There’s nothing better than busy hallways and full classrooms on Moraine Park campuses. Last week was full of excitement as we welcomed both new and returning students to the spring 2023 semester.
Some highlights included a comedy lunch hour with John Cassidy, a balloon artist who holds several Guinness World Records; lunch with musician Noah Hoehn; casino day; make-and-take coasters using laser imaging; virtual reality and racing simulators; caricature drawings and more.
Moraine Park was recognized as an organization that provides innovative solutions for creating organizational structures, workplace policies and total rewards, which inclusively engage and motivate its employees.
Gallagher’s Best-in-Class awards recognize employers that excel in supporting their employees’ physical, emotional, career and financial wellbeing for better organizational outcomes.
Moraine Park scored in the top quartile of large and midsize employers who participated in Gallagher’s 2022 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey.
Moraine Park takes a proactive and structured approach to planning, developing and implementing comprehensive benefits and HR programs. We believe supporting our workforce builds our overall organizational strength and resilience.
About Gallagher
Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 68 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.
About the Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis
Gallagher’s Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis profiles statistically significant attributes of top-performing midsize (100-999 FTEs) and large employers (1,000 or more FTEs). Data from Gallagher’s 2022 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey was interpreted to identify participants that excel in optimizing employee and organizational wellbeing.
Did you know that 80% of Washington County overdoses are fentanyl-related? Learn more about fentanyl, substance use disorders and the community’s response at Moraine Park’s West Bend lecture series this February.
The lecture series is hosted in partnership with Washington County, the Washington Ozaukee Health Department, Aurora Health Care, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin and Elevate.
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, during National Apprenticeship Week, over forty students from Waupun High School and Fond du Lac High School ACE Academy attended an event in the MPTC Conference Center to learn about apprenticeship and career opportunities in the trades.
To help share this information, Jessica Williams from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development was eager to explain all things apprenticeship, and Jon Hirsch from Auer Steel spoke about careers in the trades and HVAC. During the experience, students also toured Culinary Arts, the Automotive Lab, and the Electricity Lab, learning about careers in each area from instructors James Simmers, Frank Corrente, Gus Gustavus, and Josh Cohn. In addition, the high school students got to hear first-hand from four current apprentices in the electrician and maintenance technician fields to learn what motivated each of them to pursue an apprenticeship.
Another great chance to share information about apprenticeships and careers in the trades took place on Thursday, Dec. 8, on Moraine Park’s West Bend campus. During this event, 13 students from West Bend High School took a break from their project constructing a mini-home in the Building-in-a-Building to get hands-on experience as novice plumbers. This activity, led by Jon Hirsch (Auer Steel), had teams of students construct a sealed copper tube assembly complete with an air valve to test pressure. Bending the copper, proper fitting of joints, and making soldered connections were all part of the activity.
MPTC HVAC instructor, Kevin Niedfeld, and his program students then held a Q&A to share a bit about what drew them to careers in HVAC. Steve Horvath, Associate Dean of Trades shared information on how to become an apprentice as an entry to a career.
“Giving young people a hands-on feel for experiencing a trade is one of the best recruitment tools there is,” Hirsch said.
Taken together, these two events were very successful and proved a great opportunity to share information with high school students who will soon be making decisions about their futures.
Submitted by Stephen Horvath, Associate Dean of Trades
One of my favorite things about being an educator is getting to work with people who strive to better themselves every single day. I’ve been privileged to do that for nearly two decades now, and in that time, I’ve noticed five traits shared by the most successful students. The best part is that they require no special skills or talent.
1. Successful students write things down.
They have a planner or calendar of some kind. Sometimes it’s paper; sometimes it’s the Canvas calendar or Google calendar or iCalendar. The format doesn’t matter so much as the act of capturing their schedule and to-do list in one place.
Successful students also take notes. There is plenty of research to back up the benefits of taking notes. It keeps you focused; the mind-body connection improves memory retention; notes give us something to reference back to and study from when we forget what we read or heard.
2. Successful students communicate.
They communicate with their instructors. I can’t possibly be the first person to tell you that if you have a question, other people definitely have the same question. I’m saying it again because it’s 100% true. Please ask questions! Seek clarification, seek more information, and check your own understanding. As a teacher, I explain and present things in ways that make perfect sense to me. I appreciate knowing how that information is perceived by students. It helps me to be better and helps you be more successful. I’m not alone in this. All of my faculty colleagues are here to support your success. Ask the questions!
