As an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Liz Frinzi said she had to put up with small doses of skepticism and a little bit of teasing.,”

This is the second in a five-part series profiling a day in the life of a Wisconsin professional.

As an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Liz Frinzi said she had to put up with small doses of skepticism and a little bit of teasing. Her brother always joked that her women's studies major would leave her working in some coffeeshop, she said.

Eight years later, Frinzi may indeed be pouring coffee, but it's only to help her get a jump on the tall stacks of paperwork lying on her desk at the Milwaukee Women's Center, 611 N. Broadway, a shelter and resource center for men, women and children where she serves as grant coordinator.

"Women's studies gets a bad reputation, but it's really been priceless," Frinzi said. "I was lucky that I chose a (career) path that related directly to what I studied."

Frinzi said she recommends that students interested in majoring in women's studies have an idea of what they want to do in the future; that way they can directly apply what they learn in the classroom.

Frinzi, a survivor of domestic abuse, she said she always knew she wanted to go into social work.

"I've seen how much it's affected my family members in different ways," she said.

Throughout high school and college, Frinzi said she researched the effects of domestic abuse and volunteered at various shelters. Meanwhile, in the classroom, she studied philosophy, history and global issues, which she said directly prepared her for her job now.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1999, Frinzi moved back to her hometown of Wauwatosa to help take care of her disabled mother. In search of a job, Frinzi said she asked her sister-in-law, who is also a social worker, if she knew of any employment opportunities that would combine her passion for social justice and her background in women's studies. She recommended the Milwaukee Women's Center, "where hope begins and abuse ends," according to its slogan.

But it was Frinzi's perseverance, more than her degree, that landed her a job, she said. According to Frinzi, she called the center's vice president every day over the course of one summer, inquiring about job opportunities. In 2000, she was hired as program assistant and was promoted to grant coordinator two years later.

While her current job primarily involves researching financial reports, studying other programs and writing grants, Frinzi said the nature of nonprofit organizations has forced her to serve as a kind of jack-of-all-trades.

"At a nonprofit you pretty much absorb everything if you're willing to do the work," she said. "I always have my mind on how we can do our best with what we have and if we're helping people."

While Frinzi said she has limited contact with the center's clients, she leads a weekly women's self-esteem group at the Counseling Center of Milwaukee.

"She's a compassionate person," said Val Allen, Frinzi's friend and former Milwaukee Women's Center co-worker. "She's soft-spoken, shy, honest. She's a committed and reliable person."

Frinzi said she hopes the qualities Allen listed combined with her experience will one day help her serve as the leader of a nonprofit agency. But no matter where she ends up, she said she will always be grateful for her background in women's studies.

"It's a good foundation," she said. "I wouldn't have done it any other way."

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