“USM Graduates Are the People You Want on Your Team”

When Bruce Lee ’81 was in his junior year of high school, he had a gut feeling that he was not getting the education he wanted. He followed his instincts and applied to University School of Milwaukee.

“Your senior year is like the big year, and, sure, I was intimidated to be starting new, but I wanted something more than what I was getting at a large public high school,” he said.

Lee found that “something more” at USM. His senior year was “a pivotal year” that got him excited about learning again–and reset the trajectory of his life. He felt like he belonged.

That excitement inspired Lee and his family to support the new Bruce ’81 and Jennifer Lee Community Room adjacent to the Darrow Family Welcome Center. The room features collaborative work spaces, coffee-and-conversation areas, and flexible seating for large gatherings.

Looking back, Lee believes that it was the intimate parent-teacher-student interaction that set USM apart. “When all three work together as a team, the outcome is a better education,” he says. Thanks to his and his family’s generosity, the Lee Community Room is the perfect place for those relationships to grow.

Lee serves as a member of USM’s Alumni Association Board and the Our Common Bond campaign cabinet, and works as the managing director, Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch. He credits much of his career success to skills he learned at USM–including an ability to work well in teams and to communicate effectively. “These are indispensable skills that ultimately distinguish truly effective people in the marketplace,” he says.

“This school is about big ideas, not big egos,” Bruce says. “USM graduates are the people you want on your team.”