Moraine Park Technical College has selected Amanda Kollmorgan, of Fond du Lac, as the 2021-22 District Student Ambassador. 

Kollmorgan, an active-duty communications security manager for the Army, came to Moraine Park to finish the college degree she started at a 4-year university. 

“I began my college journey in 2010, right after my deployment to Iraq,” she said. “I didn’t transition well and felt like another face in the crowd. I was not only looking for a great education but also a personalized experience and a place I belonged. I immediately found that at Moraine Park.” 

Kollmorgan’s role in the army prepared her for the Leadership Development program, and she was able to take her classroom knowledge and implement it in her work life. She will earn her Associate degree in Leadership Development this fall and plans to pursue a degree in Accounting as well. 

“Both of these programs align with my current and future goals,” she said. “In my retirement, I hope to own a bakery. The skills I’m learning in leadership and business will help prepare me for that big-picture goal.” 

Kollmorgan is also active on the Fond du Lac Campus, where she is a member of the Student Government, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Student Veteran Association (SVA), and Phi Theta Kappa. 

“For over 14 years, my entire identity has been the Army,” she said. “I love being a soldier, but I was also looking to be part of something more. Moraine Park has not only made me feel like a welcomed part of their family- but being here has ignited passions and goals that I did not know existed before. I am excited for my future and the opportunities it holds.” 

To be eligible for this distinction, students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member at the College, and then give a presentation to a selection committee. In total, there were three students in the final consideration for this role. 

As the selected 2021-22 District Student Ambassador, Kollmorgan will actively serve as a member of the 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. 

“Being named the District Student Ambassador is a huge honor,” she said. “I look forward to advocating for my classmates and sharing the many benefits of Moraine Park and a technical college education.” 

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

Community Impact is a strategic priority at MPTC. Connecting the college and community for the goals of fostering collaboration and connectivity among business, alumni and community partners, increases the visibility of the college impact to the communities we serve.  Moraine Park students and employees are also helping fulfill community needs, sharing their time and talent, connecting and volunteering to help and improve the communities where we live, work and go to school.

In the summer of 2018, MPTC started posting and tracking service learning and volunteer opportunities online for students and staff. To date, we are so proud to report over 11,000 hours of community service have been tracked with a total economic impact of close to $286,000 throughout the MPTC district of Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Dodge and Washington Counties. Way to go MPTC!

Here is a little breakdown of the service hours so far:

• 250+ students and staff have participated

• 360+ community partners have been served

• As of Spring Semester 2021, 135 students have earned Community Impact Awards

• As of April 2021, 15 employees have earned Community Engagement Awards

Please join in celebrating this important milestone of our college commitment to making an impact on our communities. Together we are truly making a difference!

When MPTC Leadership Development student Nikki Toombs needed to choose a service learning capstone project, she knew just what she wanted to do! Nikki said, “I chose to take on this project because I wanted to help people who are going through tough times in our Ripon community. I also know the effects stress can have on a person — that is why I love the food pantry and what they do for those who could use a helping hand.”

Nikki designed an entire food drive event for the Ripon Community Food Pantry, complete with gathering a volunteer team, creating a logo, facebook page, web postings, business contacts database, silent auction fundraiser, flyers and outreach plan.

Nikki’s project helped the Ripon community gather 876 pounds of food donations at Webster’s Marketplace and raise $722 through the silent auction and monetary donations. Way to go!! One special donation was made in memory and honor of Ron LeMahieu; to help his family always remember the moments and love they shared. Nikki stated, “I think the little things, like a simple “thank you” go a long way. I have received some great feedback from people. My goal of getting the community together to support those in need is being recognized and I am achieving my goals!”

Congratulations on your successful project Nikki and on earning an MPTC Gold Community Impact Award for over 100 hours of service!

Find out more about Nikki’s project in the Ripon Commonwealth Press.

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 student community impact and apply their classroom knowledge to an applicable, real world environment. 

In 2018, MPTC started a community impact 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 learning or volunteering.

This fall we have awarded our third President’s Award Winner – Barbara Turner! Barbara earned the President’s Award with over 240 volunteer hours. For her exemplary service, Barbara was also recently honored with the Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leader Award.

Barbara plans to graduate in May 2021 with her Associate Degree in Business Management. She has already earned an associate degree in Leadership Development.

Upon receiving the President’s Award, Barbara stated:  “I am very grateful and honored to receive this award. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mary Vogl-Rauscher, Leadership Development Instructor in MPTC, and Tracy M. Propst, the Executive Director in Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce, for the volunteering opportunity.” President Bonnie Baerwald said, “Barbara consistently demonstrates that she is a committed, dependable, hard-working individual with a high degree of integrity. She brings a positive attitude and a natural curiosity to plan, learn and do – no matter what the task or project. She has a tenacious gift to persevere and a real desire to make a difference in this community. Barbara has a proven track record for success and has demonstrated her commitment to lifelong learning and volunteerism.”

