race lit a fire in me,” Sekelsky said. “I discovered that cross country was something I really liked.”
Sekelsky found his academic footing at UW-River Falls as well. He didn’t know what he wanted to major in or do for a profession. But he discovered that he enjoyed exercise science and graduated with a degree in that discipline in 1998.
Following graduation, Sekelsky took a job at Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin as that medical facility’s fitness director, a job he held for a quarter century until his being hired at UW-River Falls.
Sekelsky later reconnected with his alma mater. He was hired in 2005 to coach the UW-River Falls women’s cross-country program, a job he held until 2014. During his tenure, Sekelsky coached six national qualifiers – including one national champion in the outdoor 5,000 meters in 2008 – and seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference individual champions. He was inducted into the UWRF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021 as part of the coaching staff of the Falcons’ 2008 national championship women’s outdoor track and field team.
When Western Wisconsin Health built a new hospital in 2016, Sekelsky learned about raising money firsthand. As part of that effort, the fitness center portion of the facility where Sekelsky worked needed to raise $2 million. Sekelsky was tapped to be part of the fundraising team.
“I always wanted to do fundraising, but I never knew I was passionate enough about something to really do that,” he said. “Then that opportunity came along, and I realized that project was something I really cared about.”
Sekelsky helped raise money for the fitness center, experience he said will serve him well in his new role at UW-River Falls. Since his hiring, Sekelsky has spent time assessing athletic facility and program needs. The university will reintroduce baseball and men’s soccer in the 2024-25 academic year, and Sekelsky plans facilities upgrades for those sports.
Rick Foy, assistant chancellor for university advancement, said Sekelsky’s community connections, fundraising experience and ties to UW-River Falls make him the perfect fit for the new position.
“We’re delighted to welcome Scott to the UWRF advancement team,” Foy said. “His deep connection with Falcon athletics, combined with his proven and effective leadership, communication and fundraising skills provide a strong foundation for Scott’s future success.”
Sekelsky said he is focusing on building on his many existing relationships in the region, an effort intended to grow the UW-River Falls fundraising base. Among his goals is increasing the amount of money raised for athletics during the university’s annual Giving Day fundraiser. He said he is eager to increase resources for the university where he found his place so many years ago.
“I’m passionate about this university. I’m excited to do everything I can do to help its athletic programs grow and succeed,” he said.
