Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) experienced the excellence of UW-Whitewater first-hand on Friday when he met with a group of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater economics students who took part in the finals of the national Fed Challenge Competition in Washington, D.C.

The team was the first-ever from a Wisconsin university to advance to the finals and competed against regional winners Harvard University, Pace University, Princeton University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

“I want to thank Sen. Johnson for visiting our campus and spending time with our outstanding students,” Chancellor Beverly Kopper said. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce Senator Johnson to the power of a UW-Whitewater education, which provides students with exceptional experiences both in and out of the classroom, giving them the skills to be leaders in their chosen fields and their communities.”

Sen. Johnson held a listening session at the Mary Poppe Chrisman Success Center and was especially interested in hearing from students.

“I always appreciate when our leaders come to our campus to speak with our students,” Thomas Kind, Whitewater Student Government president said. “Sen. Johnson brought up a lot of great things to students, including the importance of being able to argue your opinions and, if someone else has a better argument, being willing to change your mind. I think it is an extremely important quality to understand the skills that develop a person and prepare them for what their future will hold.”

Chancellor Kopper presented Sen. Johnson with a copy of a book that commemorates the 150th anniversary of UW-Whitewater. The campus began a year-long celebration of its Sesquicentennial on April 21. For more information, visit www.uww.edu/150.