Congratulations Barbara!

82% of middle-level careers are considered digitally intensive (Bradley, Restuccia, Rudnicki, & Bittle, 2017).  The proficient use of technology is required in almost all careers and is essential to upward mobility.  Jobs with digital skill requirements are “growing faster, pay more and offer greater opportunity for career advancement than jobs without those requirements” (Bradley, Restuccia, Rudnicki, & Bittle, 2017). 

Earning micro-credentials is a quick, valuable way to provide employers with evidence that applicants possess these digital skills.  Micro-credentials are defined as “mini-qualifications that demonstrate skills, knowledge, and/or experience in a given subject area or capability” (SUNY, 2017). These credentials can be earned in shorter time, are often more focused, and can be a stepping-stone toward a degree.

Why is it so important to be technologically proficient?  Let’s consider our own work experiences.  Most of us have collaborated on projects with co-workers who are less efficient than they might be if they learned to digitally collaborate, utilize file sharing, and collectively edit documents. We may have worked with someone who took longer to write a report than necessary because they did not learn new technology.  We have felt frustrated by a co-worker who could not interpret numerical data or share it in a manner that was easily understandable.  We have sat through bad presentations that leave us feeling disengaged.  We have experienced working with someone who cannot pull data into a comprehensive and easy to interpret report.  This results in an inefficient use of time and results in lack of productivity. Learning to utilize collaborations tools, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access can make our workplaces more effective and efficient. 

Today’s workplace requires the ability to pivot, work remotely and collaboratively, and adapt to change.  Moraine Park offers many classes that build and enhance skills in technology.  Our Office Software Suite Certificate is available in a hybrid format and builds essential skills in collaboration, word processing, working with spreadsheets, creating engaging presentations, and utilizing databases.  Badges earned in these classes can be shared electronically with co-workers, social media, and potential employers.  More information is available here: https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/programs/office-software-suite-certificate/

Written by Stephanie Murre Wolf, Moraine Park Technical College, Business Technology & Software Applications Instructor, Information Technology Academics

References
Bradley, B., Restuccia, D., Rudnicki, C., & Bittle, S. (2017). The Digital Edge: Middle Skill Workers and Careers. Boston, MA: Burning Glass Technologies. http://www.burning-glass.com/wp-content/uploads/Digital_Edge_report_2017_final.pdf​ 
SUNY. (2017, October 24). What are micro-credentials and how can they benefit both businesses and employees? Retrieved from Deakin: https://www.deakinco.com/media-centre/article/Benefits-of-micro-credentials-for-business-and-employees#:~:text=Micro%2Dcredentials%20are%20mini%2Dqualifications,qualifications%20like%20diplomas%20or%20degrees. 

Amanda Kollmorgan, a Leadership and Organizational Development student, is getting fired up! As a part of her capstone course, Amanda is conducting a service learning project. Service learning takes the learning experience outside of the classroom, connects students to community, and provides a mutually benefit to the student and community through the service. Amanda is applying skills and knowledge acquired through the completion of her program in a project with the Village of St. Cloud Fire Department. She is partnering with local heroes to provide a COVID friendly online auction to help meet department needs.

When asked why she chose a community project, she reflected on her feelings about the community and why giving back was important to her. “I am not from the Fond du Lac area and come from a very small family. When I married my husband, I married into a large Fond du Lac and Holyland family. When I started a job in St Cloud, everyone immediately made me feel like family. The community out there is so warm and friendly. It just really feels like home, even though it’s not. That’s why I chose to support the Fire Department. They are volunteer based and rely completely on the community to run, so what better way to give back to all of those folks who became part of my family than do a fundraiser”.

Amanda is set to finish the associate degree program this semester and reflected on her experience at MPTC. “I truly love how involved in the community it is, the number of resources there are, the ability and support of the staff available, and the quality of teachers. This is my third time attending college, and I regret not having been able to start my journey here. In fact, I love this school so much I signed up for a second degree starting in the fall!”.

Amanda plans to leverage the knowledge, insight, and tools gained from her experience in the program to achieve her short and long-term career goals which include owning her own bakery. She shared that she now has”…a better understanding of how to manage people plus be aware of the laws and regulations that pertain to them. I feel better apt to provide trainings as well as plan and manage projects. For the bakery, I am aware of what will take to plan my project proposal, as well the laws governing recruiting, hiring, and employing personnel”.

The Moraine Park Community extends their appreciation to Amanda to all of her service to community!

Congratulations to Barbara Turner, of Beaver Dam, on earning the first Emerging Leader award from the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes a high school or post-secondary student in Beaver Dam who demonstrates strong character, leadership, and community service.
FYI- She served over 200 hours at the Chamber- helping the Executive Directory tremendously during COVID-19!! Barbara was also recognized virtually by Congressman Glenn Grothman.

