About
Our Purpose
HMoobConnect is a platform created, by the UW-Oshkosh HMoob College Paj Ntaub Research team, for HMoob undergraduates to network with UWO alumni for mentorship as well as career and professional opportunities. We want to help unlock your academic potential! We hope this website helps you learn about career opportunities, professional networks, and individuals invested in your growth.
Our collaborative community will Give you:
- access valuable guidance and support from experienced alumni
- be empowered to thrive in your academic and professional pursuits
- learn research-based evidences about the Fox Valley region
Our UW-Oshkosh HMoob American Paj Ntaub Research Team with workshop attendees at the Hmong National Development Conference in April 2025.
“The more struggling part is finding a job right after graduation…which is a common theme amongst my peers.”
HMoob American undergraduates shared with our Research Team that this difficulty of obtaining a job in their field is related to minimal or no culturally-specific career exploration resources, limited social capital to learn about career pathways, and the lack of career mentorship (2022-2025). Thus, this digital toolkit was created to amplify and develop a professional network between UW-Oshkosh alumni and students.
– Andrew, UW-Oshkosh student, 2023
Where are UW-Oshkosh graduates Employed post-graduation?
Graduate Outcomes and Career Pathways
Long Description
This infographic displays a map of Wisconsin highlighting where University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh graduates reside after graduation.
The graphic reports that:
- 91.9% of Wisconsin residents remained in Wisconsin after graduation.
- 40% of nonresidents remained in Wisconsin after graduation.
Numbered markers on the map correspond to the top cities where graduates live.
Top Cities
- Oshkosh
- Appleton
- Milwaukee
- Neenah
- Green Bay
- Madison
- Fond du Lac
- Waukesha
- Sheboygan
- Ripon
Top Counties
- Winnebago County
- Outagamie County
- Milwaukee County
- Brown County
- Dane County
- Fond du Lac County
- Waukesha County
- Sheboygan County
- Washington County
- Marathon County
The map visually emphasizes that many graduates remain in eastern and southeastern Wisconsin, with the highest concentrations in the Fox Valley region, including Oshkosh, Appleton, Neenah, and Green Bay.
Long Description
This table presents first-destination outcomes for University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (UWO) graduates, comparing the Classes of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 with the national average for the Class of 2023.
| Outcome | UWO 2022–2023 | UWO 2023–2024 | National Average 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working (employed part-time or full-time, entrepreneur, freelance, postgraduate fellowship, or other employment) | 71% | 70% | 62.4% |
| Continuing Education (accepted to and planning to matriculate into a program of further study) | 7.4% | 12% | 20.2% |
| Military (serving in the U.S. Armed Forces) | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Volunteer Service (participating in a volunteer or service program) | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Not Seeking (not pursuing employment or continuing education at this time) | 0.8% | 1% | 1.3% |
| Still Seeking (seeking employment or continuing education) | 19.9% | 16.5% | 15.1% |
Key findings:
- Working was the most common outcome for UWO graduates in both years, at 71% in 2022–2023 and 70% in 2023–2024, exceeding the national average of 62.4%.
- Continuing education increased from 7.4% to 12% between the two UWO cohorts but remained below the national average of 20.2%.
- The percentage of graduates still seeking employment or education decreased from 19.9% to 16.5%, approaching the national average of 15.1%.
- Military service, volunteer service, and not-seeking outcomes each accounted for 1% or less of graduates in both years.
According to the UWO First Destination Survey, the Fox Valley region remains one of the top locations where UWO alumni reside. HMoob American graduates are also staying here, and they are one of our strongest connections to the leading industries that serves the HMoob population in the area.
Learn more about the survey on the UW-Oshkosh website.
Employers must commit to recruiting and retaining talented graduates to work with HMoob families.
UWO Student Demographics
Explore demographic compositions across different phases of the study. Select a tab below to view updated counts and charts for that cohort.
Student Standing
Core Demographics
Our research findings
We spoke with UW-Oshkosh community members to understand how students and new graduates look for career opportunities, mentors, and support networks—and where current tools fall short.
A few clear patterns stood out (click on a finding to read more about it):
We learned that there are over 200 HMoob American students enrolled at UW-Oshkosh each year, but a majority of these students reported some form of loneliness and isolation. Many of them shared that they did not feel connected to others on campus, in their major programs, and/or have strong connections to their HMoob culture and peers.
Students also expressed difficulty identifying and obtaining jobs post-graduation, leading to increased stress and financial burdens related to paying for basic-needs, academic expenses, and familial obligations.
Participants also shared that more culturally-specifically resources has help them identify and build strong social groups, professional networks, and relationships in their major programs, career industries, and self confidence.
Alternative support for students included being involved in student organizations, finding mentors, and interdisciplinary programs such as the Hmong Studies program.
These insights guided how we structured HMoobConnect, helping us create a platform that supports HMoob students and new graduates’ user experience from navigation and layout to how mentors and opportunities are presented.