It’s not difficult to spot Rocco Paulson on the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus. Whether he’s in Swenson Hall between classes, the Yellowjacket Union during the lunchtime rush or in Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium as a member of the Yellowjackets men’s basketball team, finding the 6-foot-9 Paulson is easy.

A sophomore at UW-Superior, Paulson is carrying out his basketball dreams thanks to an early introduction by his parents, both of whom are coaches with record-breaking collegiate careers.

“I went to my first basketball practice when I was four weeks old,” Paulson said. “My dad was holding me. I’ve been dribbling a ball since I was able to walk. So, basketball has always kind of been there.”

Growing up in Duluth, Paulson often found himself at UW-Superior for summer league games. His connection with the campus deepened during his senior year when head men’s basketball coach Greg Polkowski reached out. 

“I started coming over to UWS to check out the college side of things,” said Paulson. “I began checking out more of the campus and seeing what attending and pursuing college basketball would be like. In high school, I started taking basketball a more seriously, and that’s when Coach Polkowski reached out to me and then offered me the ability to continue that path.”

While basketball played a major role in bringing Paulson to UW-Superior, it’s what he learned about the university outside of the Marcovich Wellness Center that truly made campus feel like home.

“A lot of my friends went to much larger universities and at first I thought I want to follow them, so I could still be with my friends,” said Paulson. “But the classes are huge there and you’re walking everywhere. Snow gets annoying when you’ve got to walk 20 or 40 minutes to class. The small class sizes of UWS creates closer community. It really was a big draw for me.”

The class sizes have also helped Paulson connect with his professors.

“I’ll say hi to my professors whenever I see them in the hallways,” he said. “It’s nice that you’re not nervous to raise your hand. You kind of know everyone in your class. I’ve always appreciated that you can make more friends that way.”

Making friends hasn’t been difficult for Paulson. He’s currently a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAG) and will become co-president of the organization next year. He’s also served as president of the UWS Changemakers student organization.

“I’ve been able to be a part of a lot of clubs and go to a lot of activities,” he said.

At UW-Superior, Paulson can follow another passion ignited by his parents.

“I want to be a teacher,” he said. “My mom’s a teacher and my dad works at a community college. I’ve always been surrounded by academics. And, I work as a teacher right now of sorts.”

Paulson, who was named to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Academic All-Conference in his freshman year, has already gained experience in the field at Stella Maris Academy – working at a summer program for third to sixth grade students assisting with an extended care program for preschool to sixth grade students during the school year.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “It’s really awesome to get that experience so early. It’s just great to be able to go to school, get your education, play a sport you love and do the job you want to do in the future – all in a week.”