Being passed over for new job opportunities, but feeling too old to go back to school. Such was the conflicted crossroads in life for Becky Powel, 48, of Cedarburg, who had already spent a quarter century in the workforce but increasingly felt stuck in place.

If there was any light at the end of this darkening tunnel, Becky admits she had a hard time seeing it through clouds of frustration.
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Shown in this undated photo, Fond du Lac Vocational School students help unload a Giddings and Lewis truck.

The College has maintained partnerships with many business and industry entities today. In fact, Giddings and Lewis (now known as Five Giddings & Lewis) is still supporting our mission, and was among 18 businesses and organizations recognized this month by the Moraine Park Foundation for supporting its Forming Alliances to Cultivate Talent (FACT) program.
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Through the generosity and support of area business, that’s how much money has been pledged to date for the FACT (Forming Alliances to Cultivate Talent) scholarship program at Moraine Park. If you’re interested in a career in manufacturing, these scholarships could offer life-changing help in accomplishing your goals!

Jenni Morse, a second-year mechanical design student (and awesome mom),  was a FACT scholarship recipient this year, and she can vouch:
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Moraine Park Technical College held an IT Careers Completion Ceremony on March 8. Fourteen students received Website Security certificates and three students received Content Management Systems certificates.  Two students, Becky Scannell, and Adam Skeel received special congratulations for completing all four of the certificates earned through the U.S. Department of Labor Interface grant program:  http://www.morainepark.edu/itcareers
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If you’re struggling to achieve your dreams, hopefully Hannah Koepp’s story can resonate with you and offer hope.  She’s been there. Three jobs. A mother with cancer. Worries spreading in a swirling storm of uncertainty.

But her dreams endured. The Moraine Park Foundation believed in those dreams, and offered help to bring them closer to reality. Check out Hannah’s story in this emotional video.  In so many ways, she is truly “Driven to do.”

To learn more about the Moraine park Foundation or to support its scholarships, please click here. 

Amidst a gentle symphony of scissors snipping and clippers clipping, 16 women gathered, learned together and bonded in 1975 in the cosmetology classroom of Moraine Park Technical College’s Fond du Lac campus.

These women were the second class to graduate from the College’s cosmetology program, and despite experiencing many changes during the 40 years since they met – both in the beauty industry and personally – their bond to each other has remained constant.
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“Every woman has a story,” attests Denise Fitzsimmons ’81, Moraine Park Technical College’s 2015 Distinguished Alumnus. As publisher of “InSpire Magazine” – a monthly rag dedicated to empowering women – Fitzsimmons showcases such stories. In doing so, she helps connect women with each other, as well as with resources and support geared to improving their lives.

Fitzsimmons, of Beaver Dam, Wis., graduated from Moraine Park with a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing before enjoying a successful career in publishing and co-founding “InSpire.” It turns out, design, fashion and publishing work well together.

“I started out after college in retail, then moved to a newspaper in Portage designing advertisements,” she said. “I ultimately moved to Conley Publishing Inc., where I worked from 1985-2004 and ended up as advertising director.

Still, Fitzsimmons craved more. A desire to empower others, especially women, spurred her to co-launch “InSpire.” She did so with two other women – 2006 Moraine Park Distinguished Alumnus Mary Beth Bockhorst and sister-in-law, Jill Huizenga. Eleven years later, “Inspire” touts a readership of 10,000 throughout the Wisconsin counties of Fond du Lac, Dane, Jefferson and Dodge. Since the magazine’s founding, it has donated $150,000 to area charities and nonprofits.

“I believe in helping out and giving back to the community,” she said. “I do it because it’s the right thing to do.” As such, Fitzsimmons is an active volunteer. She is a member of the Second Christian Reformed Church, in Randolph; the Beaver Dam Rotary Club; the Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Inc. Foundation Board; and the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee, among many others. She’s also given back to her alma mater through the years. She has served as celebrity chef for the Moraine Park Foundation and showcased many “InSpire” stories featuring Moraine Park programs, students and staff.

