UW–Whitewater Student Safety Organization Earns Top Honors at National Safety Olympics

Written by: Gracie Weston 

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) earned national recognition at the 2026 Safety Olympics hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State University, placing third overall in the team competition in their first-ever appearance at the event.

Representing UW-Whitewater’s Student Safety Organization were Austin Skrundz (Senior, Occupational Safety BS), Jaelyn Chin (Junior, Occupational Safety BS), Breleigh Loushine (Sophomore, Occupational Safety BS), Carter Catalina (Junior, Occupational Safety BS), Madeline Brunner (Junior, Occupational Safety BS), and Mitchell White (Senior, Occupational Safety BS). In addition to the team’s third-place finish, White and Chin earned second place in the Safety Culture category, highlighting their ability to evaluate and promote effective workplace safety practices.

The Safety Olympics is an experiential learning competition designed for students pursuing careers in occupational safety and related fields. Participants compete in a range of events—including Safety Innovation, Safety Training Presentation, Incident Investigation, Hazard Analysis, Safety Jeopardy, and Safety Culture—each focused on real-world scenarios. These challenges require students to apply classroom knowledge to problem-solving, risk assessment, and professional communication while working collaboratively in a team environment.

“Competitions like this push me to think differently, communicate clearly, and apply what I’ve learned in real-world scenarios,” said Mitchell White. “It was an incredible opportunity to continue refining my skills as an aspiring safety professional while building new ones that will help guide my career moving forward.”

This achievement reflects UW–Whitewater’s commitment to experiential learning and the continued growth of the Student Safety Organization. What began as a small, in-person group has expanded to include both on-campus and online students, providing opportunities to compete at the national level and build meaningful professional connections within the safety industry.

More about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater CoBE:
Wisconsin’s largest business college, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, offers a rich breadth of co-curricular activities to enhance student development and learning outcomes. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s

business schools, earning both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu.

Photos

Above: The UW–Whitewater team poses with their third-place award at the 2026 Safety Olympics.

Above: Members of UW–Whitewater’s Student Safety Organization gather at the 2026 Safety Olympics hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State University.