College of Education Award Recipients

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA OF THE YEAR AWARD

Joanne Geritz Quick, Grad '62

Wauwatosa, Wis.

It was a different world when Joanne walked across the Commencement stage in 1962. Cited as a significant time of change for women in the 20th century, Joanne credits her school leadership degree from the College of Education for preparing her to “accept the challenges of high school administration.”

“Choosing Marquette was a calling, and the choice inspired me to contribute to education in a time of changing roles for females within the education world and the Catholic Church,” she says.

In April 2017, Joanne retired from her position as school counseling specialist in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. She previously has worked in various administrative roles with Milwaukee-area public and private schools, serving at Whitnall High School and in Grand Forks, N.D.

Joanne tried to retire on three separate occasions, first in 1993, but the world of education kept pulling her back. She turned one post-retirement project into a counseling model emulated nationwide. Hers is a career full of historic milestones. Throughout her different stops, she has kept a singular focus.

“My passion is to make a difference in the lives of students,” she says. “The title I held and the amount of money I made was never a measure of my success. I measured success by living a life of service for the students, staff and families.”

Fun fact: One of Joanne’s current goals includes “reinventing myself as a contributing member of a faith-based retirement community.”