In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting Moraine Park HVAC student, Aspyn Koslowski of West Bend. Koslowski found Moraine Park through her passion for robotics and engineering. She is in her first year and has already become a leader on campus.
Koslowski attended the University School of Milwaukee where she was captain of the robotics team for two years, leading the team to several championships. Through this role, she was inspired to pursue a trade.
“I originally wanted to go to a university for engineering, but I was not impressed with the programs and really wanted a hands-on experience,” Koslowski said. “My time on my high school’s robotics team taught me a lot about wiring and I really loved it. I chose MPTC’s HVAC program because of the mechanical and electrical engineering aspect, and it really encompassed everything I wanted to do.”
She decided to join Moraine Park’s West Bend Student Senate to try something new and get involved on campus. Since joining, Koslowski was elected president and has excelled as a leader on campus, enacting change and creating community.
“My main goal as President of West Bend’s Student Senate is to help make this place feel like a home for people,” Koslowski said. “The world right now isn’t exactly the most peaceful place, and there is a lot of uncertainty. I just want people to feel like they can come to campus and have a positive experience that they look forward to.”
Outside of her courses and extracurriculars, Koslowski works as a small engine mechanic at Barton Small Engine in West Bend. Recently, she used her coursework to fix a seemingly unfixable torpedo heater, impressing her boss and peers.
“To any woman who is nervous about entering a male-dominated field like HVAC, you can absolutely do it,” Koslowski said. “If you are confident in yourself and in your craft, that is worth more than anyone else’s opinion about what you can or cannot be. People can underestimate me all they want, but I am confident in what I can do, I know I can do it well, and I let my work speak for itself.”
Amanda Berndt of Columbus graduated from Moraine Park’s Leadership and Organizational Development program just three months ago in December 2021. Since then, she has received two promotions and entered a leadership role at Columbus Chemical.
“My time at Moraine Park provided me with the connections, experience, confidence, and shared support that I needed to succeed in my career,” Berndt said. “Instructor Mary Vogl-Rauscher is great at incorporating real-life scenarios into the course work. Her lessons helped me get to where I am today.”
Berndt started at Columbus Chemical working in production. After earning her degree, she went from Warehouse Lead to Warehouse Supervisor and has now taken on a dual role in the purchasing department.
She chose Moraine Park’s Leadership and Organizational Development program because her goal was to gain confidence as a leader to further her career, which she has since met with flying colors.
“If I have any advice to students who will soon be entering the workforce, it is to utilize their instructors, never be afraid to ask questions and be honest with the goals you set for yourself,” Berndt said.
There are many advantages to receiving technical education, including lower tuition, smaller class size, greater flexibility, and a shorter time commitment. In celebration of #CareerTechEd Month this February, join us in recognizing the value of career and technical education for our students, the future workforce and our economy. Keep reading to learn about why our students chose MPTC and a technical education.
Marisa Behlke, Surgical Technology
“After high school, I attended a university but ended up transferring to Moraine Park because I wanted a more hands-on career, and the surgical tech program had a lot to offer,” Marisa said.
Izak Gruber, Gas Utility Construction and Service
“I wanted to go to a technical college because you get more of an open schedule, and I didn’t want to commit four years of my life to learning,” Izak said. “Moraine Park seemed more appealing to me. I liked the idea of having moreopportunity and fewer restrictions.”
Sydney Skindzelewski, Early Childhood Education
“I love Moraine Park because of the smaller class size,” Sydney said. “I transferred from a university, and I’m glad I did. There is more one-on-one attention here and you can tell the instructors really care about your success.”
Zachary Prator, Welding Bootcamp
“The Welding Bootcamp was exactly what I needed,” Zach said. “It’s quick, and I can begin working in my trade right away. Plus, the instructors here not only teach you course material, but they have also taught me meaningful life lessons and made me a better person.”
Mailia Bachleitner, Information Technology
“I came to Moraine Park because I want to further my education, and I heard that technical colleges are flexible and more affordable,” Mailia said.
Moraine Park scored in the top quartile of midsize employers who participated in Gallagher’s 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey. The College was recognized as an organization that provides innovative solutions for creating organizational structures, workplace policies, and total rewards, which inclusively engages and motivates its employees.
Moraine Park was assigned points based on performances in:
Planning horizons for the benefits and compensation strategies
Extent of their wellbeing strategy
Turnover rate for full-time equivalents (FTEs)
Completion of a workforce engagement survey
Use of an HR technology strategy and its level of sophistication
Health plan premium increases or decreases at the most recent renewal
Use of a communication strategy
“Moraine Park Technical College takes a proactive and structured approach to planning, developing and implementing comprehensive benefits and HR programs,” CEO of Gallagher’s Benefits & HR Consulting Division, William F. Ziebell, said. “In doing so, they are able to develop a winning formula to attract, reward and retain the right talent and position the company as a destination employer.”
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 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey was interpreted to identify participants that excel in optimizing employee and organizational wellbeing.
