We can’t stop celebrating commencement and the many accomplishments that happened at Moraine Park this last year. To keep the party going, we have included links to all of the celebration photos.
Are you dreaming of accomplishing your educational goals? Moraine Park has many options to get you into your dream career. Find out more at 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.
Moraine Park
Technical College held its 27th annual GED/HSED graduation ceremony on May 30.
For the 2018-19 school year, 126 students received their General Education
Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificates.
Rebecca Carreon of Fond du Lac,
Natasha Peters of Ripon, Sandra Pfund of Slinger, and Betty Zimdars of West
Bend served as student speakers.
Carreon and
Peters, sisters and twins, spoke together on the struggles of life and how
important it was to both of them to complete the journey together.
“I tried multiple
times to finish my HSED on my own but never followed through with it because I
never thought I could do it,” Peters said. “The support of family, friends, the
teachers at the Student Success Center, and my sister gave me the courage and
push I needed to finish.”
Both Carreon and
Peters plan to continue their education at Moraine Park this fall, with an
overall goal to earn their college degree.
“I have always
wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse, and I finally feel like that isn’t
just a dream anymore,” Carreon said. “Now I can make it a reality! We plan on
starting school here at Moraine Park Technical College in the upcoming
year. After all the support we had to
finish our HSED here, we can only imagine the support we will get once in our programs!”
Pfund shared her
story of deciding to complete her high school diploma with the support of her
friend and fellow GED student, Zimdars.
“We have
maintained our friendship and motivated each other along the way,” Pfund said.
“My success has been helped with a special friendship and someone to hold me
accountable. Nothing is impossible, no matter what age you are. Our journey was
not an easy one, but our friendship helped immensely.”
Pfund and Zimdars
have decided to continue their educational journey together as Moraine Park
college students.
Abby McGeehen of Berlin
and Zimdars were each the recipients of $500 student scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to GED/HSED
graduates who are continuing their education at Moraine Park.
The GED/HSED
students had to pass all four subject portions of the nationally recognized GED
tests to receive their diploma. They also had to meet requirements in
employability, digital literacy, health, and civics. Moraine Park’s GED/HSED
instruction is available year-round and is one of the many services at the
College that is offered for free to the community.
For more information about Moraine Park’s GED/HSED classes, visit morainepark.edu/GED.
From left to right: Medical Assistant student Stephanie Darkow, Serenity CAPSW Administrator Kathy Weston, Serenity Volunteer & Bereavement Coordinator Ashley Wissinger, Serenity OTR Owner Barb Mueller, Instructor Eric Ziebell and Instructor Sarah Chojnacki
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
Promise Student Award left to right: Promise Mentor Barb Brown, Director of College Advancement Dana Bourland, Promise Student Brett Hebert, President Bonnie Baerwald, Dean of General Studies Brenda Raad, Student Community Impact Coordinator Anne Lemke, College Advancement Assistant Joan BrezinskyMedical Assistant Student Awards Front row left to right: Stephanie Munro, Mackenzie Dressel, Gwendolyn Redmon, Summer Benn, Paige Langlois, Kimberly Lindemann, Stephanie Darkow Back row left to right: Yasmine Albert, Kristin Auchtung, April Weisinger, Sara Tallman, Robin Hanson, Kelly Loeper, Rachel DobberpuhlBusiness Student Awards Left to right: Student Community Impact Coordinator Anne Lemke, Jessica Hendrickson, Instructor Cindy Bernhard, Gabrielle SchmucherBusiness Student Awards left to right: Student Community Impact Coordinator Anne Lemke, Instructor Cindy Bernhard, Jaimi Lee TerLaan, Abigail Donath, Erin Bunch Promise Student Awards left to right: Promise Mentor Bart Putzer, Promise Student Renee Vnuk-Uhrman, Promise Student Brooke Wightman, Promise Mentor Joe Desiderio, Promise Manager Kim Schwamn
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.
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