One thing Sophie Marchello knew for certain after graduating from Kewaskum High School was that she wanted to help people.

After taking a few CNA courses and deciding it wasn’t her path, she ruled out a career in health care and began considering cosmetology.

“I knew I did not want to go to a four-year school,” Marchello said. “The idea of working with people and making them feel pretty and confident in themselves was exciting for me, so I began considering cosmetology.”

Her boss at Carpe Diem Hair Studio in West Bend recommended Moraine Park’s Cosmetology program, and she enrolled in August 2022. Marchello will graduate from the program this summer.

“There are so many things to love about cosmetology,” Marchello said. “I love haircutting, the human interactions, getting to know all different types of people and being creative. I also want to be independent in my career someday, and cosmetology offers me a flexible career path and the opportunity to own my own business.”

Outside of class, Marchello is a member of Cosmetology Club and MPTC’s Fond du Lac Student Senate. Her passion and dedication to her craft recently earned her a nomination for the 2023 Student of the Year Award.

The Cosmetology program at Moraine Park is perfect for creatives who enjoy working with people. Students start with basic skills in the classroom, then advance to working with real clients in Techniques Salon & Spa on the Fond du Lac Campus; a full-service salon and spa where students provide hair, skin and nail services.

To learn more about Moraine Park’s Cosmetology program, visit morainepark.edu/academics/programs/cosmetology.

Lights, camera, action!

On Dec. 6, Moraine Park Cosmetology students hosted their Movie Night-themed fashion show to showcase their final projects. Each student styled a model from head to toe including hair, makeup, and an outfit inspired by a movie of their choosing.

Some of the movies used for inspiration included A Cinderella Story, The Great Gatsby, The Kissing Booth, The Princess and the Frog, Hocus Pocus, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde and more.

Preparation for the event included the students agreeing on a fashion show theme; choosing their movies for inspiration; and researching hairstyles, make-up, and wardrobe to replicate.

“We colored Morgan’s hair a couple months back–blonde underneath and black on top, and it immediately reminded me of Cruella de Vil, so I chose the movie 101 Dalmatians,” Anita, Moraine Park Cosmetology student, said. “She doesn’t have a lot of hair, so I struggled with trying to make it poofy, but I ended up loving how everything ties together.”

Congrats to Moraine Park’s Cosmetology students on a stunning fashion show!

Melody Ahlswede

Rachel Balistriere

Kayley Berelc

Chloe Gordon

Danielle Hackbart

Nadia Manz

Alexis Mejaki

Kaitlynn Miller

Anita Obrien

Lilith Schaetzer

Katie Shelby

Faith Simonson

Madison Vogel

Carley Wilson

View more photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAioT6.

Pictured above: MPTC Cosmetology Student Abby Prim

On Thursday, Aug. 25, Moraine Park Cosmetology students and their instructor traveled to the Washington County West Bend Boys and Girls Club’s Back to School Event. In total, 12 kids got a new hairdo to help them get ready to head off to elementary or middle school this fall.

“This event is a wonderful service learning experience for our students,” Eileen Bouchard, Moraine Park Cosmetology Instructor, said. “Our students set up a mini salon in the BGC Computer Lab, where they are able to connect with parents and kids, help each child decide on a hairstyle, and practice their hands-on skills.”

Max Roy, Director of Operations for Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, said, “It was great to see you all today! Thank you for the haircuts and being another valuable back to school community resource for our families.”

Moraine Park Cosmetology students hosted their Express Yourself Fashion Show to showcase their final projects. Each student styled a model from head to toe including hair, makeup, and an outfit inspired by a theme of their choosing.

“We started discussing the theme of the fashion show last term in March,” Moraine Park Cosmetology Instructor, Eileen Bouchard, said. “With 15 different personalities, it is not always easy coming to an agreement. They all had different ideas about what they wanted to do. So, after some collaboration, this group picked the theme Express Yourself. This way they could all just express themselves however they wanted, instead of choosing one single category.”

The themes chosen ranged from time periods and events, to mythological creatures and abstract concepts, allowing each student to fully express themselves in their final projects.

“I was inspired by the gender-atypical themes we’ve been seeing in fashion and on celebrities, as well as a lot of the androgynous styles of the 80s,” Moraine Park Cosmetology student, Eva Knappenberger, said. “So, I wanted to play with a lot of the different textures, patterns, colors, and styles that are typically associated with traditional gender norms to create a runway-worthy look that is fun, bold, and a blend of masculinity and femininity.”

Congrats to all of Moraine Park’s Cosmetology students on stunning fashion show!

Moth Eck – Renaissance Elf

Emmy Gall – 80’s Denim

Danielle Hackbart – Grandma on her wedding day, 1960s

Cora Huizenga – Purple Garden Fairy

Eva Knappenberger – Runway Rockstars

Alissa Kruger

Kylie Kultgen – Back to the Future

Emily Ludwigson – Summer Vibes

Kaitlynn Miller – Country Girl

Tabitha O’Toole – Gold and Glitter

Mary Pirc – Greek Goddess Aphrodite

Abigail Prim – Red Carpet

Lina Rincon – 2000s

Brittany Wenzlaff – Brittany Spears, Hit me Baby One More Time

View more photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzYLzw.

Jackie Fuller, of Theresa, graduated from Moraine Park’s Cosmetology program in 2002. She worked as a hairstylist at Cedar Community Assisted Living in West Bend for 11 years until a new passion led her back through Moraine Park’s doors.

