It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, and Moraine Park Technical College and Marian University teamed up once again to sponsor a veteran’s suicide awareness event, dubbed 22 No More. A 2.2-mile trek to help raise awareness of the many veterans’ lives lost too soon due to suicide.

Over 125 people participated in this year’s annual event, intended to raise awareness of the alarming suicide rate among veterans and, form a strong community around those who have served or currently serving. Although 2.2 miles may not seem like a significant distance, the number was chosen to identify the 20-22 veteran suicides or, one every 80 minutes which occur every day, and, ensure everyone who attended would be able to take part in the event.

Participants received a free 22 No More water bottle or small nylon sport-pack courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs and everyone was encouraged to honor a service member by carrying a photo of them during the walk. There was also an opportunity for the community to meet with area veteran resource providers, the National Guard, and ROTC service members.

The event began promptly at 10:00 a.m. with a flag presentation by Marian University’s ROTC followed by the 2.2-mile walk around the Fond du Lac Soccer Complex. Participants also got the marathon treatment courtesy of MPTC’s Health and Wellbeing Committee who provided water and bananas along the way and, the walk ended with a free from Yummy Bones Barbeque sponsored by Moraine Park’s Student Veterans and Civil Engineering Technology Clubs.  Plans are in the works to conduct the 22 No More walk again next year, and we are always looking for new ways to raise awareness and increase participation. If you would like more information or may be interested in assisting next year, please contact Steve Pepper, Moraine Park’s Student Veteran Specialist at 920-924-3489 or spepper1@morainepark.edu .

“I recognize that developing my critical and creative thinking is necessary for my future career as a web developer. In web development you never stop using critical and creative thinking from the moment you meet with a customer until the time you finish a website.

For example, when you first work with a client, you need to stop and think about who the audience is for the website. Everything needs to be tailored to that audience – just like the first few steps in the critical thinking process. You need to stop, obtain information, and determine what is being asked of you.

However, that’s only the start. Once you identify the audience, you must begin designing the website, logo, and any programs that may be needed. This step requires both a creative thought process and intense critical thinking at the same time. If you don’t critically and creatively think, then it’s likely that the website will appear somewhat empty in places it could otherwise be exceptional. Thus, a lot of innovation goes into web development and coding.

Furthermore, clients always bring new requests, and you need to be the mediator who is able to help them identify solutions and options. This type of situation brings you into new territory every single time you code, and if you want to be a successful web developer, you need to have the ability to create new programs, designs, and templates.

Critical and creative thinking is not just a part of web development, but rather, it occurs in all parts of the job on a daily basis.  Instructors at MPTC and industry leaders stress this fact often by stating that knowing how to code doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Almost anyone can learn to code with enough patience, but knowing how to use the code to create something significant from nothing is what makes a true programmer.  For all of these reasons, I’m glad I chose to take the Thinking Critically & Creatively course at MPTC to help my career as a web developer.”

Written by:  Tierney Cayo, MPTC Student

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

Moraine Park Technical College held its spring Manufacturing Skills Academy graduation on Wednesday, June 12. The College had 21 students graduate from the program; eight from the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinist boot camp and 13 from the welding boot camp.

This program was designed to combat the skilled worker shortage by offering a variety of boot camp sessions. The boot camp sessions are free to participants, teach skills that are unique to a particular pathway, and connect students with area employers. The program also combines a 144-hour paid internship with coursework, including Occupational Math, Print Reading, Team Building, Problem Solving, and program-specific courses. Participating internship sites for this session were Amerequip Corporation, Apache Stainless, Generac Power Systems, Mayville Engineering Company, Miba, Mid States Aluminum, Signicast, Tobin Machining, Wabash National, Weasler Engineering, and X-Cel Tooling.

Moraine Park has had 377 participants in the welding and CNC boot camp programs since their induction in 2012.

The spring 2019 CNC graduates are Michael Adam Abitz of North Fond du Lac, Cory Fleischfresser of Fond du Lac, Dustin Marx of Fond du Lac, Troy Riehl of Fond du Lac, Deavin Schaub of Waupun, Nancy Sery of Hartford, Demetrius Smith of West Bend, and Kou Vang of Fond du Lac.

The spring 2019 welding graduates are Christian Bailey-Steenport of West bend, Peter Demmerle of Fond du Lac, Austin Fingar of Redgranite, Nathan Hankins of Chilton, Xavier Kitchens of Fond du Lac, Dimitri Lloyd of Fond du Lac, Ontarius McFerren of West Bend, Joshua Mikula of Plymouth, Armando Murillo of Fond du Lac, Taylor Nett of Fond du Lac, Shane Rau of Fond du Lac, Dani Schommer of Fond du Lac, and Bobby Wiercioch of Fond du Lac.

This year’s graduation speakers were Smith and Hankins.

Smith, a CNC graduate, is grateful for the experience Moraine Park gave him through the boot camp program.

“This program has opened many doors,” he said. “MPTC has given us opportunities that we otherwise would not have. This program was free, and it came with 16 college credits, so some would even say it’s better than free. Some of us will add on to what we’ve learned so far. I know I will.” 

Smith served his internship at Weasler in West Bend and is now a full-time employee.

Hankins, a welding graduate, shared the story of how he thought the opportunity was too good to be true.

“I thought it was a scam,” Hankins said. “It’s so unique and unheard of that it’s nearly unbelievable.”

Hankins’s hesitations quickly faded, and he embraced the entire experience, noting that he made some lasting connections in the process. He completed his internship at Amerequip in Kiel and is a current employee.

“Be confident in your abilities, but don’t ever think you can just coast,” he said. “You don’t get to stop learning and trying just because you got a certificate or a job.”

Moraine Park’s Skills Academy boot camps are free to participating students, thanks to financial support from area businesses including Amerequip Corporation, Apache Stainless, Generac Power Systems, Mayville Engineering Company, Miba, Mid States Aluminum, Signicast, Tobin Machining, Wabash National, Weasler Engineering, and X-Cel Tooling.

Additionally, the welding training was partially funded through a GPR grant that incorporates both Adult Basic Education and welding. The purpose of this training is to allow students to complete both their High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and the welding boot camp.

Individuals interested in learning more about the CNC and welding boot camp opportunities are encouraged to attend a Boot Camp Test Drive event scheduled at Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus on July 16 and 18, and the Beaver Dam campus on July 23. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps.

The full photo gallery of photos can be found here.