Profiles from the Pack: Seth Meise

Seth Meise, a Baraboo State Bank Vice President, credits Madison College with helping him turn a complicated start into a path of steady growth. Nearby access, strong instructors, and lasting connections helped him move from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree, then eventually an MBA and a meaningful career in banking.  

When you graduated from high school, your next steps looked different from many of your classmates. What was happening in your life then?  
Statistically, my story might have been expected to turn out differently. There’s chaos in most people’s stories, but we don’t always hear the messy side. I don’t mind sharing mine because it’s part of who I am today.  

My wife and I had our oldest son when we were still seniors in high school. We were parents at 17, moved out early, and I started working full-time, so we had to learn quickly how to balance work, family, finances and school.  

There were also people’s perceptions of us. You could almost hear them thinking, “Here’s Angie and Seth. They had a kid. Best of luck. We know where that’s going.” Those expectations, or lack thereof, were a driver for us.  

Why did Madison College make sense to you?  
The Reedsburg Campus made college possible for both of us. I started in the finance program, Angie started in nursing, and we eventually finished our associate degrees after taking our final classes at the Truax campus. I credit the convenience and quality of the programming at Reedsburg for setting us both up for success and growth.  

I learned early that college is only the beginning of a life of growth and continued learning beyond the classroom. I’ve kept pursuing growth ever since through my bachelor’s degree, MBA, and various specialized training in commercial lending, bank management, leadership development, and the Graduate School of Banking.  

What surprised you about Madison College?  
At the time, there was a perception that Madison College was only a tech school, or that the education was not going to be as strong. I found the opposite. The education was phenomenal, the class sizes were incredible, and I built relationships with instructors who had real-world experience that went beyond classwork.  

Some of my instructors also taught at other schools such as UW-Madison, so I knew I was getting a high level of expertise along with more conversation and real-world experience that I could apply in my career. That was invaluable to me.  

What lessons from Madison College do you still carry with you?  
It’s the connections with other students who come from all kinds of backgrounds. A lot of us were working, and some were first-generation college students like my wife and me. Those relationships carried forward, and I still lean on people I met back then.  

How has that experience shaped the way you lead?  
It taught me the importance of forming real relationships with people from different backgrounds and levels of expertise. For me, leadership is about helping someone become the best version of themselves, wherever they are starting from.  

That’s why I’m still a major advocate of college. It helps young adults prepare for future leadership by surrounding them with people who are also seeking growth and challenging themselves. What you put into that community is what you get out of it, and real growth usually requires some discomfort.  

What do you hope people take away from your Madison College story?  
People often see me for what I’ve accomplished, but they don’t always see the road I took to get here, and the sacrifices made along the way. The road was difficult, but it shaped me into the person I am today. Madison College gave me access, connection and confidence at a time when those things really mattered.  

My life has had its share of discomfort, but that discomfort has made me a better person. If someone sees part of their own story in mine, I hope they know that where you start does not have to determine where you go.  I’ve always enjoyed an underdog story, and I believe ours continues to prove that anything is possible.