Thirteen students from the 2018/19 Jackson Regional Center Welding program, together with their instructor Steve Henderleiter, recently completed the fabrication of canoe/kayak/paddle board racks for the Washington County Parks Department. This service learning project took 52 hours total to complete 3 sets of racks soon to be installed at Glacier Hills, Ackerman’s Grove, and Leonard J. Yahr County Parks; ready for paddling fun this spring and summer!

Each rack will hold 6 canoes, kayaks or paddleboards. Eric Hyde, Washington County Parks Manager, said, “these racks turned out great! We are so excited! It was a perfect partnership with MPTC for students to have this learning experience and fabricate the racks for the parks. So many people are going to enjoy paddling this summer with the whole new rental program we are launching! We are giving each student and Steve a county park pass and T-shirt to say thank you! This plan worked out really well. We used a basic rack design from Minnesota and we also got a conservation/recreation grant from the DNR to help fund the project, along with a good deal from our West Bend Fleet Farm, McNeilus Steel and Acme Galvanizing.”

Anne Lemke, Experiential Learning Coordinator, was on hand to celebrate the students service achievement. Anne said, “wow what a great service learning project! Students reflected on the teamwork it took to build these racks. They told me it was almost like putting a puzzle together, starting with 21 foot pipes, studying a blueprint, then cutting, coping, drilling and welding. Quite a few nights they were here til almost midnight working on the racks after classes. This is a wonderful achievement they can all add to their resumes and showcase to their family and friends for years to come!”

Pictured above from left to right: Washington County Parks Manager Eric Hyde, Thomas Wiesen Jr of West Bend, Connor George of Fond du Lac, Kelly Becker of Slinger, Jerry Russell of Grafton, Cole Baumgartner of West Bend, Noah Doak of West Bend, Cole Schuette of Slinger, Thomas Strom of Kewaskum, Austin Scheid of West Bend, Matt Berlin of Mequon, MPTC Welding Instructor Steve Henderleiter.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Moraine Park Technical College’s first Gas Utility Technician class celebrated their program completion on Thursday, March 14.

In 2017, the College announced their plans to construct an Energy Education Center (EEC) at the Beaver Dam campus, as an answer to industry demands for skilled gas utility technicians. Supporters for the project include Alliant Energy, KS Energy Services, Madison Gas and Electric, Michels Corporation, We Energies, and Wisconsin Public Service. The EEC opened in June 2018, and the first Gas Utility Technician group began their training.

“Students in this program receive top-notch instruction,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president said. “They work through real gas utility scenarios in the Training Neighborhood, have access to the latest technology, and undergo thorough training to get them ready for the field.”

The 2019 class includes Alden Broome of Beaver Dam; Joseph Erdmann of Watertown; Samuel Gantner of Fond du Lac; Cody Gebhard of Brandon; Dylan Gilmore of Jackson; Connor Gray of Cottage Grove; Caleb Madrid of Watertown; Kaleb Mancheski of Deerfield; Ashton Mislivecek of Hillsboro; Zachary Muckerheide of West Bend; Ean Ries of Lomira; Jonah Rohde of Fond du Lac; Gavin Schultz of Waupun; Justin Schultz of Elkhart Lake; Jordan Snyder of Watertown. The graduates will receive their Gas Utility Technician technical diploma at Moraine Park’s annual commencement ceremony on May 18.

“I couldn’t be happier with the work that these students have put in over the past nine months,” Steve Logan, gas utility instructor at Moraine Park said. “In addition to learning the skills needed to be successful in a natural gas / underground construction career, they have learned an even greater lesson – that on the job and at home safety must always be their number one priority.”

Applications are now being accepted for the next group, set to begin in June 2019. The nine-month program is uniquely designed to train students and prepare them to fill industry needs for the following summer. Gas Utility Technicians are currently in high demand, with many positions ready to be filled. Graduates can expect to earn a median salary of $56,675.

Individuals interested in the Gas Utility Technician program can reach out to Sherry Hackbarth, an academic advisor at Moraine Park, at (920) 887-4425 or shackbarth@morainepark.edu.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Local elementary students will be given the opportunity to interact with professionals from a variety of careers during the Junior Achievement (JA) Jump into Your Future Day at their school. Business and community professionals will be invited to serve as guest presenters in the classrooms to discuss and demonstrate aspects of their careers and their journey towards that career.

Through the JA Jump into Your Future Day, Kelly Shafaie, associate dean of nursing at Moraine Park, had the opportunity to present on the nursing career to Jackson Elementary School K5 and 1st graders on March 8.

The presentations included:
 An explanation of the career path; personal stories of interest to elementary students.
 Hands on activities that reinforce information about the career path.
 Educational decisions; the joys and frustrations of the career field.
 A discussion of how to apply skills learned to the workplace.
 The relevance of their classroom learning to the world of work.

The JA Jump into Your Future event is intended to empower elementary students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world – enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school and studying hard.

Moraine Park is proud to be a part of local initiatives such as the JA Jump into Your Future event.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Promoting growth and self-improvement is at the core of Moraine Park’s mission. International student Barbara Turner immediately identified this and set her sights on being a Moraine Park student.

Barbara, a current resident of Beaver Dam, came to the College from Israel. She first toured Moraine Park in the summer of 2015, when she was visiting Wisconsin to explore educational options.

