MANAWA, WI – Visitors to Little Wolf High School in Manawa are being greeted by a new symbol of school pride, a chainsaw-carved wooden wolf that now stands outside the school’s fitness center entrance.
District Administrator Ryan Peterson says the project began when staff member Michelle Koshollek approached him with an idea for a student-led legacy project that would leave a lasting mark on the school.
“Our staff member, Mrs. Koshollek, approached me and asked what my thoughts were about her trying to lead a student-based project,” Peterson said. “She wanted to reach out to all of our different classes at the high school and ask them about leaving some sort of legacy project into the future.”
The idea stemmed from a longtime fixture near one of the school’s entrances, a wooden eagle that had been sitting outside the building for years despite Little Wolf’s mascot being the wolf. Peterson said Koshollek saw an opportunity to create something that better represented the school’s identity while giving students a chance to develop leadership skills.
Students played a major role throughout the process. Peterson said they helped develop the project timeline, participated in discussions with the carving company, organized voting on design options, and ultimately selected the final concept.
The sculpture was created by Little Wolf High School graduate and professional chainsaw artist Ben Buschke. After reviewing several mockups, students chose the standing, howling wolf design that now overlooks the school’s entrance.
Peterson said the project was also funded by students. Classes contributed money from funds they had raised over the years to help pay for the sculpture, creating what he described as a lasting gift to future generations of students.
“They ended up allocating some of their class funds toward the project,” Peterson said. “We want to have this legacy project that will be there for years and years to come into the future.”
Since its installation, the wolf has quickly become a popular attraction on campus.
“All of the feedback I’ve received has been nothing but positive,” Peterson said. “People think it’s really cool not only that we have a statue of that nature there, but that it was created locally by a Little Wolf High School graduate.”
Peterson said the craftsmanship and size of the sculpture have impressed many visitors.
“If you see the statue in person, it’s pretty impressive,” Peterson said. “There’s a lot of detail on it, and it’s much larger than I thought it was going to be.”
He says the wolf now serves as a permanent symbol of Little Wolf pride and a reminder of what students can accomplish when they work together on a project that benefits the entire school community.
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