Turning challenges into opportunity: UW-La Crosse December grad Adrián Moreno reflects on challenging path that shaped him

Adrián Moreno’s path at UW-La Crosse has not followed a straight line. As he prepares to graduate in December, the challenges he faced — and the people who helped him navigate them — have shaped him far more than any single accomplishment.  

A veteran of the Mississippi and Wisconsin National Guards and a double major in history and philosophy , Moreno says his journey has been shaped by confronting difficulty head-on and turning it into something constructive. 

One of the toughest moments came when he was placed on academic probation.  

“It wasn’t because I suddenly stopped caring about school,” Moreno says. “It was a slow collision of family hardship, personal stress and financial strain that I didn’t know how to talk about.”  

Writing his appeals forced him to stop minimizing the situation and face what needed to change. From there, Moreno moved forward with what he describes as “a mix of stubbornness and gratitude” and a sense of responsibility to pay forward the support he had received.

Through his studies, Moreno has developed tools that allow him to better navigate challenges inside and outside the classroom. His academic interests reflect his drive to understand the world from multiple angles. 

“History reminds me that nothing happens in a vacuum,” he says. “Philosophy gives me tools to slow down, ask better questions and stay curious.”  

His minor in legal studies has shown him how abstract questions affect real life, while his second minor in international and global studies examines how different societies answer similar questions. Together, these fields help Moreno hold his convictions while recognizing that “good leadership starts with listening and understanding who is affected by the decisions in the room.” 

That philosophy took root with his involvement in student government and university committees. Working on funding efforts for the Prairie Springs Science Center, Moreno saw how change is built through sustained effort and collaboration. 

“Most of the work involved unpaid coordination and cooperation from people who supported the community out of genuine care,” Moreno says. Driving to meet lawmakers and returning to campus for meetings taught him that data, stories and relationships all matter, and that nothing meaningful gets done alone. Most importantly, Moreno learned to be open to compromise while staying true to his principles. 

His capstone projects grew naturally from these experiences.  

“I didn’t really choose justice and inequality as topics; they’re just the questions that kept becoming prevalent around me,” Moreno says.  

Examining racial exclusion in the Midwest and how law can privilege certain voices, Moreno hopes his research helps people recognize patterns of harm that are often quiet but consequential. 

Looking ahead to law school and a career in public-interest work, Moreno reflects on the moments that shaped him most: “They weren’t the clean success stories. They were the people who inconvenienced themselves for me and the chances I had to do that for others.”  

After a transformative UWL experience that went well beyond the textbooks, Moreno is ready to carry those lessons forward, guided by responsibility, curiosity and a commitment to serve.