Congratulations Fond du Lac Medical Assistant Students! From Left to right, Kayelee Kufalk, Kayla Rieder, Amber Christenson, Hannah Miller, Allexis Wegner, Savannah Clarke, Hailey Rist, Hannah Stoll.

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. 

MPTC encourages students to participate in our community impact awards program where students can track their service learning or volunteer 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!

In the 2021 spring semester, despite all the Covid-19 challenges, 53 students earned awards and logged over 2,600 hours of service!

Congratulations to our Spring, 2021 award winners!

Bronze Awards

Completing 25-49 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Anderson, Keanu – Leadership Development
• Balzer, Morgan – Medical Assistant
• Bartoli, Candice – Nursing
• Bauman, Haley – Medical Assistant
• Berger, Abigail – Medical Assistant
• Christenson, Amber – Medical Assistant
• Collins-George, Halle – Marketing and Social Media
• Dobbert, Michaella – Medical Assistant
• Drabek, Renee – Marketing and Social Media
• Gleixner, Hanna – Medical Assistant
• Goes, Elisa – Nursing
• Goss, Kalie – Medical Assistant
• Haase, Melissa – Medical Assistant
• Hanefeld, Sara – Medical Assistant
• Hansen, Chad – Leadership Development
• Kabat, Mollie – Leadership Development
• Kliamentsyeva, Anastasiya – Marketing and Social Media
• Kollmorgan, Amanda – Leadership Development
• Kowalski, Haley – Medical Assistant
• Kluball, Rachel – Nursing
• Koch, Corey – Administrative Professional
• Kreuziger, Alyssa – Medical Assistant
• Kufalk, Kayelee – Medical Assistant
• McGrath, Megan – Medical Office
• Medeiros Simas, Gabriella – Medical Assistant
• Miller, Hannah – Medical Assistant
• Miller, Penny – Medical Assistant
• Pierret, Sean – Leadership Development
• Poellinger, Emily – Marketing and Social Media
• Quickle, Heather – Nursing
• Reding, Nicole – Nursing
• Reynolds, Douglas – Medical Assistant
• Rieder, Kayla – Medical Assistant
• Riemersma, Allison – Nursing
• Rist, Hailey – Medical Assistant
• Robinson, Kelly – Nursing
• Rosenberg, Kileen – Leadership Development
• Ruplinger, Sarah – Nursing
• Schneider, Stefanie – Medical Assistant
• Schoebel, Victoria – Medical Assistant
• Schultz, Kaytlyn – Nursing
• Serchuk, Marissa – Medical Assistant
• Stewart, Krista – Medical Assistant
• Stoll, Hannah – Medical Assistant
• Taylor, Tiffany – Medical Assistant
• Toombs, Nikki – Leadership Development
• Uttech, Venessa – Medical Assistant
• Vick, Ashley – Medical Assistant
• Wasley, Kelsey – Medical Assistant
• West, Laine – Leadership Development
• Zabolski, Renee – Medical Office

Silver Awards

Completing 50-99 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Drabek, Renee – Marketing and Social Media
• Gleixner, Hanna – Medical Assistant
• Kabat, Mollie – Leadership Development
• Kluball, Rachel – Nursing
• Koch, Corey – Administrative Professional
• Quickle, Heather – Nursing
• Reynolds, Douglas – Medical Assistant
• Taylor, Tiffany – Medical Assistant
• Toombs, Nikki – Leadership Development
• West, Laine – Leadership Development

Gold Awards

Completing 100-199 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Koch, Corey – Administrative Professional
• Quickle, Heather – Nursing
• Toombs, Nikki – Leadership Development

President’s Award

completing 200+ hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Henning, Cortland – Culinary Arts

This summer, teens from the Fond du Lac, Tri-County, and Jackson Boys and Girls Clubs will be learning about various careers through the MPTC Dream Big community service project.

The Dream Big project started in 2017 with  area BGC teens visiting MPTC or MPTC students visiting the Clubs each semester to help teens learn more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC. This past year, due to COVID, no visiting was possible. The MPTC Student Community Impact Team, in partnership with faculty leaders, came up with a plan to offer summer career exploration of welding, blueprint reading, cosmetology, and culinary through interactive videos with fun hands on activities.

Dream Big is a great community partnership opportunity to showcase MPTC careers and for area teens to get excited about career choices! Tri-County Boys and Girls Club Director of Operations Mindy Collado said, “We are so excited for these Dream Big opportunities! Thanks for stopping in today and delivering all the goodies. The teens already had a lot of fun and I am sure we will get good use out of the careers materials all throughout this summer! Thank you MPTC!”

