Creating memorable moments through meaningful interactions helps Mitch Osterhaus ’22 change lives in more ways than one
By Maddy Scharrer
You may know him from his striped collared sweater, his insane push-up skills, or his goofy personality. The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Bucky Badger is much more than a mascot, he’s an infamous part of UW culture. Students and alumni know there’s no one quite like Bucky.
Over the years, Bucky has manifested a fun-loving personality, always up to some mischief that brightens people’s spirits. The energetic badger makes frequent appearances all around campus at sporting events, department celebrations, and various school-sponsored activities. Bucky also has a strong community presence within Madison-area schools, non-profits, and private events. With so many requests to have the cheerful badger on hand, the students who bring him to life commit much of their time to the role.
With intensive skills classes and clinical rotations, one might think School of Nursing students would have too much on their plates to take on the task of embodying the influential Badger. However, Mitch Osterhaus ’22, spent his final three semesters of nursing school on the spirit squad playing Bucky, a role that has impacted him both as a person and in his nursing career.
Osterhaus’s time as a nursing student at the UW–Madison School of Nursing fell amid the COVID-19 pandemic with his first semester during Fall 2020. While many would be bummed about a pandemic college experience, Osterhaus looked on the bright side at the unique opportunities it presented him as a nursing student, such as the chance to get involved in mitigation efforts to stop the spread. During the winter and spring of 2021, Osterhaus explained he had the privilege of administering COVID-19 vaccines at pop-up clinics when they became available to the public. His optimistic outlook on the situation proved that he possessed the positivity needed to play Bucky.
“The most memorable moments for me are the individual interactions in which I get to see how much Bucky can change someone’s day.”
For Osterhaus, going after the role of Bucky was a no-brainer; a role that would not only be fun for him but could make an impact on community spirits. In 2021, when tryouts reopened for the first time since the pandemic began, he went after one of the seven student spots to play Bucky Badger. “As an undergrad, I always thought it looked like a ton of fun to be one of the individuals who gets to bring Bucky to life. Following a two-day tryout involving improv, dancing, interviews, and a heck of a lot of push-ups, I was informed that I had a spot on the Bucky team,” Osterhaus said.
The excitement of securing the gig came with a great responsibility to balance school and Bucky life. Bucky is quite a popular badger, making appearances at over 600 events every year. Some of these are during holiday and summer breaks, meaning the students who fill the role must be heavily dedicated. Osterhaus took on the challenge and gained some important life skills that have helped him in his nursing career.
“Being Bucky during college was definitely a juggle,” Osterhaus said. “Managing my involvement with the Bucky program alongside nursing classes and clinical rotations forced me to hone my time management skills — something which certainly is beneficial in a setting like the ER.”
For Osterhaus, the Bucky and school balancing act was eased by the people he was surrounded by. He feels grateful for the supportive network of clinical instructors, professors, and classmates who helped him during his time at the School of Nursing. He credits Jess Johnson, his emergency room (ER) rotation preceptor from his third semester at the School, for igniting his passion for emergency nursing and providing him with advice and the knowledge base he uses in his daily efforts. This support enabled him to thrive in all areas of his personal and professional life.
Osterhaus has many fond memories from his time on the Bucky squad. He had the privilege of performing as the beloved Badger during the UW–Madison volleyball team’s championship run, along with various other sports gigs. These moments, however, did not make Osterhaus’s top “Bucky moments.” “The most memorable moments for me are the individual interactions in which I get to see how much Bucky can change someone’s day,” Osterhaus said.
During his run as Bucky, Osterhaus had many touching interactions. He visited hospital patients, appeared at weddings, and even attended a celebration of life as the badger. These experiences taught Osterhaus a very valuable life lesson. “Being Bucky truly hardwires you to take the small things in life less seriously and to find humor and meaning in my interactions with others,” Osterhaus said.
In the same way Osterhaus changed lives through Bucky, he also positively affected many patients in his role as a nursing student. During that ER clinical rotation, he was on the front lines of COVID care, treating patients “presenting in respiratory distress secondary to COVID infections.” It’s safe to say that Osterhaus’s impact extends beyond just Bucky.
While he has since moved on from his duties as mascot, he still helps out with the program post-graduation. The Bucky spirit also lives on in Osterhaus’s everyday life as he continues to have meaningful and impactful interactions with people thanks to his nursing career. Osterhaus works at a rural Madison-area ER, where he says the challenging days are “outweighed by the instances in which we are able to make a tangible difference in someone’s health in a short period of time.”
Additionally, working in a rural ER setting presents Osterhaus with many opportunities for patient advocacy. He explained that with limited access to primary care and mental health services throughout rural Wisconsin, ERs often serve as primary care providers. Therefore, Osterhaus is at the forefront of caring for these patients.
While ER nursing often presents difficult situations or tough diagnoses, Osterhaus leans into utilizing the positive outlook that guided him through his experiences at the School of Nursing and while performing as Bucky Badger. The impact he can have in extending that positivity through compassionate care is not lost on Osterhaus. “I view it as a tremendous privilege to be one of the individuals guiding patients and their loved ones through some of the most difficult circumstances they will face in their lives.”