You might remember Arletta from our previous blog posts, marketing campaigns, or perhaps you’ve seen her out in the Fond du Lac community. If not, you can catch up with her story here.
The 2017 graduate from Moraine Park’s Leadership Development program has big things on her horizon, and we are excited to highlight them!
When she came to the College in 2015, she had dreams of being a motivational speaker. To keep working towards that goal, after graduation she enrolled at Marian University to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Today, she has her own business, Authentically Arletta, LLC., and is finally witnessing her hard work come to life. In fact, in 2019 alone, she has been invited as a keynote speaker to multiple local events.
Photos courtesy of Devan Johnson, Arletta’s photographer and son.
“I’m so much closer to my dreams than I’ve ever been before,” Arletta said. “Moraine Park was a huge part of my foundation, and the place I will always consider my second home.”
Of course, Arletta’s success didn’t happen by chance. She
has been on a long journey of self-discovery, one that she notes has had many
hurdles.
“This has been quite a journey, but I didn’t do it alone,” Alretta said. “I’ve had the support of family, friends, and many people at Moraine Park that have helped me along the way.”
Specifically, she names Moraine Park employees Bonnie
Baerwald, Mary Vogl-Rauscher, Steve Pepper, Rob Heyrman, and Amy Anderson-
among others, as key players to aiding her success.
Today, her dreams are even closer as she celebrates her May 2019 graduation with a Bachelor of Communication degree with a minor in business from Marian University and being named as Marian’s Communication Student of the Year. She was also a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication high honor society, and ended her college career with a 3.95 GPA.
This August, Arletta will be one of the keynote speakers at TedXFond du Lac and is working towards a goal of one day speaking at the Essence Festival in Louisiana.
“I’ve thought about my dreams becoming a reality for a long time,” she said. “My work isn’t done, in fact in a way it’s just beginning, but it’s so exciting that I’ve made some big accomplishments and that they are no longer just a part of my dreams.”
Additionally, Arletta is working diligently on a new initiative, the Peculiar Princess Project, a mentoring program for youth girls of color ages 10 to 18.
“I look forward to taking on more speaking events registering with Wisconsin’s Speakers Bureau and taking my career to the next level,” Arletta said.
We wish Arletta the best of luck as she continues towards accomplishing her goals, and are so fortunate to be a part of her journey.
Moraine Park Technical College’s Electricity and CNC Tool and Die students and staff are celebrating some major achievements at the 2019 Wisconsin SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Madison, WI.
ELECTRICITY
The electricity students participated in two categories;
Electrical Construction Wiring and Industrial Motor Controls. The College
earned a complete sweep of the top three spots in the Industrial Motor Controls
category. Participants were Michael Schaefer of Juneau, first place; Daniel
Sowin of Sheboygan Falls, second place; Anastasia Szczesny of Iron Ridge, third
place. Also, Moraine Park student, Noah Johannes of Fredonia, earned the
College another first place award in the Electrical Construction Wiring
category.
“I’m very proud of their accomplishments,” Mark Wamsley, electricity instructor at Moraine Park said. “I have watched them grown and excel in their field. I look forward to watching them compete at Nationals.”
Schaefer and Johannes will represent Moraine Park Technical College at
the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, KY this
June.
CNC
The CNC Tool and Die club representatives competed in two separate categories; Automated Manufacturing Technology and CNC Milling Specialist. Earning first place in the team Automated Manufacturing Technology category are William Kraus of Jackson, Zachary Rabideau of Jackson, and Jarred Welnak of Germantown. Isaac Schrage of West Bend competed in the CNC Milling Specialist category and achieved fifth place. Kraus, Rabideau, and Welnake will represent Moraine Park Technical College at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) in Louisville, KY this June.
SkillsUSA is the showcase for the best career and technical
students in the nation. The philosophy of the event is to reward students for
excellence, involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and
keep training relevant to employers’ needs. More than 16,000 people are
expected to participate in the NLSC weeklong event.
For more information about Moraine Park Technical College programs, like Electricity and CNC, visit morainepark.edu.
The hard work and academic
achievement of Moraine Park Technical College students was recognized during
the College’s annual Student Awards Banquet held at The Golf Club at Camelot in
Lomira on May 10.
Moraine Park presented the 2019
Student of the Year Award to Ashley Martin of Fond du Lac. The Student of the
Year Award is designed to recognize a student who excelled in and outside of
the classroom and has taken full advantage of the opportunities that Moraine
Park has made available for them.
The 2019-20 District Student
Ambassador Award was presented to Barbara Turner of Beaver Dam. The Moraine
Park District Student Ambassador Award identifies outstanding students in the
technical college system, with nominations solicited from faculty and staff in
the spring semester of each year.
