Cultivating leadership skills on and off the field: Harry Roubidoux

It was the opportunity to play on the football team that led Harry Roubidoux to decide to pursue a degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Roubidoux has been the quarterback for his entire four-year college career and served as captain of the team for two years, all while building a foundation for a rewarding career off the field.

Roubidoux says that becoming captain was his biggest accomplishment at UWEC because he was elected by his fellow teammates, which “meant a lot to me.” Serving as captain is an intensive leadership role that involves decision-making in high-pressure situations, and Roubidoux did not shy away from the opportunity. The application process involves giving a speech in front of the team, in which, Roubidoux explains, “we talked about our experience and our journey through the program.” The team then votes for the captains based on the leadership each candidate has shown through their years on the team. 

Through his experience being captain, Roubidoux has learned that relationship-building is key to leadership. He explains that “in any leadership role it is important to understand what each person needs and how they respond to different forms of feedback.” He expressed how learning these skills can be difficult, but as a leader, “navigating those relationships is important.” There is no doubt that the two years of being captain of the football team provided Roubidoux with skills that will be valuable in his career after graduation.

Finding his passion

Roubidoux graduates this December as an English major with a rhetorics of science, technology and culture (RSTC) emphasis as well as a multimedia communication minor. While initially planning to become a physical therapist, Roubidoux was introduced to the English RSTC major by his academic advisor.

Roubidoux was intrigued to learn about the kinds of careers RSTC students go into, especially technical writing, as well as the program’s 100% employment or continuing education rate after graduation.

As a junior, Roubidoux had the opportunity to be part of the English department’s internship program, led by B.J. Hollars, professor of English. Roubidoux, who was selected for a technical writing internship at Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire, was able to gain valuable experience in his future field. This internship only confirmed his deep interest in the field of technical writing, which Roubidoux finds to be both challenging and rewarding. As an intern, he writes documentation for software, processes and procedures, with attention to clarity and consistency.

With one year and eight months of this internship completed, Roubidoux graduates from UWEC with substantial industry experience and a clear picture of his future career. 

Honors and beyond

Roubidoux is also graduating from UWEC with University Honors. He explains that his time in Honors allowed him to “experience a lot of different subjects I wouldn’t have gotten to otherwise” and credits the program for giving him “a well-rounded experience” as he completed the university’s liberal education core.

Honors allowed Roubidoux to explore widely and to cultivate intellectual curiosity. He explained “[Honors] did a good job making sure I keep an open mind when I go into things.” One Honors course he took focused on women composers in history and was taught by Alex Woods, lecturer of piano, and a professional classical pianist based in the Twin Cities. Roubidoux was hesitant to take this course, joking “I don’t have a musical bone in my body.” However, “it turned out to be a really interesting class learning about the history of different composers and how music has developed.”

One of Roubidoux’s favorite Honors courses during his time at UWEC was Conspiracies and Politics, taught by Dr. Geoff Peterson, professor of political science. This course examined different political conspiracy theories, and for a final project, students were tasked with researching and presenting a conspiracy theory to the class. Roubidoux explained the courses the Honors Program offers, such as this one, provide “a way to step back but also to explore.”

Roubidoux leaves UWEC with a strong background in his field, significant work experience, a record of broad intellectual exploration and leadership skills that have been tested on and off the football field. While he ultimately plans to pursue a career in technical writing and scientific communication, first Roubidoux will spend some time exploring his sport abroad: he will be playing professional football in Germany in spring 2025.

Written by Brianna Evans, UW-Eau Claire student and intern in the University Honors Program.