The University of Wisconsin-Superior has named Hailey Bault, Ella Hill, Garrett Kroells and Ashla Ojibway as recipients of the 2026 Chancellor’s Leadership Award. The prestigious honor recognizes graduating students who demonstrate a strong commitment to personal growth and who have made meaningful contributions to their peers, the campus and the broader community.
Hailey Bault, of Grafton, Wisconsin, will earn a degree in communicating arts: theatre and digital filmmaking, with a customized minor in environmental studies and sustainability. A four-year member of the women’s tennis team, Bault was deeply involved in the arts and student leadership.
She helped establish the UW-Superior Theatre Club and participated in eight campus productions. Bault was also a member of both university choirs. Her additional involvement included serving as a department senator with the Student Government Association, working as a campus ambassador, employment with Title IX and Compliance and women’s track and field, and studying abroad in Ghana and Germany. After graduation, Bault plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in acting and a career in performance.
Ella Hill, of Duluth, will earn a degree in public leadership and changemaking with a minor in multimedia journalism. On campus, Hill was involved with The Promethean, served as president of UW-Superior Amnesty International, secretary of UW-Superior Changemakers, co-president of Alliance for Fall 2025, and worked as a campus ambassador.
Off campus, Hill served as Minnesota DeMolay State Sweetheart for 2024–25, Minnesota DeMolay State Staff kindness director, Minnesota Job’s Daughters Bethel No. 28 past honored queen for 2023–24, and a Minnesota Job’s Daughters voting delegate in 2024. She also volunteered as an adult adviser with both Minnesota Job’s Daughters and Minnesota DeMolay.
Hill completed a summer 2025 internship at PAVSA in Duluth and continued working as a hospital advocate. Following graduation, she plans to attend the School of Oriental and African Studies to pursue a master’s degree, with the goal of becoming a human rights reporter.
Garrett Kroells, of Green Isle, Minnesota, will earn a degree in physical education with minors in coaching and health, along with a certificate in adaptive physical education. He was named to the Dean’s List and earned All-UMAC Academic All-Conference honors.
Kroells competed for four years on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams, earning four All-UMAC honors. He was also a member of the Health and Human Performance Club and served as treasurer of the Unified Club. Following graduation, Kroells plans to teach elementary physical education or middle school health while coaching track and field.
Ashla Ojibway, of the Fond du Lac Reservation, will earn a degree in environmental science with a minor in geographic information systems. During her time at UW-Superior, she served as president of the Native Nations Student Organization and worked with the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, supporting hands-on learning related to the harvesting of manoomin.
Ojibway’s research led to her co-authoring a peer-reviewed publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Beyond campus, she taught STEM education and cultural knowledge at Gidakiimanaaniwigamig within the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Environmental Institute and served as vice chair of the Superior School District’s American Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee.
UW-Superior will hold its commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Siinto S. Wessman Arena, 2701 Catlin Ave., Superior.
