Moraine Park Technical College has presented Serenity Hospice with its 2019 Community Partnership Award. This award recognizes a community non-profit or business partner organization who has gone above and beyond in their role of working with Moraine Park students in service learning opportunities.

Serenity Hospice is committed to providing the highest quality of care with a multidisciplinary team, serving patients and their families through every stage of end of life care. Moraine Park Medical Assistant students are important members of the hospice team! Volunteers are specially trained to provide support to the patient and family such as socialization, visitation, and helping with administrative tasks such as scanning, filing, alphabetizing, faxing, data entry, scheduling and collating. In 2019, MPTC student service learning volunteers spent over 240 hours at Serenity Hospice!

Ashley Wissinger, Volunteer & Bereavement Coordinator for Serenity Hospice said, “Thank you so much for this award!  We’ve had a lot of wonderful student volunteers from Moraine Park. The award is lovely and is proudly displayed. It was so great to meet your team and put faces with names!  It is truly an honor to work with the Moraine Park students.  We appreciate everything you and your team do to ensure your students are successful.”

Moraine Park Technical College works to bring quality education to the students, which in turn will benefit the communities where they live and work. Students who participate are required to log their volunteer hours, which count towards earning a Service-Learning Award.  Opportunities such as this allow students to make community connections prior to graduation and work through real-life scenarios. The partnership created by Moraine Park Technical College and Serenity Hospice will continue to benefit both of our organizations, the student volunteers, and the patients and families that are being served.

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

On April 23, MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald and Student Community Impact Coordinator Anne Lemke, were very excited to receive the Partner In Excellence Award from the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area

Center Director Mindy Collado said, “Thank you so much for attending our Great Futures Celebration and for all of your hard work with the Dream Big Initiative!”

Teen Futures Coordinator Carrie Govek said, “We are so delighted with the opportunities Dream Big has offered the teens in our Career Launch program and we look forward to continuing this partnership.”

Club CEO Jason Presto said, “Dream Big is so amazing! We are very thankful for the way MPTC is introducing our members to opportunities they may be interested in or may have never even known was an option for them. This school year they learned about careers in Medical Assistant, Criminal Justice, Health and Wellness, Welding, and Automotive!

Moraine Park Technical College is committed to community engagement and student success.  The College supports these commitments through the opportunity for students to participate in service learning and apply their classroom knowledge to an applicable, real world environment. 

Last year, MPTC started a service learning awards program where students can track their service hours, submit their reflections, and earn a Bronze Award for 25 hours, Silver Award for 50 hours, Gold Award for 100 hours, or Presidents Award for 200 hours of service. In the 2018-19 school year 112 students logged over 2,800 hours of service impacting 138 area community partners! 15 students earned awards in December and 28 students earned awards in May.

Congratulations to the spring 2019 award winners!

Bronze Award Winners

Completing 25-49 hours of service learning.

• Gwendolyn Redmon, Medical Assistant
• Kayla Tiedke, Medical Assistant
• Stephanie Munro, Medical Assistant
• Kelly Loeper, Medical Assistant
• Mackenzie Dressel, Medical Assistant
• Robin Hanson, Medical Assistant
• Yasmine Albert, Medical Assistant
• Kristin Auchtung, Medical Assistant
• Summer Benn, Medical Assistant
• Kayla Bunker, Medical Assistant
• Rachel Dobberphul, Medical Assistant
• Chelsea Herriges, Medical Assistant
• Paige Langlois, Medical Assistant
• Roberto Mondragon, IT Software Developer
• Jaimi TerLaan, Medical Assistant
• Delaney Tisdale, Medical Assistant
• Brooke Wightman, Nursing        

Silver Award Winners

Completing 50-99 hours of service learning.

• Erin Bunch, Business Management
• Stephanie Darkow, Medical Assistant
• Traci Hauge-Rueter, Medical Assistant
• Jessica Hendrickson, Business
• Kimberly Lindemann, Medical Assistant
• Gabrielle Schumacher, Business
• April Weisinger, Medical Assistant

Gold Award Winners

Completing 100-199 hours of service learning.

• Abigail Donath, Business Management
• Brett Hebert, Corrections        
• Sara Tallman, Medical Assistant
• Renee Vnuk-Uhrman, Medical Lab Technician

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.

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

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.

For more information on Moraine Park’s nursing program, visit morainepark.edu/nursing.

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.

