Welcome Moraine Park’s First Promise Program Class

MP Promise Logo

Moraine Park Technical College is proud to announce that its first class of Promise program students is scheduled to start their college career this fall 2018. The 31 students in this inaugural class are the first to take advantage of this unique, tuition-free, college opportunity.

In April 2017, Moraine Park Technical College announced the Promise program, which will offer five consecutive semesters of free college tuition, as well as additional services including mentoring, tutoring, career guidance, financial aid workshops, and counseling services to low-income students. The purpose of the program is to offer the opportunity for a college education to individuals who otherwise couldn’t afford it. It will also help to address the employment gaps across the workforce by supplying businesses with skilled and educated individuals.

“The Promise program is so much more than just the promise of free education for these students,” Bonnie Baerwald, president of Moraine Park Technical College said. “It also serves as a promise to our communities that our students will leave here skilled and trained, and ready to influence the local workforce with their knowledge. I look forward to watching them grow and excel in all of the opportunities that are presented to them.”

The Moraine Park Promise program’s initial fundraising campaign received substantial community support towards this organized effort to build a free-tuition scholarship fund. As a result, this program will be able to benefit future students for generations. The following lead gift donors and early supporters have made investments of $10,000 or more to the Moraine Park Promise Scholarship program: Agnesian HealthCare, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, Alliance Laundry Systems, Apache Stainless, Baker Cheese, Beaver Dam Community Hospital, Beaver Dam Community Hospital Foundation, Bonnie Baerwald, C.D. Smith Construction, Duane & Kathleen Foulkes Foundation, Excel Engineering, Holiday Automotive Foundation, Horicon Bank, J.F. Ahern, Jack (John) and Joan Shanahan, Jim and Judy Flood, John and Eileen Pfeifer, Kondex Corporation, Manowske Welding, Mayville Engineering Company, Mercury Marine, Mike and Nancy Berg-Summit Automotive, National Exchange Bank Foundation, Rick and Joni Parks, Russ Darrow Auto Group, Silica For Your Home, Society Insurance, Steve and Karla Peterson, The Grande Foundation, Tobin Machining, Uecker-Witt Funeral Home, Van Horn Automotive Group, and West Bend Community Foundation’s Ziegler Family Foundation Fund.

“A strong workforce has always been critical to the success of this region,” Steve Peterson, Promise program campaign chair said. “The Promise initiative is a long-term investment in the future of the workforce in this area. No longer will students who have the drive and talent to pursue a technical college education be left behind because of financial barriers.”

Many of the donors that have offered their support to the Promise program understand the economy’s current need for knowledgeable and skilled workers. Moraine Park is proud to cultivate these beneficial and lasting partnerships as an option that will provide future business solutions.

“The Moraine Park Promise program offers an innovative opportunity for students, who would otherwise be left behind, to gain the skills to better care for their families,” Kim Miller, president and CEO at Beaver Dam Community Hospital and Moraine Park Foundation Board Chair said. “We are also excited about the program’s potential to train even more healthcare professionals, helping Beaver Dam Community Hospital continue to deliver excellent care.”

The Promise program began with an overall fundraising goal of $ 1.2 million, and thanks to community support, they have raised nearly 92% of their goal. The Moraine Park Foundation is looking to reach their goal through newly gained partnerships. Cultivating these additional partnerships for this program is vital to ensuring educational opportunities for future Promise students and will aid in the expansion of the program from 33 students to 100-200 students per year.

“We are proud to offer the Promise program and are grateful for the community support that makes this unique college opportunity a possibility,” Baerwald said. “We have made huge strides towards our goal, thanks to the generosity of our donors. Our goal for longevity is to expand our partnerships so that we can be ready to fulfill the needs of future students, both financially and within the workforce.”

For more information on the Promise program, or how you can become a donor, visit morainepark.edu/promise.

Written by Kristina Haensgen
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