Cram's Daily News
By: Jenny Cram
Broadcast Version of Alison's Story
University of South Carolina- NSE
The Life of Alison Deininger
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Spending time with friends and family, relaxing, enjoying the hot weather and vacationing. Those are just a few examples of what University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire student, Alison Deininger, enjoys in her spare time.
Deininger, a 21-year-old senior at UWEC, looks back on her past with fond memories of her childhood and her early adult life.
Deininger grew up in Oregon, Wis., a small suburb outside of Madison, Wis. She is an only child to her loving and happily married parents and enjoyed her childhood very much, Deininger said.
John Deininger, Alison’s father, fondly remembered what she was like as a child.
“One of the things I will always remember is playing in the pool with you when you were young.” John Deininger said.
Deininger’s father described her as always being active when she was young. But she was cautious at the same time, he said.
“I’ve never seen anyone who can jump off the diving board and never get her hair wet.” he said. “The way you jump in and immediately start kicking and waving your hands to keep above the water always cracks me up.”
Deininger also enjoyed other local recreational activities in her young life.
From the time she was 8 until about 14 years old, Deininger was involved in gymnastics. She also became interested in dance when she was only 10 years old and continued to follow that passion throughout her high school career.
“I loved being on my high school dance team.” Deininger said.
The Oregon High School dance team was an experience that Deininger will never forget. It was a time to make great friends and enjoy high school, she said.
High school was also a time for Deininger to enjoy vacations with her family.
One of Deininger’s favorite memories with her family is their cruise to the Bahamas, she said.
“We took the Princess Cruise line to the Bahamas and had an amazing experience.” Deininger said. “I would do it again in a second.”
For Deininger, high school was a time to be with friends and family and enjoy all the experiences that she could, Deininger said.
After graduation from high school, Deininger decided to further her education at UWEC in the Public Relations field. She finished her freshman year and lasted one more semester in Eau Claire, Wis.
Then it was time to move on, she said.
Deininger participated in the National Student Exchange Program at the University of South Carolina for her spring semester during her sophomore year.
Deininger had a plan while she was in South Carolina. The plan was to only stay there for one semester to experience life in another city.
But sometimes plans change, she said.
“I loved the weather and the change of scenery so much that I decided to extend my stay for another year.” Deininger said.
Deininger lived and attended classes in South Carolina for a year and half. Then it was time to come home, she said.
“I realized I had fulfilled all the experiences I wanted to and was ready to come home.” Deininger said. “I am finishing up my schooling back at Eau Claire and will graduate next Dec. of 2008.”
Deininger had something else waiting for her back in Eau Claire. That was her boyfriend since her freshman year of college, Dan Beilke.
Beilke and Deininger spend as much time together as they can right now, Beilke said. They enjoy each others company.
“Alison is outgoing, pretty, kind and funny.” Beilke said when asked to describe Deininger. “She knows how to make others around her feel good…she’s got great interpersonal skills.” he said.
Beilke knew from the first time he was introduced to Deininger, through mutual friends, that the two of them would get along well with each other. But their first date together made Beilke a little nervous. The cause for his nervousness, because of Deininger’s biggest pet peeve, he said.
Deininger hates when people talk out of turn and when people are rude to their waiters and waitresses, Beilke said.
Deininger cannot stand when people are rude to employees who are just doing their job, she said.
“I truly think that after a first date out with a guy you can tell how he will be, depending on how he talks to his mother and father, but also how he speaks to the waiter at a restaurant.” Deininger said.
The first date worked out and Beilke and Deininger decided they have a lot in common and went for it, she said.
Alison Deininger’s life has gone in the direction she had always hoped for. At least for this far.
Deininger plans on continuing to build for her future in many different ways. She will be graduating from UWEC in Dec. 2008 and is not completely sure what will happen after that, she said. Some aspects of her life are still uncertain.
“As of today graduate school is not in my future.” Deininger said.
But she does know one thing, at least for now. Deininger plans on moving back to the Madison area after graduation. Soon after she returns home she would like to begin planning for her future family and her career, she said.
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