The Moraine Park Foundation will be able to award 15 students with one-time scholarships thanks to the success of The Ledge Games 2019, 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 axe 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.
“It is an honor to have the support from this popular community event,” Dana Bourland, director of college advancement at Moraine Park said. “Their contributions directly benefit our local manufacturing economy, and our students have a greater opportunity for success thanks to their generosity.”
Students enrolling in engineering, manufacturing, or technology for the 2020-21 school year will be eligible to apply for this scholarship in February 2020. 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. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/foundation.
It’s no secret manufacturing facilities look much different today than they did ten years ago. The industry is producing more and at a faster rate. To meet production demands, companies now use advanced technology and require employees with a higher skill level.
Steve Henderleiter, a welding instructor at Moraine Park, is working to meet industry needs by educating students to utilize their strengths in the field.
“The industry has changed drastically over the years,” Steve said. “When I first started my career, the technology wasn’t nearly as advanced, and the diversity on the job was minimal. Females, my students in particular, offer a different and beneficial skill set to the welding profession. Mix that with the ever-evolving technology, and we have a fully collaborative and more effective welding lab.”
Today, women represent nearly one-third of the welding workforce, and this year, Steve has three female welders in his class. Mackenzie Markus, of West Bend; Kayli Mildbrandt, of West Bend; and Emma Parins, of Port Washington.
The three women are a dynamic trio, utilizing each other for support and camaraderie in the welding lab.
“There are more males in the class, but that doesn’t intimidate me,” Mackenzie said. “We are all very strong personalities, and we support each other. ”
All three women took advantage of tech-ed opportunities before coming to Moraine Park, preparing them to lead the way in their tech school classrooms.
“I was introduced to manufacturing in middle school,” Emma, a 2019 Grafton High School grad, said. “I was able to build upon those interests in high school. I enjoyed it, especially welding. I knew I would follow this career path.”
Emma suffers from an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) that affects her hearing. She is deaf in her left ear and will soon be completely deaf. However, she finds comfort in knowing she will still have the ability to excel in her career.
“I don’t need my hearing to be a good welder,” Emma said. “It will be a transition, but I know American Sign Language and English Sign Language, and I trust that I will be able to communicate and grow in the field.”
In the classroom, the women enjoy having the mixed-gender dynamic and it often turns into a competitive challenge.
“This isn’t just a man’s job,” Mackenzie said. “I’m a good welder, and being in this program brings out my competitive nature. I want to do better than the men, and in most cases, I do.”
Due to the need for skilled workers, many of Steve’s welding students will have job opportunities available to them before graduation.
“The joy of this field is my pay is dependent on my skill, not my gender,” Mackenzie said. “The better I am, the more potential I have. So, there is a chance I could make more than a man in my field, which is almost unheard of elsewhere.”
The average entry-level salary for a welder in Wisconsin is *$39,100. Mackenzie, Kayli and Emma say they have never felt out of place at Moraine Park.
“Everyone has been so welcoming,” Kayli said. “Steve is the best instructor. I look forward to his classes.”
Their welding classes are held at Moraine Park’s regional center in Jackson.
“Steve treats us as an equal,” Emma said. “In this program, we have the same opportunity as anyone to excel in our skills.”
Mackenzie will graduate in May 2020 and has goals to obtain a degree in criminal justice, with overall hopes to be in the FBI. Emma and Kayli are scheduled to graduate in 2021. Emma plans to remain in the field, and Kayli has aspirations to follow in her grandfather’s footprints and enlist in the Navy. Her overall goal is to serve as an underwater welder.
Welding is just one area of manufacturing. The College also offers programs for CNC/Tool and Die, Electromechanical Technology, Fabrication Technologies and Industrial Mechanical Technician.
“My advice to any young women looking at the manufacturing field is to just go for it,” Kayli said. “Don’t let anyone deter you from your dreams and don’t limit yourself. There are so many opportunities to grow.”
The Beaver Dam Welding Club donated their time and club resources for the Christmas in a Shoe Box event coming up on November 13th for our troops overseas.
Moraine Park Technical College has earned the eleventh spot on the “Military Times Best: Colleges 2020” rankings. This honor recognizes career and technical colleges for their commitment to educating and providing opportunities to America’s veterans.
Moraine Park has made this list for the last five years and serves as the only technical college in Wisconsin to earn a place on this list. The Military Times surveys colleges and universities on an annual basis requesting documentation on services, special rules, accommodations, financial incentives, and student services that are offered to veterans and their families. There were nearly 500 survey entries for the Military Times Best College’s ranking, and less than half earned a spot on this list.