Thanks to MPTC Beta Mu Kappa Academic Honor Society students, over 150 area area homeless shelter kids and adults will have new socks this spring. Students hosted a Sock Tree drive at all 3 campuses over the past month, and delivered the donated socks to area homeless shelters this past week.

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.

It’s time to #BuildBackFairer

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 8! The Fair Trade movement has a great solution for helping end inequality, poverty, gender discrimination, and saving our environment. As we recover from the Covid pandemic we cannot go back to the old normal! The old normal left millions of people behind and was destroying our planet. We have the opportunity to Build Back Fairer!

Did you know MPTC is a Fair Trade College? Fair trade supports farmers and artisans in developing countries. These producers lack economic opportunity and often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods. Fair Trade is about making a tremendous impact on artisan and farmer communities while offering great products to the public all around the world.

At all three MPTC campuses, our campus bookstores carry Divine Chocolate and Good Paper Cards, and Alta Gracia clothing. Our three cafeterias offer Fair Trade coffee and Fair Trade tea!

MPTC collaborates with several other area organizations supporting and educating others about Fair Trade such as Fond du Lac Fair Trade Towns, Just Fare Market, UW Oshkosh Fair Trade College, and UW Fond du Lac Fair Trade University.

Learn more at https://fairtradecampaigns.org/campaign-type/universities/

Also, find Fair Trade Information at Campus Libraries.

Students in Moraine Park’s Marketing and Social Media Management program applied their video editing skills and created 19 videos to promote local United Way agency partners in Fond du Lac, Washington and Dodge counties.

“The MPTC Community Resource Project Team was in the middle of planning an in person community resource/volunteer fair for each MPTC campus when COVID put a halt to our plans.  A new idea was how about doing it virtually?  We reached out to our Marketing and Social Media Management Instructor Sarah Ninmer, who was eager to have her Fall, 2020 students work on a service learning project.  Next we reached out to FDL, Dodge and Washington County United Ways to ask their agency partners who would like to make a video with our students?”  Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator.

“Anne contacted me with her project needs and I was so excited our class could help her and the United Way Community. The students ended up dedicating over 160 hours of their time and gained valuable real-world experiences”. Sarah Ninmer, Moraine Park Marketing and Social Media Management Instructor.

Students learned so much from this project!

“Completing this project was a great way for me to use my skills to give back to my community as well as learn more about creating ads for small business. Overall, I loved this assignment and hope to get similar experience in other classes!” Emma H., Moraine Park Marketing and Social Media Management Student

“Overall, I feel that this project was successful in helping me improve my digital design skills and it opened my awareness to new opportunities in the community.” Peyton W., Moraine Park Marketing and Social Media Management Student

United Way partners are so pleased with the project results!

“Wow!!!  What a great job on the videos. Thank your students and teacher for us. I have gotten a lot of feedback from Arc members and they are loving it.”  Bernie Hafenstein, The Arc of Dodge County

“United Way is grateful to the students and faculty at MPTC for producing a video series.  Each video features a local nonprofit agency that is funded by United Way.  They highlight the great work being done every day by nonprofit agencies to help our residents in need.  United Way funded programs served over 15,000 individuals and families last year.  United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community #UnitingForceForGood.” Kristin Brandner, Executive Director, United Way of Washington County

On April 15, 2021, MPTC held a virtual induction ceremony for 108 students with a GPA of 3.5 or above and 12 credits or more, who have joined Phi Theta Kappa since Fall of 2019. Each of these students received a special invitation to join the Beta Mu Kappa Honor Society Chapter at MPTC.

MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald said, “Established over 100 years ago in 1918, the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society recognizes and encourages academic achievement of students at two-year colleges.  The American Association of Community Colleges recognizes Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society of two-year colleges.  PTK is also our official academic honor society here at MPTC.   Phi Theta Kappa provides many opportunities including:

• Development of leadership and service
• An intellectual climate to exchange ideas
• Fellowship for scholars
• And the stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence

Phi Theta Kappa is an organization that has over 3.5 million members in the United States and 10 sovereign nations.  The PTK Foundation awards $1.5 million in scholarships to members each year, and the Society as a whole is dedicated to helping all students succeed.  This spring we welcome 108 students into our local Beta Mu Kappa chapter. Congratulations on your academic achievement!”