Fitzsimmons, who believes wholeheartedly in the value of a technical education, maintains she draws daily from the skills and life lessons learned while studying at Moraine Park. “The skills I learned at school in fashion merchandising helped me get where I am today,” she said.

After graduating in 1978 from Central Wisconsin Christian School, in Waupun, Fitzsimmons attended a four-year college in Iowa before transferring to Moraine Park. “It was a better fit for me,” she said. “I enjoyed Moraine Park’s small classes and very informative instructors. They wanted to help students learn and often invited us to their homes for dinners and study sessions.” In addition to developing critical marketing and business skills, Fitzsimmons honed her communication, problem-solving and leadership proficiency.

As a result of her experience, she urges high school graduates to consider Moraine Park as their next step in learning and life. Simultaneously, she encourages Moraine Park graduates to enthusiastically go after their dreams.

After graduating in 1978 from Central Wisconsin Christian School, in Waupun, Fitzsimmons attended a four-year college in Iowa before transferring to Moraine Park. “It was a better fit for me,” she said. “I enjoyed Moraine Park’s small classes and very informative instructors. They wanted to help students learn and often invited us to their homes for dinners and study sessions.” In addition to developing critical marketing and business skills, Fitzsimmons honed her communication, problem-solving and leadership proficiency.

As a result of her experience, she urges high school graduates to consider Moraine Park as their next step in learning and life. Simultaneously, she encourages Moraine Park graduates to enthusiastically go after their dreams.

Fitzsimmons will address students and graduates at the Moraine Park Student Awards Banquet, May 8, where she’ll share a favorite quote by inspirational author Martha Bolton. “There is nothing sadder than an unfulfilled life,” said Bolton. “Dreams don’t come with expiration dates.”

“Education is a gift,” says Lisa Karst ’12, Moraine Park Technical College’s 2014 Distinguished Alumnus and the 28th recipient of the award. “As with all things, you get out of it what you put into it. How you choose to apply yourself will directly impact what you receive. That applies to everything in life – your family, job and relationships.”

A lifelong learner, community service advocate, mother and wife, Karst is the assistant vice president/regional operations leader at National Exchange Bank and Trust, in Beaver Dam. She holds a number of Moraine Park certificates, including Principles of Management, 2001; Organizational Management, 2007; and Human Resources Development, 2009. Additionally, Karst earned her Leadership Development associate’s degree in 2012.

Karst, who resides near Beaver Dam in the Town of Burnett, insists her Moraine Park learning experiences enlivened her 25-year career in the financial services industry. “When I first enrolled at Moraine Park, I wasn’t necessarily looking for a degree,” she admits. “I just wanted to improve my skills and knowledge of human relations, personal interaction and leadership. I liked Moraine Park because it offered a broader focus than other colleges, so if I wanted to change direction, my education would better serve me.”

As Karst’s education and professional on-the-job experience meshed, she leaped the corporate ladder – jump- ing from administrative assistant to customer service officer/branch manager, and finally to assistant vice president/regional operations leader.

“Her journey through her degree gave her a great complement to her experience in banking,” says Nicole Wiese, Karst’s supervisor. While Karst possessed most of the skills needed for advancement, those skills were further strengthened and broadened through her educational experience, according to Wiese.

Karst wholeheartedly agrees. “In the Leadership Development program I explored more about myself and ap- plied what I learned where I worked,” she says. Karst gained knowledge and skills enrichment that boosted her personal and professional growth.

In particular, she mastered the tools and skills necessary to effectively manage staff and related challenges. “I learned the human behavioral aspects of leading people; how to facilitate employee development; conflict resolution skills; and the value of continuous learning,” says Karst.