To learn more about Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

To view more photos from the 2018 Commencement Ceremony, go to facebook.com/moraineparktech.

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!

Moraine Park Technical College’s 2019 Retirement and Service Recognition event on Thursday, May 2, honored retirees and staff who have reached service anniversaries during the 2018-19 academic year.

“These individuals have been an essential part in the success of Moraine Park. They have benefited our organization and the communities that we serve,” said Bonnie Baerwald, president of Moraine Park. “This year we had 120 combined years of service from our retirees and 655 combined years from our staff members that received service recognition awards.”

In all, the College recognized six retirees and 62 staff members. The retirees include Pam Erickson of Fond du Lac, student support representative; Sandy Justman of Kewaskum, contract training operations manager; Jay Peartree of Oconomowoc, fire training instructor; Steve Reinke of West Bend, building and grounds maintenance worker; Jodie Schneider of Fond du Lac, executive assistant- president’s office; Terri Wilkens of Morrison, Ill., social science instructor.

Staff members recognized for years of service included Linda Harmsen of Waupun, 40 years; Sherry Hackbarth of Watertown, 30 years. Celebrating 25 years of service were Tammy Freund of North Fond du Lac, Bruce Hahn of Fond du Lac, and Mary Nyhouse of West Bend. Staff recognized for 20 years of service were Cynthia Bernhard of Campbellsport, James Hokenson of Slinger, Christine Kuhaupt of Kewaskum, Daurren McCarthy of Fond du Lac, Beth Mendoza of Combined Locks, Dee Schmitz of Fond du Lac, Tami Smith of Fond du Lac, and Debra Stoffel of West Bend.

Moraine Park also recognized 49 employees for service to the College at the 5-, 10-, and 15- year levels.

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

Being an adult student or making the decision to enroll in college isn’t easy. If any current Moraine Park student knows that, it’s Aurelio Rosas of Beaver Dam.  Aurelio came to Wisconsin from Crystal City, TX in 2013. As a divorced father of two, he was looking for an opportunity to provide a life for his children.

“I worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in Texas,” he said. “I knew I wanted to further my education in healthcare, which is what brought me to Moraine Park.”

He found a home in Beaver Dam with his brother, Armando, and enrolled at Moraine Park. He decided to pursue both the medical assistant and medical office support Technical Degrees.

“I came to Moraine Park Technical College because I could obtain an affordable education in a short amount of time,” Aurelio said. “Also, the hands-on learning and one-on-one interaction with the instructors was important to me.”

Life settled into a routine pace for Aurelio until his brother tragically died of a drug overdose. As a result, Aurelio ended up homeless and living in his car. He briefly relocated to Milwaukee to live with his sister but could barely afford the gas to get to and from school. 

“It was a horrible time,” he said. “I wanted to give up, but I knew my children needed me to keep going.”

That’s when he connected with Karla Donohue, a counselor at Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus. Together, they were able to find immediate solutions to help him get to class.

“The College’s Foundation has emergency funding set aside to help students in situations just like Aurelio’s,” Karla said. “Once I met with him, we were able to work together to ease his life stresses so he could focus on his education and future.”

Moraine Park support services, like counseling, are always free to students.

“Connecting students to campus services helps to give students a sense of belonging, and they realize they aren’t alone,” Karla said. “I am impressed with Aurelio’s determination to overcome some major life barriers. He is a great example of strength.”

The determination that Aurelio demonstrates in his personal life is also brought into the classroom and on campus. For this reason, he was named as the 2018-19 Moraine Park District Student Ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System. This role requires the student to 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. Aurelio’s tenure in this position will soon end, and his final assignment as the Moraine Park student ambassador is to serve as a student speaker at the 2019 commencement ceremony. 

“Aurelio is a great student and a deserving recipient of the Student Ambassador award,” Karla said. “Even more important, Aurelio is a great person. By nature, he is kind, compassionate, and relatable, which makes him a perfect fit for his selected career path.”

Aurelio took advantage of career laddering opportunities at the College. He is a three-time Moraine Park graduate, and holds a medical billing specialist certificate, technical diplomas in medical assistance and medical office specialist, and is working towards his medical office management associate’s degree. His overall goal is to become a registered nurse (RN).

“I enjoy working in my community,” Aurelio said. “I have the God-given gift of speaking Spanish, and it makes me feel good knowing that I can help with translations if need be. Overall, I just like caring for people, regardless of who are they are, and I hope to continue to do so for years to come.”

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