Technical Achievement Awards were
presented to 33 students. To receive this award, recipients must be enrolled in
a technical diploma program and have maintained a 3.25 GPA. They are judged on
classroom participation and other contributions and characteristics that exemplify
an outstanding student. The 2019 recipients were August Baumgartner of West
Bend, Alex Canfield of Jackson, Calin Eigner of Iron Ridge, Zach Fahrenkrug of
Campbellsport, Zach Franck of Prairie du Sac, Ben Henriksen of Beaver Dam,
Aaron Hess of Richfield, Genevieve Hicks of Beaver Dam, Keisha Krezman of Fond du Lac, Mitch Lochen
of West Bend, Nicholas Martinez of Fond du Lac, Nic Nielsen of West Bend,
Nicole Nowicki of Beaver Dam, Hunter Scannell of West Bend, Isaac Schrage of
West Bend, Zachary Wilson of Adell, Pete Cruckson of Fond du Lac, Brady Detert
of Beaver Dam, Troy Essmann of Oconomowoc, Thomas Freiberg of Campbellsport,
Nick Giudice of Waupun, Alexander Hoepfner of Fond du Lac, Zac Hoogeveen of
Randolph, Joe Jasinski of Adell, Michael Moon of Beaver Dam, Derek Mueller of Port Washington, Melanie
Pitr of Slinger, Mitchell Regan of Hartford, Andrew Robinson of Cedarburg,
Michael Schaefer of Juneau, Alex Sippel of Saint Cloud, Daniel Sowin of
Sheboygan Falls, and Anastasia Szczesny of Iron Ridge.
The Campus Impact
Award recognizes students who have served the College by participating in a
college focus group, a college-related function, or a club/student government
activity or project. Other considerations include GPA, reliability and
follow-through. In total, 18 awards were presented, recipients were Trina
Anderson of Fox Lake, Alizabeth Barnes of Waupun, Noah Bille of Brandon, Isabel
Clark of Chilton, Kevin Fritsch of Fond du Lac, Christine Gil of Randolph,
Thomas Holman of Hartford, Joe Jasinski of Adell, Sheri Laidler of
Campbellsport, Bekah McCardell of West Bend, Ashton Mislivecek of Hillsboro,
Abby Muenchow of Horicon, Peggy Rider of West Bend, Isaac Schrage of West Bend,
Jerod Splan of Iron Ridge, Anastasia Szczesny of Iron Ridge, Queenie Weesen of
Mequon, and Janine Williams of Fond du Lac.
The Meritorious Service Award is
granted to students who have served the College through their leadership and
participation in co-curricular activities such as student clubs, student
government or other volunteer opportunities. This year’s 45 recipients include Alyssa
Ahlstrom of Van Dyne, Austin Barber of Fond du Lac, Danielle Barron of Berlin,
Maurice Beck of Campbellsport, Jacob Berger of North Fond du Lac, Taylor
Branski of West Bend, Kerwana Clayborn of Fond du Lac, Deborah Davis of
Oshkosh, Derek DeChant of Randolph, Brady Detert of Beaver Dam, Calin Eigner of
Iron Ridge, Tamara Freeman of Beaver Dam, Nick Giudice of Waupun, Eileen
Grammas of Beaver Dam, Connor Gray of Cottage Grove, Mollea Greylord of Fond du
Lac, Derek Jackson of Rubicon, Mitch Jacobs of Slinger, Shayenne A. Jaffke of
Hartford, Ty Kaage of Oshkosh, Corina Kanwischer of Hartford, Brittany Kjell of
Rubicon, Kelsey Kliefoth of Menasha, Jay Kroncke of West Bend, Kaleb Krueger of
Mayville, Jessica Leibham of West Bend, Heidi Lucas of West Bend, Jesse Mack of
Beaver Dam, Christian McCreary of West Bend, Jodie Meyer of Oshkosh, Rebecca Moreno
of West Bend, Kellie Murray of West Bend, Nicole Peterson of Eldorado, Zack Petit
of Watertown, Melanie Pitrof of Slinger, Zack Rabideau of Jackson, Gretchen Rauls
of Fond du Lac, Susan Rodencal of Fond du Lac, Patrick Rupprecht of Randolph, Lauryn
Slade of Hartford, Amy Spiekerman of West Bend, Alex Tischedndorf of Kewaskum, Nicole
Toombs of Ripon, Alyssa Wescott of Theresa, and Christina Whitehouse of Waupun.