A stellar student and role model, according to Leadership Development Instructor Mary Vogl-Rauscher, Karst attended Moraine Park while working full-time, volunteering in her community and juggling family life. Once again, Karst “put into it what she wanted to get out of it …”

While pursuing her education, one of Karst’s daughters, Emma, was also pursuing a college degree. “It was kind of cool being in school at the same time,” Karst remembers. Today, Karst and her husband, Don, enjoy three grandchildren. Their daughters, Emma and Sabrina, are 25 and 28.

Karst, who loves her family dearly, also relishes her community and alma mater. She’s an active member of Beaver Dam Noon Kiwanis, Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce, Church Health Services Inc. and Moraine Park’s Leadership Development Advisory Committee. In this role, Karst works with other business and organi- zational leaders to continually improve and mold Moraine Park’s Leadership Development program.

“I value the education I received at Moraine Park and I enjoy helping others in the program by assisting with the review of curriculum in an ever-changing business environment. Service is important,” Karst maintains. “I find it gratifying to give back to the community in which I live and work.”

Karst offers simple advice to graduates. “You get out what you put in.”

Moraine Park Technical College provides an education aimed at developing the full person, according to Mike Staral ’78, of West Bend. As Moraine Park’s 2013 Distinguished Alumnus, he should know. A 1978 graduate of Moraine Park’s Tool and Die Technologies Apprenticeship program, Staral serves as vice president at Willer Tool Corp., in Jackson, Wis. He is also a member of the Moraine Park CNC/Tool and Die Technologies Advisory Committee and in July, will become one of two new members on Moraine Park’s District Board.

He’s dedicated a large part of his life to spreading the good word about technical education. It’s no wonder, then, that 65 percent of Willer Tool Corp.’s 60 employ- ees are Moraine Park graduates. “They receive hands-on experience, learn to deal with others outside the classroom and are well prepared for the job field,” said Staral. “Not only does Moraine Park provide employer contacts for graduates –connections that help them land jobs – the College teaches soft skills, including communication, teamwork and problem solving.”

Graduates of Moraine Park, according to Staral, are ready for employment in the real world. He knows this from experience. He remembers well the lessons gained as a student. “We learned the big things, like math and machining,” said Staral. “One of the main objectives of our teacher, Ken Nelson, was to get graduates jobs.”

Thirty-five years later, Staral has helped grow Willer Tool Corp. from the six-person operation he originally joined to one of 60. During his journey to vice president, he’s remained committed to his Alma Mater and its graduates. “We have three to six Moraine Park graduates going through the apprenticeship program,” said Staral. “They take two years of school, then work with us for 10,400 hours during an apprenticeship.” Each ap- prentice then becomes a journeyman tool and die maker. “The industry is really strong,” added Staral. “Right now, I could place 20 graduates in the tool and die field within Washington County.”

That’s why maintaining an influx of highly trained graduates is critical to the growth of the tool and die indus- try. As a CNC/Tool and Die Technologies Advisory Committee member, Staral and other industry experts, work with Moraine Park instructors to ensure students learn the industry’s most critical skills and use the latest technologies. Similarly, as a Moraine Park District Board Member, Staral works to make decisions regarding the budget, new program implementation, and more. “Manufacturing is big in Wisconsin, so we have to con- tinue investment in programs, machines and tools,” he said.

“I’m Moraine Park’s biggest fan,” admits Staral. Aside from himself, three other members of his family are graduates of Wisconsin technical colleges, including his wife, Kate, with a degree in interior design; his son, Jason, with a tool and die degree; and a daughter-in-law, Krista, with a dental hygiene degree. Staral’s other son, Chad, received an accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A committed family man and contributor to his community, Staral also enjoys two grandchildren, Addison and Blake.

A lifelong West Bend resident, Staral is president of Friends of West Bend Parks and serves on the West Bend Baseball Association Board of Directors and the West Bend Park and Recreation Commission.

“Be a team player and have a positive attitude,” Staral advises new Moraine Park graduates. “If you do that, people will notice you and you will go places. What made me successful is that I never said ‘no’ to hard work.”