Hilary Haskell

Hilary Haskell appreciates the natural beauty of Wisconsin's waterways. Growing up in Oconomowoc, this manifested in countless hours swimming and canoeing in lakes and rivers. Her favorite pastime is sailing on Lake Winnebago. A true millennial, Hilary immersed herself in many school activities including sports, student government, dance and music. She plays multiple instruments and loves singing. After college, she became an English Learner teacher in Appleton. Hilary immersed herself in the world of new immigrants and refugees. Learning about their cultures, stories, and dreams, she advocated with them and organized support with other educators and community members. Hilary is the Executive Director of two impactful organizations. At CARES Fox Cities, she leads advocacy and research efforts towards equity in schooling. At Hope and Help Together, she coordinates community efforts to support new immigrants and refugees.

Hilary has always been interested in the world beyond Wisconsin. In college, she learned Spanish and lived in Guatemala and Ecuador. As the lead singer of Mother Tree, she sings both in English and Spanish. Different cultures and ways of knowing inspire her. She works to create an open and generous society. She believes we can focus on our common goals and shared interests to benefit everyone. She builds community every day by connecting people and resources across different organizations and areas of interest. A creative cook, Hilary enjoys connecting with others over food. Together with her husband, she hosts an annual Booyah. All guests contribute ingredients and they cook the legendary soup together.

Hilary practices focusing inward before acting. She has a strong sense of self. A big fan of meditation, Hilary grounds herself by focusing on beautiful earth tones around her. She hopes that others will join her in the work of welcoming and helping newcomers to our country. She looks forward to sailing around the world. She wishes everyone would recognize the ethic of love at the center of each other's work. According to Hilary, we should be bolder and make space for the opinions of others to strengthen the great ideas we each have.

- Written by Juliane Troicki of Illuminating Project