Former Student-Athlete To Receive Alumni Award
Former UW-Oshkosh women's soccer student-athlete Christine (Barutha) Roehling will be among those honored with the 2020 UW-Oshkosh Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
Outstanding Young Alumni Awards for those who exhibit professional and civic accomplishments and future promise within 15 years of graduating will be presented at the Alumni Awards Celebration in October.
Earning a bachelor of business administration degree in human resource management in 2006, Roehling joined global defense contractor BAE Systems as part of their human resources leadership development program. During her eight years with BAE, she moved six times into progressively more responsible roles while completing her Master of Business Administration through Northeastern University.
Jennifer Preczewski, a vice president of Roehling's former employer Allegion, said Roehling was a trusted colleague, trusted business partner and could be counted on for her courage and authenticity. She quickly moved into management and leadership roles as she took on assignments in Hawaii, Indiana and Washington, D.C.
In 2014, Roehling moved back to Wisconsin and has held roles at various Wisconsin-based global organizations including Rockwell Automation, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Johnson Controls—all in Milwaukee.
"Christine's contributions have been many and have been recognized by our Board of Directors in multiple settings," said Gregory Downes, president of Johnson Controls Federated Systems in a letter of recommendation. "Her significant contribution to authoring and establishment of our enterprise mission, vision, organizational goals and business strategy was one of the highest leverage accomplishments that she has achieved in her time with our team."
As a goalkeeper for the Titans in the mid-2000s, Roehling has given back to those communities that have helped her and continues to do so in the face of adversity.
One day in late February 2016, Roehling and her husband, Dan, noticed unusual and concerning changes with their daughter Chloe. Doctors determined Chloe had suffered a stroke, and they soon learned it was the result of a progressively fatal heart disease, restrictive cardiomyopathy. The disease is characterized by an abnormal filling phase of the heart ventricles, according to the American Heart Association.
Chloe's identical twin, Kendall, was diagnosed with the same rare heart muscle disease. Both would need heart transplants to survive. Chloe received her new heart four months after being listed on the transplant list and officially received her second chance at life on May 12, 2016. Kendall, whose heart disease was not as progressed as her sister's, received her second chance on July 1, 2016.
During this time, the Roehling received lots of support from friends and family. Through this process, the Roehlings felt compelled to give back and "The Beat Goes On Foundation" was formed. The Beat Goes On Foundation was created to bring awareness and support to pediatric organ donation and financial support to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee – specifically its Herma Heart Center. Roehling is the co-founder and Executive Director of this foundation.
Since its inception in 2016, The Beat Goes On Foundation has donated $85,000 to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and donated over $5,000 in toys for the annual Christmas Toy Drive. The mission of the foundation is to continue to improve the quality of life for children diagnosed with heart disease and defects by increasing awareness, raising funds, and investing in impactful research.
"We created The Beat Goes On Foundation," Roehling said, "as kind of an homage to our daughters – to honor their journeys; to honor the donor families that allowed them to continue on their journey. For the donor families, their children do live on with us."
Roehling noted she learned many skills at UWO—time management as a student-athlete, humility, leadership and a having positive attitude, among them.
Now she's trying to stay positive after being diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2019. She volunteers at her local church and supports other women who are going through similar diagnosis.
"The mental strength that I learned, cultivated and refined since my time playing soccer for Coach Erin Coppernoll has been vital to my mental health during this journey," she said.
Coppernoll called Roehling a "great person" who was a backbone of a "really solid team" her junior and senior year. Coppernoll, referencing Roehling, has told the members of her team over the years that the adversity they experience as an athlete "is nothing" compared to the adversity they will experience at times as an adult and as a parent. But she also stressed that experiencing adversity as an athlete can help them face adversity as an adult.