“Obtaining a quality education is one of my top priorities,” Barbara said. “My parents are both highly educated and instilled in me the value of having a degree.”

She is no stranger to hard work. In Israel, she served in the army for two years and then worked in the quality control field. She was exploring local academic resources when she found the opportunity to study internationally.

“Moraine Park was an easy choice for me,” Barbara said. “There are multiple programs to choose from, the location is convenient, and the pricing is extremely reasonable.”

Since arriving in 2016, she hasn’t stopped exploring her opportunities and takes each experience as an invitation to grow and improve. She has benefited from the support of the Student Success Center and Moraine Park counselor, Karla Donahue, who has helped with her transition to life in the United States and at Moraine Park.

Barbara has also made quite an impact on her classmates and instructors at the College.

“It has been fun to watch her advance,” Mary Vogl-Rausher, an instructor at Moraine Park said. “There have been significant challenges she has had to overcome, but she always has a smile on her face. Her warm personality draws others to her.”

For these reasons and more, Barbara was selected as the 2019-20 Moraine Park District Student Ambassador. In this role, she will actively serve as a member of student government, advocate for Moraine Park and the Wisconsin Technical College System as a whole, assist with College activities and events, and represent the student body within the community.

“It is an extreme honor,” Barbara said. “I look forward to making more connections and networking with my community and peers.”

For more information, visit morainepark.edu.

Moraine Park Technical College was recently recognized by the Manufacturing Business Alliance (MBA) of Dodge County as a partner in manufacturing education. Dr. Jim Eden, VP of Academic Affairs at Moraine Park, accepted the Manufacturing Education award at the February monthly MBA meeting.

To learn more about MBA of Dodge County, visit http://dodgeregionmba.org/.

For more on Moraine Park programs, visit morainepark.edu.

Enjoy your Spring Break!

See you back on campus or online on March 25!

student.morainepark.edu

Tell us about yourself:

• I am from Chicago and have lived in Fond du Lac for four years.
• I have a 17 yr old son and 14 yr old daughter.
• I enjoy walks, watching my son play basketball, bowling, movies and going out to eat.

What made you decide to go into the Cosmetology field?

I have done hair since I was a little girl and always did family and friends hair.

Why did you choose MPTC?

I received my HSED from MPTC and decided to further my schooling.

What do you love most about the program?

I love to learn things that I thought I knew and also to be even better as a stylist.

What are your plans after graduation?  

To work at a shop and also run my own business!

For more information on Moraine Park programs, like cosmetology, visit morainepark.edu/programs. 

Park Terrace is the campus restaurant serving meals created, cooked and served by Moraine Park Culinary Arts students. Dishes are prepared in the Culinary Arts kitchens with the freshest ingredients available and offered by a designated student manager for the day. The students take turns overseeing and running different aspects of the restaurant to get a complete on-the-job culinary experience.

For this semester only, all luncheons will be buffet style and priced between $8-$13, depending on the week (dessert and beverage for an additional charge). See below for a list of dates and cuisines. Fair Trade teas and coffees, as well as an extensive soft drink selection, will be available. Regular menu service will continue next semester.

March 14 – Korean

March 28 – Sicilian

April 4 – German

April 11 – Greek

April 18 – Mongolian

May 2 – Breakfast for Lunch

The restaurant, located on the Moraine Park Fond du Lac campus, will be open on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and reservations are strongly encouraged to help manage this student-guided learning environment.

Use the Online Reservation System
Email jsimmers@morainepark.edu
Leave a message on the restaurant’s voicemail system at (920) 924-6500.

Master Card and Visa accepted.

For more information on Moraine Park Technical College’s Park Terrace restaurant, please visit morainepark.edu/parkterrace.

Moraine Park Technical College Foundation will be able to award 15 students with one-time scholarships thanks to the success of The Ledge Games 2018, which raised $7,500.

This family-friendly competition, held in Eden, challenges participants in a series of lumberjack activities such as caber toss, hammer toss, archery, keg toss, speed chop, and ax throw. One hundred percent of event proceeds support The Ledge Games scholarship, established through the Moraine Park Foundation, which focuses on engineering, manufacturing, and technology programs at Moraine Park. The event is co-founded by Josh Michels, of Fond du Lac and Tyler Oestreich, of Eden.

“Both Josh and I are in the manufacturing industry, ” said Tyler Oestreich, co-founder of The Ledge Games. “We are proud to contribute the proceeds to Moraine Park. Our local economy greatly depends on manufacturing skill sets, and we see the value in educating and supporting the manufacturing workforce locally. Moraine Park’s students take the skill sets they learn to local manufacturing companies in Fond du Lac and the surrounding areas to continue to innovate and keep the local economy strong.”

Students enrolling in engineering, manufacturing or technology for the 2019-2020 school year are eligible to apply for this scholarship. To be considered for a Foundation scholarship, students must have a Moraine Park Technical College cumulative or high school GPA of 2.75 or higher and enroll in a minimum of six credits per semester. Application deadline is April 15 for high school seniors and May 26 for all other applicants.

To apply for The Ledge Games scholarship, or for more information on other Moraine Park scholarships, visit morainepark.edu/scholarships.

The 2019 Ledge Games are scheduled for Saturday, September 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on this event and how to help benefit this scholarship, visit theledgegames.com.