Communicate with your fellow students, too! Reach out. Get phone numbers or connect on Snapchat or whatever app you are all using today. Talk to each other before and after class and during break. Meet for coffee or lunch and chat about the class and life. Have a group text chain. There will be challenging times as you pursue your educational goals. If you are connected to other students who are experiencing the same things, you’ll realize those challenges aren’t unique to you, and that this is all just part of the process.
For traditional classes this is more straightforward. If there’s a class meeting, make sure your body is in the classroom, and your mind is focused on learning. If you are an online student, acknowledge that you must devote time to going through the instructor-provided content. When you do, be focused. If there are lecture videos available, watch them and take notes as you do. If there are other videos, powerpoint presentations, or assigned readings, study them! And of course, take notes.
BONUS: If you have to miss class, do your own work to find out what you missed before reaching out to your instructor. Check Canvas and connect with a classmate. Then send a message to your instructor explaining what steps you’ve taken and asking specific questions.
Do not do this:
Hey, sorry I missed class. Did anything important happen?
Do something like this instead:
Hi [fill in instructor name] I apologize for missing class. I [insert reason you could not attend class – you do not have to disclose personal information]. I’ve already checked Canvas and found [insert what you found about the class material and assigned work], and I messaged [insert classmates’ names] to see if they could share notes with me. I was wondering, [insert questions]. I appreciate any help you can offer.
4. Successful students focus.
Put. Your. Phone. Away. I’m a parent, and I keep my phone near me in case my kids need me. I get it. I usually won’t try to police your phone usage in my class, but you should respect any teacher who does have a more defined cell phone or technology use policy. Even more challenging, though, is to enforce this on yourself when you’re studying alone.
Research tells us that it takes an average of 20+ minutes to achieve a focused state after a distraction. Every time you check your phone because Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, text, or whatever other app buzzes, you lose focus on the learning taking place in the classroom or in your room or at the library or at your kitchen table, and it will take at least 20 minutes to get back to that focused place where you can do real learning. If something distracts you in that 20 minutes, the clock resets.
Do what you can to limit distractions when you’re learning.
5. Successful students have goals.
Know why you are here. Some students know the career they plan to pursue. They have detailed timelines and can tell you what classes they will take each semester until they graduate. That’s wonderful.
“I am going to improve my math skills,” “I’m going to turn in every assignment on time in this class,” and “I’m going to join a student club to make more connections” are equally excellent goals.There is always a reason to learn and grow into a better version of yourself. Find the reasons that drive you for those days when raw motivation is in short supply.
As promised, no special talents needed! I send you all my very best wishes for a wildly successful semester! If I can help in any way, please reach out!
Last week, Berlin High School opened its new Nursing Assistant Lab in cooperation with Moraine Park. The lab was made possible by a donation from ThedaCare and a generous grant from the ThedaCare Foundation. The lab includes two hospital beds, nursing supplies and curriculum materials for up to ten students per semester to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA).
The partnership between Moraine Park and Berlin High School creates opportunities for students and assists health care employers in Green Lake County with finding certified employees.
“As the demand for qualified health care professionals, including certified nursing assistants, grows, we respond to that demand,” Moraine Park associate dean of health, Katie Hughes, said. “Offering the course at Berlin High School benefits the students as they can earn college credit and not have to travel, but it also benefits the community in that these students will complete their clinicals at Juliette Manor just across the street and many undoubtedly will be hired to work there or at other local agencies.”
Moraine Park Nursing Instructor and program director, Anne Deacy, provided guidance to Berlin High School on the required equipment and supplies for the room and for the students. Moraine Park also assisted in finding the instructor for the course, finding a clinical site location, having the room approved by the state, and registering the students for the program; which included helping the students to complete the clinical site’s required paperwork such as background checks, immunization paperwork and applications.
“The Nursing Assistant program provides the students with an opportunity to get a sneak peek into the health care field,” Moraine Park K12 partnership coordinator, Beth Roehl, said. “Students can use this certification and be employed as a nursing assistant or they can use this certification as a building block to prepare them for a future career in health care.”
Moraine Park has several health care programs that a student can move on to after becoming a CNA such as Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Radiography, Nursing – with an exit point of LPN or RN, Surgical Technology, Medical Assistant or Respiratory Therapy.
