Bold, kind, and confident, First Wave Scholar Caasi Woji (15th Cohort) is trailblazing her way through her senior year as both Senior Class Office President and Black History Month Planning Committee Co-Chair.
Caasi grew up playing cello and participating in her local youth theater company. She initially discovered First Wave, an initiative of the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI), during a University of Wisconsin – Madison (UW) onboarding event for prospective students. It was her senior year of high school in April, and she remembers the day clearly because it was her birthday.
Her first memory of First Wave was the Summer Collegiate Experience (SCE), a requirement of every First Wave scholar before starting the fall semester. SCE allowed Caasi to meet her fellow 15th cohort members and get a feel for the campus before jumping into things. She remembers the experience very positively, sharing, “It helped me be more acclimated to campus and learn about different resources. I’m personally very thankful for that opportunity because without it, I would not have known a lot of the offices and resources here.”
First Wave scholars have the opportunity to live at The Studio Learning Community their Freshman year. The Studio is a residential learning community where artists from diverse majors can let their creativity and collaboration thrive. Caasi reflects on The Studio as a space of support and a period of strengthening her relationships among colleagues, “First Wave is a big family. No matter the cohort, everyone supports each other’s growth. People see potential in you that you may not see in yourself, and help you realize it.”
Caasi has been a part of UW’s student council since May of 2025. When asked why she joined UW’s student council in the first place, she shared that she wanted to help students who looked like her feel represented, especially in spaces where they are underrepresented.
“If you don’t like something, you need to be in the room where decisions are made.”
As both Senior Class President and Wisconsin Homecoming Committee member, Caasi balances maintaining traditions while transforming them to reflect modern environments. Instead of changing traditions completely, she focuses on making them more inclusive and even starting new ones, stressing how “innovation within tradition is important.”
Caasi also serves as the co-chair for the Black History Month planning committee. She has been involved for three years and finds lots of overlap in her OMAI projects, sharing, “all three pillars show up in events I curate. Activism can be in anything.”
The First Wave pillars, also known as AAA, are Academics, Arts, and Activism and were introduced in 2008. Focused on centering authentic selves in academia and hip hop culture, the pillars create spaces students need for support and success. When asked about her favorite resource that First Wave provides, Caasi shared the impressive AAA Fund. She explains how any First Wave scholar who needs funding for a project within Academics, Arts, or Activism can apply, which encourages students to dream big and host impactful events.
To Caasi, leadership is about investing in others and lifting people up. She strives for collective success, not individual achievement. Like all First Wave Scholars, Caasi Woji is truly one of a kind. She continues breaking down barriers to success while leveling up year after year.
Don’t forget to check out her Senior Sunset event on April 26, 2026, for a big celebration with prizes and fun.
Article written by Polly Drebin