“The College is committed to making sure every veteran who steps onto our campuses are provided everything they need to be successful,” Steve Pepper, student veteran specialist said. “I truly believe having someone our veteran students can turn to who can speak their language or understand some of their frustrations is important to their college experience and overall success.”
Moraine Park offers many programs that qualify under Veteran Administration (VA) benefits, with flexible scheduling options. The College is continuously working to maintain a culture that supports the challenges that veterans may encounter.
“This recognition validates the proactive work that Moraine Park has been doing,” Lt. Col. Scott Lieburn, U.S. Air Force, and dean of students at Moraine Park said. “As a veteran myself, I am proud of Moraine Park for making it a priority to educate and provide opportunities to our local veterans, service members, and their families.”
The “Military Times Best” ranking is published in the Military Times magazine and is available to subscribers, as well as online at MilitaryTimes.com and other affiliated websites. For more information about Moraine Park’s Veterans Services, visit morainepark.edu/veterans.
Moraine Park Technical College’s nursing program earned an eight-year accreditation status, the maximum time frame that can be granted.
The Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) completed an on-site visit in February of 2019, and the College was notified of their award on October 15, 2019.
To earn this accreditation, Moraine Park had to meet the standards set by the ACEN and demonstrate compliance by having policies that support the College and mission, students, faculty, curriculum, resources, and outcomes.
“We are extremely proud that Moraine Park’s nursing program has achieved the highest level of accreditation possible,” Kelly Shafaie, associate dean of nursing at Moraine Park, said. “Earning this accreditation means our students are receiving an exceptional education in nursing. We are grateful for our communities and their continued support that promotes the success of our program.”
In 2018, Moraine Park’s nursing program pass rates were an impressive 99 percent, and currently, the program ranks in the top 10 for nursing programs in Wisconsin. For more information on Moraine Park’s nursing program, visit morainepark.edu/nursing
Moraine Park Technical College students have selected their 2019-2020 student government leadership representatives to serve the Student Senate, District Student Government (DSG), and Wisconsin Student Government (WSG).
Student Senate is a local campus group that is open to the entire student population. This group provides individualized attention to campus issues and activities. Each year, members have the opportunity to vote for their peers to represent the College in the leadership opportunities within the Student Senate, as well as the DSG and WSG.
The DSG provides a forum to share opinions on college issues and offers opportunities to get involved in college life. Students work with each other, plan student development opportunities, act as liaisons amongst the student body, and interact with faculty and the administration in the promotion of student rights. The WSG consists of student representatives from all 16 Wisconsin Technical Colleges. Their mission is to represent, promote, advocate and protect the interests of the technical colleges and their students establish positive relationships with state legislators in support of the needs and interests of WTCS students and colleges, communicate relevant information to legislators at the state level, and garner support for the WTCS.
The individuals selected to represent the Moraine Park student government leadership roles for Student Senate are Abby Muenchow of Horicon, Beaver Dam president; Koy Straks of North Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam vice president; Caitlin Pieper of Burnett, Beaver Dam secretary; Izzy Clark of Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac president; Mollea Greylord of Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac vice president; Maurice Artiles of Campbellsport, Fond du Lac secretary; Cortland Henning, Fond du Lac community manager; Anthony Fiore of Waupun, West Bend president; Lauryn Slade of Hartford, West Bend vice president; and Brisa Vasquez of Allenton, West Bend secretary.
The students selected to represent leadership roles for DSG are District Student Government, and Wisconsin Student Government for 2019-20 are Koy Straks of North Fond du Lac, President; Tom Martin of Fond du Lac, Vice President; Trina Anderson of Fox Lake, Parliamentary; Nicole Nowicki of Burnett, Secretary.
Representing student leadership roles for WSG are Queenie Weesen of Mequon, WSG governor; Barbara Turner of Beaver Dam, WSG lt. governor.
For more information on Moraine Park’s student government offerings and opportunities, visit morainepark.edu.
Moraine Park Technical College earned fourth place in Humana, Inc.’s Go365 National Step Challenge. Go365 is Humana’s health and wellness rewards program focused onimproving the fitness of employees from companies across the country. Moraine Park has been utilizing the Go365 wellness platform for three years as an employee benefits tool.
“We implemented Go365 in 2016,” Lori Schrage, benefits coordinator at Moraine Park said. “The tool not only encourages employees to be more active, it also provides rewards for doing so.”
The National Step Challenge is a competition in which employer groups with two or more Go365 members compete for the highest team average step count. All winning teams receive a donation to their local member food bank of Feeding America® in their name.
As a result of Moraine Park’s efforts, they placed fourth earning 10,000 meals, which will benefit individuals in eastern Wisconsin and the MPTC district, through Feeding America.
The Challenge featured 2,939 competing organizations that collectively logged 10.6 B steps earning one million donated meals.
For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.
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