Service Award
Jane Woleben Panther, Nurs ’87
Oconomowoc, Wis.
Although she is retired from full-time nursing, Jane Panther continues to share her expertise as a volunteer nurse at Kinship Community Food Center in Milwaukee. When the center is open for food distribution, Jane can be found in a spot known as Nurse’s Corner, taking shoppers’ vitals, listening to their health concerns and referring them for care. She credits Marquette for showing her the value of service.
“I was not one to attend Mass on a regular basis, but I saw how faith and the commitment to serving others played out every day,” she recalls. For example, she watched as her roommate Lynn struck up a friendship with an elderly neighbor, checking on him regularly. “I saw how wonderful and special this relationship was for both of them,” she says.
Jane’s husband, Robert, Arts ’86, a cardiologist, also attended Marquette, and she is inspired by the “sense of service and kindness in him every day,” she says. The couple has four children, all Marquette graduates, and four grandchildren.
Jane treasures her relationships with people in the Kinship community. “They trust me to help them navigate through very difficult times,” she says. “I am always amazed by their resilience, humor and kindness.”
This work is deeply rewarding, Jane adds. “At Kinship, we say that everyone has something to give, and everyone has something to receive,” she says. “I honestly believe that I am consistently on the receiving end. And I hope that my grandkids will look at this one day and want to help others in their own way.”
Why did you choose to study nursing at Marquette?
My aunt inspired me to be a nurse. She worked as a nurse well into her 70s, and I saw how much joy she had doing it. I loved that Marquette was in an urban setting, and I loved the Jesuit philosophy of uplifting others. I thought nursing with the Jesuit influence was the perfect pairing for me.
Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner.
I’d love to share a meal with singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples. What a voice, and what a life!