“Whether at the College or the Chamber, Barbara consistently demonstrates that she is a committed, dependable, hard-working individual with a high degree of integrity. She brings a positive attitude and a natural curiosity to plan, learn and do – no matter what the task or project. She has a tenacious gift to persevere and a real desire to make a difference in this community. Barbara has a proven track record for success and has demonstrated her commitment to lifelong learning and volunteerism,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said.

Here are the comments shared by the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce at the virtual annual meeting:

“Tracy Probst, Executive Director for the Beaver Dam Chamber, started just as COVID-19 was hitting Wisconsin and the safer at home order went into place. The board soon realized we would not be able to have the regular events that help fund the operations of the chamber and unfortunately had to lay off the Chamber assistant indefinitely.

Through a conversation Tracy had with Mary Vogl Rauscher, an instructor at Moraine Park, Barbara Turner, stepped forward and offered to help over the summer. Barbara spent over 200 hours at the Chamber, helping Tracy update records in the database and cover when she needed to be out of the office.

Barbara is currently a full-time student in the Leadership Development program at Moraine Park Technical College. She has received an associate degree in supervisory management and is currently pursuing a second degree in business analytics. Barbara is very involved in her school and community and served as the 2019-20 MPTC District Student Ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College. As MPTC’s ambassador, she was actively highlighting technical college education through public awareness efforts and legislative advocacy – instilling pride in technical education among students, graduates, and the community.

Barbara is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honor Society, the MPTC student government, and serves as President of the student chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Barbara Turner moved to Beaver Dam from Israel, where she served in the Israeli Army.

She completed 224 hours of service learning from the Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce this summer and has earned the prestigious MPTC President’s Award for Community Impact. It is our understanding that this might be the record in volunteer hours at MPTC.

Barb has inspired our Chamber Board to create the Emerging Leader award, which will recognize high-school or post-secondary students for their volunteer work and leadership at work, school, or a non-profit organization in Beaver Dam.”

We are proud of you, Barbara! Keep up the good work!

Thanks to MPTC Beta Mu Kappa Academic Honor Society students, 55 area kids will have warm winter mittens this winter season. Students hosted a Mitten Tree drive at all 3 campuses over the past month, and delivered the donated mittens to Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac and Boys & Girls Club of Washington County Jackson site this past week.

Karissa Schneider, Operations Director at Fond du Lac Club said, “We are so thankful for our partnerships with Moraine Park Technical College and this is no different!  Thank you to Phi Theta Kappa for holding a mitten drive to help keep our members hands cozy and warm.”  

Beta Mu Kappa is our local MPTC chapter for the international Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honor Society. Students who maintain a 3.5 GPA or above after obtaining at least 12 college credits are invited to join the honor society. Check out our web page for more information on PTK plus our leadership and community service opportunities.

Way to go Amanda Leslie! For her Leadership Development Capstone service learning project, Amanda put together a virtual pet show fundraiser to support the FDL Humane Society and was able to raise $725! “Join me to support a good cause and possibly win a prize without ever having to leave the house! Donate $5 or more and message me a photo of your pet to enter into our virtual pet show and help raise money for FDL Humane Society Inc. Your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Winners of the pet show were announced on October 25th, 2020 on a virtual event! Thank you for your support!

Amanda’s instructor, Mary Vogl-Rauscher said, “Very Impressive Amanda!! You are a Rock Star!!” Associate Dean of Business, Bobbi Fields, said, “Amanda – I want to congratulate you on the success of your project and to thank you for your contributions to the community. I am very supportive of service learning and greatly enjoy hearing stories of how students effectively leverage the projects to enhance their education and their community. Undoubtedly, you have promoted your own professional profile; however, I see the benefits of your altruistic project yet another amazing outcome of your project. Again,  thank you applying the leadership skills you have gained in Mary’s program to promote your community. “

Amanda said, “The reason I chose this project is because I have always been passionate about animal welfare and rescue. Animals are precious to me and I want to help any way I can to aid in their protection.  We are in unprecedented times with this pandemic and many non-profit organizations, such as the Humane Society, have had to close their doors to the public and cancel upcoming public fundraising events.  This has deeply impacted them financially.  Therefore, my project was a fun alternative means to engage the community and help provide financial aid to an organization that does amazing work providing humane care and protection to animals in need, while keeping supporters safe in their own homes. The virtual pet show had an element of convenience and engagement for my supporters by having them share photos of their beloved companions in the contest, rather than simply asking for a donation.  There was 5 different categories they could enroll their pet into, which allowed for creative freedom and 5 chances to win. It was an encouraging experience interacting with so many individuals who had a similar passion and love for animals as me. There was so many generous donations from supporters resulting in a total of $725 and I can’t thank them enough!” 

Congratulations on your Bronze Award for Student Community Impact Amanda!