The Leadership & Service Award is reserved for
members of Moraine Park’s Student Government. A student’s comprehensive
level of commitment to the College and their representation of the student body
through their attendance and engagement in Student Government and its related
opportunities are taken into consideration during award selection. The 12
award recipients include Alden Broome of Beaver Dam, Dominic DeLaura of
Slinger, Zach Fahrenkrug of Campbellsport, Thomas Freiberg of Campbellsport,
Brad Hetzel of Lowell, Ashley Martin of North Fond du Lac, Michael Moon of
Beaver Dam, Leah Pietrangelo of West Bend, Joshua Strnad of Rio, Jonathan
Szczesny of Iron Ridge, Sam Turner of Baraboo, and Elizabeth Wustrack of Fond
du Lac.
Student government leadership
recognition included Jonathan Szczesny of Iron Ridge, Beaver Dam Student Senate
president; Elizabeth Wustrack of Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Student Senate
president; Leah Pietrangelo of West Bend, West Bend Student Senate president; Kevin
Fritsch of Fond du Lac, District Student Government president; Queenie Weesen
of Mequon, Wisconsin Student Government lt. governor; Joshua Strnad of Rio, Wisconsin
Student Government governor.
Moraine Park Technical College nursing program celebrated
the pinning of 51 students at their spring ceremony on May 17. This symbolic
event represents the beginning of a nursing career. As well, it serves as an
end to the Moraine Park journey and a celebration of the opportunities that lay
ahead.
Additionally, the College is also celebrating a historic
year by graduating 12 males from the program for the first time ever.
“We are seeing
more non-traditional students in fields that have historically been either male
or female dominated,” Bonnie Baerwald, president of Moraine Park Technical
College said. “The increase of males in the nursing field shows that
success in the industry is a result of educated skills, not gender, and brings
the opportunity for a diverse work atmosphere within our healthcare systems.”
The students who received their nursing pins at the spring
2019 ceremony are Alyssa Ahlstrom of Westfield; Rosie Alsum of Brandon; Lindsay
Birschbach of Fond du Lac; Erica Breitenstein of West Bend; Megan Calbaum of
Princeton; Nicole Claerbout of West Bend; Danielle Cleland of Fond du Lac;
Jamie Droppers of West Bend; Amanda Dylak of Beaver Dam; April Eck of Potosi;
Briar Eck of Potosi; Nikki Eiring of Fond du Lac; Melissa Endries of Pipe;
Katherine Erickson of Cedarburg; Carissa Ewald of Ripon; Ben Falter of West
Bend; Cassie Florine of Hartford; Hunter Godfroy of Oakfield; Holly Hoagland of
West Bend; Emma Holland of Waupun; Kelly Jacobs of Fond du Lac; Andrew Keel of
Beaver Dam; Aubrey Kerr of West Bend; Maggie Kollmann of Fond du Lac; Caroline Krebs
of West Bend; Jamie Nicholas of Waupun; Jared Obendorfer of West Bend; Jennifer
Plummer of Sun Prairie; Jonathan Ratzel of Fredonia; Parker Resop of Horicon;
Katie Retzlaff of North Lake; Jennifer Roeseler of Fond du Lac; Katrina Salva of Watertown; Frederick Schellgell of
Oshkosh; Amanda Schmidt of Beaver Dam; Julie Schumacher of Fond du Lac;
Catherine Seibel of Fond du Lac; Kaitlyn Shallow of Watertown; Katelyn Sharp of
Ripon; Natasha Sokoloff of New Holstein; Riley Stegemeyer of Slinger; Jonathan
Szczesny of Horicon; Courtney Tennies of Kewaskum; Alexi Turnage of Fond du Lac; Chelsea Turner
of Fond du Lac; Mikayla Van Ooyen of Kewaskum; Christian Walding of Milwaukee;
Aubrey Weidemann of Columbus; Kaitlyn Woo of West Bend; Shelby Wulff of Waupun;
Tanya Zangl of Fond du Lac.
The students accepted their nursing diplomas at the College’s
annual commencement ceremony on May 18. They will continue studying through the
early part of the summer in preparation for their National Council Licensure
Examination to earn their Registered Nursing License. In 2018, Moraine Park’s
nursing pass rates were an impressive 99 percent, and currently, the program
ranks in the top 10 for nursing programs in Wisconsin.
May 18 was a
momentous day for the nearly 350 graduates who participated in Moraine Park
Technical College’s commencement ceremony, held at the Fond du Lac High School
Field House. In all, the College had nearly 800 graduate candidates eligible to
receive their associate of applied science degrees and technical diplomas.