The following was written by Brittany Hahn, a Moraine Park Interactive Media Design student who recently attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Moraine Park’s Interactive Media Design Club (IMDC) and I, an IMDC member, are extremely thankful that we were able to attend the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) as a club outing. Due to expenses and transportation, I would not have been able to attend without the support of the IMDC. It was very important to all of us that we were able to make it to C2E2, not only because it is fun (It was a blast!) but also because it is a great opportunity to learn, grow, and expand as an individual looking to make a career in the industry.
One of my favorite things to do at C2E2 is visit the vendor hall and artists alley. This isn’t because I love shopping (though I do – and WOW did I find a lot of things to buy), but rather because it is an outstanding opportunity to see other artists’ current work. When viewing the countless pieces of work done by others, we can learn to better differentiate between their various styles, composition structures, and chosen display methods (print, clothing, accessories, etc.) Not only are we learning to deconstruct and recompose their work, but so too are we learning what is popular and selling, which is an important thing to understand in any work line.
Seeing the vendor hall and artists alley is motivational. After leaving the convention, everyone in our club found themselves inspired to get home and get to work on new compositions. As an artist or anyone working within media design, it can sometimes be a struggle to find inspiration or material that piques one’s interest – With that in mind, C2E2 was very refreshing, refilling our hearts and minds with enthusiasm and creativity towards our work!
The vendor hall and artists alley are just two of countless attractions that make C2E2 an academic hit! While C2E2 is filled with attractions that everyone loves, such as the Maid Café, Autograph signings, the gaming hub, and more – There is one thing that everyone comes for, PANELS!
Panels are the core of C2E2, and they are what truly make it a great academic experience. Multiple panels are always running at once, giving a large variety of choices and opportunities to those who attend. As for what the panels feature, the variety is nearly endless!
Some of my favorite panels I noticed that were listed and running were:
Script to Screen/Screen to Script – A panel run by Legendary professionals that teach attendees how to write and polish their scripts, getting them screen-ready – and vice versa!
Kubert School Portfolio reviews – Have your portfolio looked at and critiqued! For those finishing up their degree, this is an awesome opportunity to be accepted to a large art school, or create a solid portfolio for leaving school behind and stepping out into the work field to become hired.
Libraries & Nerds Blerds, Books, and Making Bank – This panel explains how to use your local library to help you host events and promote your product/book/work to ultimately make bank!
Anti-Hero Sip and Sketch – Learn to draw in the style of Anti-Hero with Melissa of Salsa Sharks, picking up a bunch of new techniques while you fill out your now provided sketchbook.
Education in the stacks – A program giving advice in programming, giving 1 on 1 time that allows you to hone ideas for viable programs, connect it to education, find a good space/fit, and find a price range you should be asking for.
Play and Sculpt with Clay – A panel that covers anatomy, color theory, texture, proportion, and composition – Teaching you how to make Character design art with clay!
The list of panels goes on and on. There are panels for learning to write, panels teaching how to draw, program, sculpt, voice act, animate, and even panels that go over what your school and classes should be teaching (That’s right, there are panels designed for teachers and colleges!).
While I was at C2E2, after spending the majority of my time in the vendor hall, I made it to the panel “Passion to Profession – Your skills pay the bills!” The panel was great! It had professionals who went over how to find a career you enjoy by mapping your hobbies and skills, how to get over common job market fears. While I already knew how to turn my hobbies into a career – I found the entire panel very motivational. The panelists really pushed for everyone to stop waiting and perfecting their craft. They each gave personal stories where they took their work and just shoved it into the hands of companies, those of which snatched it up and hired them. They explained that most companies either couldn’t find the best of the best, or they can’t afford it – So even if you think you aren’t the best, they need you. It’s not to say that anyone isn’t less than the best, but rather, they wanted everyone to understand that they were good enough and that they were ready. They continued to offer advice and inspire everyone within the room, allowing for personal questions and sharing advice from seasoned experts in the crowd.
The panel was so motivational, that when I got home, I took images from a local nail parlor (their images looked very bad – dry skin, paint over flesh, just a bad job all over) and I edited them, cleaning them up using things we learned in past classes and online tutorials. I sent the edited versions back to the business and explained what I had done and that I could do more if they would like. Right away, they asked for more/for me to continue doing edits! This was a great way for me to continue building my portfolio, and something I wouldn’t have had the courage to do without attending the panel.
C2E2 is filled with countless opportunities for students and teachers to learn, grow, and expand within their desired field of study/work. I am extremely happy that I went, and I can’t wait to go again in the future. Again, had it not been for the IMDC and Moraine Park Technical College, I would not have been able to go. Not only did they cover the cost of the ticket to attend, but so too did they handle transportation. It was great traveling with like-minded individuals, bonding and having an awesome time at the convention. I am very thankful to have MPTC and the IMDC, as well as our amazing club overseers and teachers Mr. Ward and Mr. Sibilski–they suggested, set up, and attended the trip!