“There is a high demand for health care workers, and Moraine Park’s role is to bridge the gap between employers and high school students by viewing them as future employees,” Roehl said. “We will continue to work with high schools to assist students who foresee a future for themselves in health care.”
Moraine Park partners with 27 district high schools to offer a variety of coursework in health care, business, information technology, trades and manufacturing. To learn more about dual credit opportunities, visit www.morainepark.edu/academics/k-12-resources/.
Pictured above: MPTC Dean Dr. Bobbi Fields, Experiential Learning Specialist Kim Spartz and Bronze Community Impact Award Recipient Anna Jacobs. Anna is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at MPTC.
Moraine Park Technical College is committed to community engagement and student success. The College supports these commitments through the opportunity for students to participate in student community impact and apply their classroom knowledge to an applicable, real-world environment. We encourage students to participate in our community impact awards program where students can track their service-learning or volunteer hours, submit their reflections, and earn a Bronze Award for 25 hours, Silver Award for 50 hours,Gold Award for 100 hours, and President’s Award for 200 hours!
In the Fall 2022 semester, 21 students earned awards and logged over 1,300 hours of service! Congratulations to our Fall 2022 award winners!
Victoria Oestreich received bronze, silver and gold Community Impact awards for completing over 100 hours of service/volunteering.
Gold Award Completing 100-199 hours of service-learning or volunteering.
Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician
Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant
Silver Award Completing 50-99 hours of service-learning or volunteering.
Anderson, Hannah – Marketing and Social Media
Gurke, Chloe – Medical Assistant
Kaiser, Marissa – Medical Assistant
Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician
Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant
Victoria Nelson received bronze, silver and gold Community Impact awards.Corinna Bates receiving her bronze award.Jeremiah Becker receiving his bronze award.Marissa Kaiser received her bronze & silver awards.
Bronze Award Completing 25-49 hours of service-learning or volunteering.
Aguilera, Silvia – Medical Assistant
Anderson, Hannah – Marketing and Social Media
Bates, Corinna – Leadership Development
Becker, Jeremiah – IT: Network Specialist
Bednarek, Courtney – Medical Assistant
Behling, Kalli – Medical Assistant
Bickelhaupt, Lydia – Medical Assistant
Bostwick, Joleen – Medical Assistant
Churchill, Kelsey – Medical Assistant
Glynn, Maura – Medical Assistant
Guell, Crystal – Early Childhood
Gurke, Chloe – Medical Assistant
Jacobs, Anna – Early Childhood
Kaiser, Marissa – Medical Assistant
Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician
Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant
Siebenaler, Rhiannon – Medical Assistant
Strohwig, Emily – Medical Assistant
Van Buren, Katie – Medical Assistant
Vera, Samantha – Medical Assistant
Williams, Jennifer – Medical Assistant
Fond du Lac Medical Assistant Student Award Winners from left to right: Jennifer Williams, Samantha Vera, Silvia Aguilera, Kalli Behling, Joleen Bostwick, Maura Glynn, Chloe Gurke, Lydia Bickelhaupt, Instructor Jennifer Herrmann, and Katie Van Buren.West Bend Medical Assistant Award Winners from Left to Right: Rhiannon Siebenaler, Instructor Ericka Herriges, Emily Strohwig, Courtney Bednarek, Victoria Oestreich, Kelsey Churchill, and Marissa Kaiser.
It was a busy day on Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac Campus today, Jan. 5, with the return of Career Connections 2023!
Throughout the day, 800 8th-grade students from local middle schools attended presentations on campus covering various topics. The event is hosted by Envision Fond du Lac with the goal of teaching students about the wide variety of jobs available within the greater Fond du Lac area; specifically in agriculture, healthcare, information technology, services, skilled trades, and manufacturing.
Schools in attendance included Lomira Middle School, Central Wisconsin Christian, Rosendale Intermediate, Bessie Allen Middle School, Faith Lutheran, Sabish Middle School, Theisen Middle School, Woodworth Middle School, Redeemer Lutheran & Luther Memorial School, and Fond du Lac STEM Academy.
Presentations were given by J.F. Ahern, Adashun Jones, Little Farmer, Envision FDL, Quest Interiors, FDL County, Mercury Marine, Krug Haircuts, Wisconsin Kenworth, Holiday Automotive, Wisconsin Farm Bureau, NEBAT, Society Insurance, Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Michels, FDL Fire & Rescue, C.D. Smith, Moraine Park, UW Plattville, YMCA, Wisco Hotels, Local 400 Pipe Trades, Cong. of Sisters of St. Agnes, Verve, FDL Sheriffs Department, Country Visions, and Five Giddings and Lewis.