At Cedar Community, Fuller fell in love with transforming people’s hair and putting smiles on the residents’ faces, especially in hard times. Eventually, watching residents fall ill and experiencing loss in her own family took a toll, and she realized she was destined to do more.

“By the time I was 27, I had lost both of my parents,” Fuller said. “Watching them get sick without knowing how to help was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Being so young and not having my parents was, and still is, a challenge. I felt driven to learn how to help people in their time of need.”

Fuller enrolled in Moraine Park’s Nursing program in 2020 and will graduate in December. Since starting the program, she has become the vice president of the Student Nursing Association and a member of the Beaver Dam Campus Student Senate.

Outside of school, Fuller enjoys spending time with her family. She has a fiancé and two teenage sons. The boys both fully support their mom going back to school and love to help her study with flashcards and quizzes.

“My kids are getting older,” she said. “I want to be able to show them they can be anything they want to be and that it’s never too late.”

Fuller was recently hired at Froedtert in West Bend where she works as a critical care technician. After she graduates, she will stay at Froedtert as a nurse and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She still tends to her first passion by keeping her cosmetology license up to date.

“From my first appointment at Moraine Park, I was encouraged to make steps forward in my career,” Fuller said. “It took me a while to push through those doors, but I am so glad I did. Moraine Park has been there every step of the way, allowing me to explore both of my passions.”

Thank you, Frontline Workers.

It’s no secret frontline workers fuel the economy. Each year, more than 1,000 Moraine Park alumni enter the workforce and make an impact on local industries and current worker shortages. We are incredibly proud of the many alumni in our communities and the passionate work they do to keep us moving forward.

For more stories like Jackie’s, check out our Spring 2022 NEXT Magazine.

Moraine Park Technical College’s Early Childhood Education and Cosmetology programs collaborated earlier this month, Dec. 7, to learn about hair care techniques for children with ethnic hair.

The Cosmetology students used mannequins with textured hair to teach Early Childhood Education students how to detangle, braid, twist and style the hair with elastics.

“A lot of times when we care for children it involves grooming their hair throughout the day,” Anne Paradies, Early Childhood Education instructor, said. “It’s important that students are prepared to care for all hair types.”

The collaboration was spurred by Early Childhood Education student, Monica Dreifuerst, who works at a childcare center.

“We take the children swimming often, and that requires some hair maintenance afterwards,” Dreifuerst said. “I love doing the kids hair, but I realized quicky I didn’t know the best way to care for textured hair. I never want any of the children to feel left out, so I really wanted to learn.”

This training is the first collaboration between Moraine Park’s Cosmetology and Early Childhood Education programs.

“We hope to continue collaborating on this training with future classes,” Paradies said. “The Cosmetology students are the best resource, and it is a great learning experience for everyone involved.”

Moraine Park’s Early Childhood Education program is a 2-year associate degree program. In class, students learn to care for and educate children while playing a key role in their development. Graduates from the program are prepared to work with children from birth to 8-year age range and are well-prepared for a variety of Early Childhood Education roles. For more information visit morainepark.edu/academics/programs/early-childhood-education/.

On Wednesday, August 25, six MPTC Cosmetology students and their Instructor Eileen Bouchard, travelled to the Washington County West Bend Boys and Girls Club Back to School Event. MPTC Students gave 22 kids a back to school haircut, helping them all feel extra beautiful and confident for heading off to elementary or middle school this fall.

“What a great hands-on service learning experience for our students,” said MPTC Instructor Eileen Bouchard. “This event helped our students connect with parents and kids of many ethnicities, ages and haircut styles; plus learn about the mission of the Boys and Girls Club and the back-to-school needs of over 200 families in our community.”

Max Roy, Director of Operations for Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, said, “It was great to meet you all in person today. I am so glad we got connected on your student Cosmetology volunteers as another community partner Back to School resource for our kids! Thank you so much for all the haircuts today and we look forward to continuing working with MPTC.”

For more information on service learning at MPTC.

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!”

Ahhh, the fun of SUMMER! Picnics, camping, baseball, swimming, vacations and of course, endless hours in the sun!! There’s nothing better than summer!

But wait! All those hours of soaking in the sun and cooling off in the pool can wreak havoc on your hair! (Hey guys, this goes for you too!) So what can you do to help prevent damage to your locks? Can you fix what’s already been done?

Moraine Park’s Cosmetology Instructor Eileen Bouchard gives us some helpful hints to prevent damaging your hair any further this summer.

• Use a styling product with an SPF factor.
• Condition your hair after each shampoo.
• Wear a hat when you’re in the sun
• Maintain a regular haircut or trim. (This might be a great time to make an appointment at our Moraine Park Salon! Click here for more info! )

Do you feel your hair is beyond repair? Reader’s Digest says you can re-hydrate your hair and scalp with a nutrient rich treatment mask. The protective oils, butters, and extracts will replenish dry, frizzy and damaged hair. You should also stop heat styling your sun-damaged hair for a bit. Heat styling can cause damage all on its own, why not give your hair a break? (Pun intended!) Here’s one last simple helpful hint! Cotton pillowcases are absorbent, causing moisture to be drawn out of your hair as you sleep, so switch to a silk pillowcase.

I hope these tips help get you through what we have left of summer looking fabulous! After all, August is like the Sunday of Summer, it comes too fast and never stays long enough!

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” -Oscar Wilde