Moraine Park Technical College Nursing student, Carrie Kuehn of Beaver Dam, received the College’s first DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students on Friday, Dec. 17, at the Beaver Dam campus Pinning Ceremony.
The award was created to recognize and celebrate nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion shown to patients and their families. The DAISY Foundation hopes that this program will inspire and motivate students to provide the best clinical skills possible and to impact patients and families with human spirit and kindness.
Kuehn was nominated by a fellow Moraine Park Nursing student, Shane Keck.
“Carrie is an inspiration at clinical,” Keck said. “She is such a professional and so quick at clinicals that we all marvel at her competency. She’s also unbelievably kind and picks others up when they’re down and struggling. Carrie is a phenomenal leader and I truly believe she’ll be a shining star of an RN someday soon.”
Kuehn, a fourth-semester student, was chosen through a blind selection process by Moraine Park’s DAISY committee made up of three Moraine Park representatives and one advisory member. Nominations for the award can come from any patient, staff nurse, fellow students, faculty or member of the community that the student has positively impacted.
“I had no idea I would be receiving this award,” Kuehn said. ‘It came as a complete surprise, and I am honored to have even been nominated. I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was a child, so the recognition means everything to me.”
Moraine Park Technical College held its fall 2021 Manufacturing Skills Academy completion ceremony on Friday, December 17. A total of 16 students finished the program, five from Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and 11 from Welding.
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 Mercury Marine, RB Royal Industries, Inc., Mid-States Aluminum Corp., FZE Manufacturing Solutions LLC, Wabash National, Maysteel Industries LLC, The Jor-Mac Company, Apache Stainless Equipment Corp., Hy-Brid Lifts by Custom Equipment LLC, and Wisconsin Stamping & Manufacturing.
Moraine Park has had over 400 participants in the Welding and CNC boot camp programs since its induction in 2012.
The students who completed the CNC boot camp are Connor Philipsky of Fond du Lac, Devin Ferguson of Fond du Lac, Patrick Trieloff of Oshkosh, Tadayuki Ken Yoshino of Ripon, and Youse Chang of Fond du Lac.
The students who completed the Welding boot camp are Jesse Godina of Fond du Lac, Shayne Thornsen of Randolph, Eric Stierna of Oshkosh, Jennifer Gruender of Beaver Dam, Victor Nelson of Fond du Lac, Cody Holter of Beaver Dam, Weston Christensen of Neosho, Jared Landsee of Reeseville, Zachary Prator of Hartford, Joshua Boileau of Oshkosh, and John Dwyer of West Bend.
This year’s graduation speakers were students Zachary Prator, Jared Landsee and Devin Ferguson.
“The Welding boot camp is easily the most rewarding thing I’ve done,” Prator said. “When I started, I was lost and didn’t know where I was headed. The boot camp has shown so many different mindsets and has inspired me to start my own welding business in the future. I’m grateful to all my instructors for teaching me not only the course material, but also meaningful life lessons that made me a better person through this experience.”
Moraine Park’s Skills Academy boot camps are free to participating students, thanks to financial support from community resource partners and the Workforce and Training (WAT) grants.
Registrations for the spring 2022 boot camp program are now being accepted. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps.
Moraine Park’s West Bend Interactive Media Design (IMD) Club attended the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) in December for students to view and meet artists, attend panels, have fun and learn more about the field.
“Seeing the vendor hall and artists alley was motivational,” Moraine Park IMD student, Brittany Hahn, said. “After leaving the convention, everyone in our club found themselves inspired to get home and get to work on new compositions. As an artist or anyone working within media design, it can sometimes be a struggle to find inspiration or material that piques one’s interest. C2E2 was very refreshing, refilling our hearts and minds with enthusiasm and creativity towards our work.”
The students attended several informational panels surrounding topics such as scriptwriting, portfolio creation, event planning, product promotion, new drawing techniques, programming advice, character designing with clay, career finding, turning hobbies into skills and more.
After attending the convention, Hahn was more motivated than ever to start building her career. When she returned home from C2E2, she took images from a local nail parlor, cleaned them using skills learned in her coursework and sent the images back to the salon. The nail salon immediately asked her to continue doing edits for them.
“This was a great way for me to continue building my portfolio, and something I would not have had the courage to do without attending the convention,” Hahn said. “Had it not been for the IMD Club and Moraine Park, I would not have been able to go. Not only did they cover the cost of the ticket to attend, but also transportation. It was great traveling with like-minded individuals, bonding and having an awesome time at the convention. I am very thankful to have MPTC and the IMD Club, as well as our amazing club overseers and instructors Mr. Ward and Mr. Sibilski.”
Moraine Park’s Interactive Media Design program is a two-year degree program giving students the creative control to produce a variety of unique animations and graphics. Graduates from the program are well-versed in creating animated and live videos, commercials, digital signage and other media for the web. For more information on IMD visit morainepark.edu/academics/programs/interactive-media-design/.
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