Rick Parks, CEO of Society Insurance served as
the keynote speaker. He encouraged the new graduates to do something worthwhile,
work with and for people that had earned their respect, be passionate about
what they do, find ways to give back, and always be humble.
“If
you live your life by working with people you respect, doing something
worthwhile, and giving back, I can all but guarantee you will be successful,”
Parks said. “That may be defined by financial gain and notoriety or perhaps it
may simply be the respect offered to those that selflessly do good work.
Regardless, you will be successful. When you reach this point, be humble.”
Aurelio Rosas, a three time Moraine Park graduate and current student in the Medical Office Specialist program was the featured student speaker at the event. Through telling his own story, he reminded everyone that it’s never too late to go after your dream career and that education is ageless.
“Your Moraine Park education is
one of the best gifts you could have ever given to yourself,” Rosas said. “No
matter where you go, or what you do, the knowledge that you have obtained can
never be taken from you. After you leave here today, you will officially be a
college graduate with a technical diploma or associates degree. You are now
more attractive to prospective employers, and in many cases, you will have
multiple options for your career path. Your degree is step one on a long career
path.”
Dr. James Eden,
vice president of Academic Affairs, presided over the presentation of
candidates with the conferring of degrees and diplomas done by Moraine Park
President Bonnie Baerwald. Brenda Raad, dean of Health and Human Services, and
Dr. Fred Rice, dean of Applied Technology and Trades, announced the graduate
candidates. From the Moraine Park District Board, Chairperson Mike Staral, Secretary
Lowell Prill Employee Member Cindy Fields, Additional Member Cindy Laubenstein,
and Elected Official Member Mike Schwab recognized the graduates.
Staral, who welcomed the Class of
2019 and their guests to the ceremony, congratulated the graduates and their
families on their accomplishments and encouraged them to keep moving forward.
“This ceremony is symbolic in
many ways,” Staral said. “It does mark the fulfillment of your commitment to
earn a credential. It proves that the
hard work, perseverance, and dedication has paid off. It does mean a lot to those who have
supported you through this journey.
They’re proud of you, and today is a celebration for them as well. This ceremony does not end your
education. Moving forward in your career
means constant learning and growing.
Work hard, be open, and embrace this!
You’ll be surprised where it will take you!”
Staral, also a 1978 Moraine Park alumnus,
served as the alumni commencement speaker.
President Baerwald extended her
congratulations to the graduates and extended her personal gratitude to the
commencement speakers, Moraine Park District Board, Moraine Park faculty and
the President’s Cabinet.
Moraine Park
Technical College was established in 1912 and is one of 16 technical college
districts that make up the Wisconsin Technical College System. With campuses in
Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and West Bend, the College offers more than 100
associate of applied science degrees, technical diplomas, apprenticeships and
certificates delivered in a variety of formats — classroom, online and blended.
Training and technical assistance for businesses are also offered.
Answer them all correctly by June 30, 2019 and be entered for a chance to win one of these exciting prizes:
Family 4 Pack of Field Level Tickets to a late July/August Brewer game TBD, donated by Magnum Radio (WMBZ)
2 Brewer game tickets TBD, donated by WBEV/WXRO
2 tickets to Dock Spiders Baseball, donated by KFIZ/WFON
2 Front Row tickets to a late July/August Brewer game date TBD, donated by AFFIRM
Fond du Lac DockSpiders Prize Package, donated by DockSpiders
4 tickets to the Washington County Fair, July 23-28, donated by the Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center Four Summerfest 2019 tickets, provided by WFDL.
Congratulations to Pete Rettler, Dean of Moraine Park’s West Bend campus, who was the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Betty Pearson Community Leadership award at the Leadership West Bend Annual Honor Luncheon.
The Betty A. Pearson
Community Leadership Award is an award presented annually to an alumnus of the
Leadership West Bend program. The Leadership Alumni Association is pleased to
offer this award, named in honor of the program’s founder Betty A. Pearson,
former Executive Director of the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce.
Betty served the community of West Bend in various capacities and touched the
lives of many through her 15 years of service with the Chamber. The award
recognizes graduates of the Leadership program who have demonstrated community
service and leadership in the West Bend area.
To be eligible for the Betty A. Pearson Community Leadership Award, the individual must be an Alumnus of the Leadership West Bend program. Nominees should have demonstrated service to the West Bend community through a variety of avenues including participation on various boards or committees within the past several years. Nominees should also have demonstrated previous and continued community involvement as well as proven commitment to promoting leadership development within the community.
Pete is known around Moraine Park and West Bend for his generous contributions. One of his most recent community collaborations was his 25 Runs of Gratitude. You can read more about that here.
If you see him around be sure to congratulate him, the award is very well deserved!
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