Dean of General Studies Brenda Raad explained the PTK symbolism of the torch, white rose, and golden emblem. Dr. Jim Eden, VP of Academic Affairs inducted the student participants and lead the reciting of the PTK pledge. Students were welcomed and congratulated by MPTC PTK Co-Advisors Amy Harmsen and Anne Lemke. PTK Student Representative Mollea Greylord was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Eden said, “It is my pleasure to welcome you as a new member of Phi Theta Kappa and congratulate you on your accomplishments.  I encourage you to always search for truth and to dedicate yourselves to the cultivation of lifelong education, service and honor. Each year thousands of students attend Moraine Park Technical College; today we acknowledge those whose achievement, commitment and performance deserve the highest recognition.  Congratulations new members of Phi Theta Kappa!”

Phi Theta Kappa 2021 Inductees

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!

What would you think if I told you that local elections are the most important kind of elections, even outweighing national elections? Believe it or not, you can make the most change happen here at home by just participating in your local elections!

Unlike national elections, local elections help us in two ways:

*First, local elections help us acquire and improve needs that are specific to our area, like infrastructure, referendums, health and human services, education, and public works like water and electric.

*Second, local elections help us change the way leadership is structured and renewed. As outlined by the Campus Election Engagement Project, this includes positions like Mayors/City Managers, City Council Members, Judges, and even School Board Members and the Superintendent of Schools.

As community members and stewards of our communities in Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam, West Bend and Green Lake, it is our duty to realize the importance of civic engagement like voting in our local elections, as well as acting upon that importance. We all want to see changes in our community happen, so it is time for us to be that change!

Let us all do our civic duty and vote on April 6^th. To make our communities a brighter place, in order to harbor a better future for generations to come. We owe it to ourselves, our community, and our future.

For more info on upcoming April elections

this post was written by Cortland Henning and submitted by Anne Lemke

Moraine Park Technical College student, Jordyn Schmitt of Rubicon, has found a lasting friendship through her volunteer work at Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County. Schmitt, a first-year student in the College’s nursing program, is also part of Moraine Park’s Promise program, an opportunity for debt-free tuition. As part of the program requirements, Schmitt works to volunteer in her community and selected Interfaith as her service site.  

“Interfaith allows me the flexibility I need in my life,” she said. “I can sign up based on my availability, which allows me to meet my hours as I can, without feeling stressed.”  

Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County is a community-based non-profit organization that helps seniors in the county remain independent. Through community volunteers, they help with things a friend or neighbor might do, such as transportation, grocery shopping, or simply a friendly face checking in from time to time.  

“I choose to provide transportation services,” Schmitt said. “I enjoy helping in this way. As a nursing student, I know how essential doctor appointments are and how, at times, transportation is a barrier. I’m glad to help where I can.”  

It was through this volunteer work that Schmitt met Carole Banse of West Bend. Banse is unable to transport herself and relies on the support of Interfaith’s services for her vital doctor appointments.  

“Interfaith Caregivers is a blessing and I always tell them they are my angels – they all are just beautiful people,” Banse said. “I don’t know what I would do without this service- it has really saved me. It helps my family too – it was hard to always ask them to take me early or pick me up – they have jobs and it is just too much.”  

Schmitt and Banse have enjoyed each other’s company so much- that they make sure they are paired up in Interfaith’s system.  

“Interfaith’s system allows the selection of preferred volunteers and members, and I always select Carole right away,” Schmitt said. “Carole and I have great conversations. I enjoy hearing about her life and family- and likewise, she asks about mine. We even found out that we are distantly related! I feel blessed to know her and be part of her life.”  

The relationship being cultivated between Schmitt and Banse is exactly what Moraine Park’s community impact initiatives hope to achieve- a seemingly small service within the community that makes a lasting impact.  

“Jordyn and I have such good conversations when we get together- even with the age difference,” Banse said. “She fits in so beautifully and she doesn’t treat me like an old lady. She is always bubbly and perks me up. I am very thankful.”  

The pandemic halted Interfaith’s services for a while, but when they restarted in February of 2021, Schmitt and Banse were excited to resume their normal routine.  

“I would have never guessed that I would make a lifelong friend through this opportunity,” Schmitt said. “My advice to others is to open yourself up, give it a try, and never put an age limitation on friendship.”  

Schmitt is expected to graduate in May of 2023 and hopes to continue volunteering for Interfaith and driving Banse, throughout her schooling. 

morainepark.edu