Meet the people who make Safer Badgers work

It’s a big job to help keep campus safe through the pandemic.

As part of UW–Madison’s Safer Badgers effort, people are needed to answer questions over phone and email, staff the testing sites, support the app, manage building access and more.

Meet some of the people who make this effort work and help keep our whole campus community safe. (For more profiles, see this and this.)

Leah, student agent at DoIT’s Help Desk

Leah’s a junior computer engineering major from Menomonee Falls who plays a mean Mario Kart — and she’s one of 75 “Level One” student agents who work for DoIT’s Help Desk, answering your questions about the Safer Badgers app and providing any other technical support you might need. And with the Help Desk’s team spirit vibe, Leah says: “There is no problem you have to solve alone.”

When she’s not listening to Fall Out Boy, Leah dreams about one day being able to safely spend a summer night at the Terrace, enjoying the sunset and live music with her friends. Meanwhile, it’s music to her ears when she can help someone navigate a technical issue.

“When I can help someone figure out a solution to a problem they are having, I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment,” Leah says. “And I am happy that I am able to help serve a member of my campus community.”

Samaria, testing technician, Safer Badgers

As a marketing major who dreams of one day being the Chief Marketing Officer for the Los Angeles Rams, Samaria never thought helping fellow Badgers to “Pool Your Drool” would be on her radar for a campus job. But working as a testing technician at UW–Madison’s COVID-19 testing sites, this senior from LA finds a sunny side—even when people get frustrated about the new requirements.

“It always makes me feel better when patients express their appreciation for what we’re doing, and thank us—because ultimately, we’re keeping the campus alive by choosing to be here,” Samaria says. “I feel like I’m making a difference, because testing should be provided for all.”

Samaria loves hiking and shopping, and even some of her friends may not know she occasionally rocks out to heavy metal. And as the Football Director for AreaRED—the official student section of Wisconsin Athletics—Samaria hopes UW’s COVID response will allow Badgers to gather together to rock Camp Randall once again.

“I’ll be graduating, but if I were coming back, I would like to work one last football game,” Samaria said. “There’s nothing like watching the action from the field.”

Bailey, student team lead, DoIT

Bailey is a junior from Green Bay majoring in computer science and political science. When this music lover isn’t studying how to build user interfaces or tickling the ivories playing Broadway show tunes, he’s a student team lead with DoIT’s Help Desk — helping you navigate the Safer Badgers app and providing the technical support you need to learn and do your jobs at UW–Madison.

Bailey may get a tiny bit anxious around medical equipment (not-so-fun fact: he once had to get stitches on his chin after he passed out during a strep test!). But he’s not at all nervous about helping fellow students and staff work through sometimes complex technical issues.

“It’s always an awesome feeling to help someone do their job just a little easier or find a solution to a frustrating situation—especially when it’s a classmate or my instructor!”