More than 100 Moraine Park employees volunteered to be greeters, guides, and presenters. Big thanks to all who participated in this event!
Written by Moraine Park Nursing student, Sara Henthorn
Think back to when you were just starting your senior year of high school; pondering what colleges those applications should be filled out for. I was ecstatic writing down my accomplishments and hitting the submit button. A few weeks went by, and I got that envelope in the mail that I had been waiting for–I was accepted into UW-Parkside. I graduated high school that following May in 2005 and thought in a little over two years from then that I would be graduating college, too. Well, life decided it had other plans for me. Plans that were total surprises and made me push back my academic career by 17 years.
First Go-Round
I arrived at Parkside that Fall day and thought, “This is it, time to buckle down, I got this!” Besides being a full-time student, I also had to work full-time to help pay for school. That alone was very overwhelming for me, as I have never had a full-time job before. I tried so hard to juggle all my classes and my job, but it was harder than I thought. I struggled in all of my classes and could not keep up with the assignments. The first semester was HORRIBLE. During Winter break, I made the decision to try and tough it out until summer. I moved out of the dorms (with hopes to save money, and maybe not have to work so much), and ended up living with my grandma. I also changed jobs but was still working 40+ hours a week. I honestly just could not catch a break. I finally hit my breaking point and just gave up. I stopped going to classes and turning in homework. I realized I just was not ready for the responsibility of college life.
Baby Dolls and Brains
After the realization that college just was not for me at that time, I decided I needed to find a good-paying full-time job. I ended up seeing an ad in the paper for a CNA class and thought “job security!” I took the class, passed the test, and there I was–19 years old and working 50+ hours a week at a nursing home in Fond du Lac. I commuted from Wild Rose for about two years and then relocated to Oshkosh. I worked at that same nursing home for seven years, but during that time something major happened. In 2011, my boyfriend and I found out that I was pregnant. I continued to work as a CNA up until the day before my water broke. The months after my baby girl was born, I had a huge awakening. I wanted to give my daughter the best life that I could, and the pay for a nurse’s aide was not going to make that happen. I enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College for their nursing program. Shortly after that, my boyfriend and I broke up, and there I was, raising a young child on my own and just starting college again. I thought I had all my ducks in a row, but once again life had other plans for me. I took quite a few online classes so that I could work and take care of her, but trying to manage all of that on my own turned into instant failure.
Hiatus
Many years went by after I dropped out of college for the second time. I felt like such a failure and had no intentions of returning after that. I thought life had beaten me down, so I was just going to go with it. I worked my butt off as a CNA to provide for my daughter and me, but deep down I knew there was more that I wanted to accomplish in life. In 2015, I reconnected with my now husband. We used to work together back in 2010 at a nursing home, and he knew how much I wanted to become a nurse. We talked about me returning to school, but financially there was just no way at the time. So, once again, I sucked it up and kept on working as an aide. Little did I know, 2021 would be a life-changing year for my family and me.
Motivation, determination, and a little bit of luck!
A friend of mine worked for the company that I am now employed with. She told me about all the perks of making my own schedule and being my own boss. But her last comment to me was a life changer. She said, “If you wanted to go back to school, you are able to write off your tuition as a business expense, as it will be bettering your business.” I had an AH-HA moment. The financial burden of school was always a weighing factor for us, and now I could finally catch a break. Yes, we would have to pay for the classes up front, but we would get it back on our taxes. I told my husband that now would be the perfect time for me to finish up my schooling. The flexibility of my job finally lets me do this. I applied to Moraine Park’s Nursing program, and when it was time to pick classes, I felt like a kid in a candy store. My dream is finally coming true, and this time I have all the support that I need.
Conclusion
The road to getting where I am today was not an easy one. I went from feeling like a complete failure to now having so much confidence and hope that I can do it this time. I am now 18 years older than I was the first time I went to college and have learned so much along the way. I am doing very well in all of my classes, and the driving force that keeps me inspired is the constant encouragement I get from my daughter. I want her to know it is never too late to pursue your dream.
Written by Moraine Park Nursing student, Sara Henthorn
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