Legal Action of WI is coming to Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac Campus! Tuesday, October 26 from 3-6 pm, legal experts will be on-site to help our students. Sign up here for a time to get free, confidential legal help! Walk-ins will also be accepted.

MPTC is partnering with Legal Action of Wisconsin and the statewide Lawyers for Learners project to help our students overcome legal obstacles, and empower them to move forward to achieve educational and career goals!

Whether a student is already involved in a court case or has a question about a situation that could involve a legal problem, Lawyers for Learners can help! Legal experts will meet with students either virtually or in person to explain legal processes, answer questions and provide advice on topics such as driver’s license issues, traffic issues, criminal issues, bankruptcy, immigration, housing, family matters, and more.

“What an awesome community partnership opportunity for MPTC!” Jackie Morgan, MPTC Student Community Equity and Engagement Specialist said. “Many times, legal issues can cause a student to put their education and career on hold. Affording legal help is definitely a challenge for our students. Partnering with Legal Action of WI and the Lawyers for Learners Project connects our students with the legal resources they need.”

MPTC Paralegal and Criminal Justice students are volunteers for our onsite legal event, with ongoing service-learning and paid internships available thru Legal Action of WI.

“What a great experiential learning opportunity for our students choosing careers in the legal or criminal justice fields,” Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator said. “Hands-on, real-world experience, plus a way to impact your community is the best way to learn!”

To reach Legal Action of WI, contact Claire at cms@legalaction.org or 920-393-9352.

More information– Lawyers for Learners

Moraine Park Technical College’s Criminal Justice and Paramedic students collaborated with the Dodge County SWAT Team last month to offer a live emergency simulation.

The simulation was in response to the major remodel at the Beaver Dam campus last summer. The new layout required the Dodge County SWAT team to do a walkthrough and reassess the building- as a way to be prepared in the event of an emergency on campus. 

Moraine Park’s Criminal Justice and Paramedic instructors worked with the SWAT team to host and lead a simulation event featuring three different scenarios- as a learning opportunity for the students. 

“I am grateful for our partnership with the Dodge County SWAT team and the time they spent with our students.” Lisa Pollard, Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus dean, said. 

Throughout the simulations, students assisted the SWAT Team in the live emergency scenarios and were able to ask questions regarding their responses to different emergencies. 

“This simulation offered a valuable, real-world experience to our students,” Pollard said. “The SWAT team utilized our Moraine Park classroom spaces, including our built-in apartment and ambulance- used for hands-on classroom training. How they work in that environment, with their equipment, providing an emergency response is how Moraine Park prepares the students for their future careers.”

The SWAT Team, students, and faculty received valuable knowledge from the simulations that will help prepare them for emergency situations in the future, and the partnership between Moraine Park and Dodge County will help ensure a safer campus and community.

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

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 summer we have awarded our second President’s Award Winner – Brett Hebert! Brett earned the President’s Award with over 200 volunteer hours.

Brett is a recent graduate of the Criminal Justice Associate Degree program at MPTC. Besides academic success as an MPTC Promise Scholar, and working a full time job while completing his degree, Brett also served over 200 hours volunteering at Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac, where the kids are near and dear to his heart!

Upon receiving his President’s Award, Brett stated: “Education at MPTC has given me a whole new book to live my life through. I am applying now to become a police officer, my lifelong dream job!” President Bonnie Baerwald said, “Brett is an exemplary student who has created a high standard. He has a love for life and learning and making a difference in the world. We all have high hopes for his career and hope he will be a part of our community for a long time to come.”

Congratulations Brett!

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 2020 spring semester, 24 students earned awards and logged over 1,000 hours of service!

Congratulations to our Spring, 2020 award winners!

Bronze Award Winners

Completing 25-49 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Ashley Ade, Medical Assistant
• Breanna Alioto, Medical Assistant
• Erica Boehnlein, Medical Assistant
• Alexis Darkow, Medical Assistant
• Kendra DeJager, Medical Assistant
• Molly Donais, Medical Assistant
• Taylor Erlauer, Medical Assistant
• Kayleigh Gorman, Medical Assistant
• Cortland Henning, Culinary Arts*
• Ashlee Keller, Medical Assistant
• Cheyenne Kohrt, Medical Assistant
• Cathryn Kuslits, Medical Assistant*
• Abby Muenchow, Medical Assistant
• Megan Neu, Medical Assistant
• Nora Nuhiji, Medical Assistant
• Caitlin Pieper, Medical Assistant
• Gina Roll, Medical Assistant
• Samantha Schubring, Medical Assistant    
• Jordan Sterns, Medical Assistant
• Bethany Thome, Graphics*
• Meghan Thompson, Medical Assistant
• Emma Zimmerman, Medical Office 

Silver Award Winners

Completing 50-99 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Meghan Griswold, Marketing & Social Media*
• Cortland Henning, Culinary Arts*
• Ashlee Keller, Medical Assistant
• Jordan Sterns, Medical Assistant

Gold Award Winner

Completing 100-199 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Cortland Henning, Culinary Arts*

President’s Award Winner

Completing 200+ hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Brett Hebert, Criminal Justice*

*Promise Scholar students

The Dream Big project started in 2017 with Boys and Girls Clubs of Fond du Lac and Tri-County Area teens learning more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC. This is a great community partnership opportunity for Moraine Park students to showcase their careers and make a true community impact and for area teens to get excited about career choices!

Fond du Lac Boys and Girls Club Teen Services Director Dillon Wiese said, “We are so excited for these Dream Big opportunities! At Boys and Girls Clubs we work hard to prepare teens with life skills to get ready for the world of work.  At Dream Big Criminal Justice our students experienced finger printing, hand cuffing, jail cell searches, and what professional skills it takes to work in a criminal justice career. Our partnership with MPTC is a great way for teens to explore their interests, learn about careers, get ready for college and know they really can achieve their dreams! Thank you MPTC!”

morainepark.edu

There is no greater sacrifice than that of our Veterans: past, present, and future. Guillermo Avilesperez of San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, a fourth-generation veteran, made that sacrifice when he enrolled in the Marine Corps after high school.

“I graduated high school in 2012 and enrolled in the Marine Corps a year later,” he said. “I served in the infantry unit for four years and traveled around the world.”

Guillermo was deployed twice. He spent his first tour in Spain, where he did infantry training with the local embassy. During his second tour, he was stationed in Japan and Korea.

As his contract came to an end, he decided to seek out his next steps, and his girlfriend suggested he come to Moraine Park. He connected with the College while he was on base and planned his college journey before even seeing the campus.

“Moraine Park is a perfect fit for me,” Guillermo said. “The class sizes are small, the instructors are knowledgeable and teach you the skills you need for the career, and the learning is hands-on.”

His military contract ended in May 2018, and he began the Criminal Justice program that fall.

“I’m looking for a career similar to my military life,” he said. “I enjoyed my work in the Marine Corps, but I look forward to having the option to clock-out and go home at the end of the day.”

He is scheduled to graduate in May 2020 and has goals to someday serve full time on the Milwaukee Police Department SWAT team.

“My transition to civilian life is still ongoing,” Guillermo said. “Every veteran’s needs are different, but for me, it worked well to come here directly from my active duty. It has been stressful at times, but the support and resources at Moraine Park have helped me through.”

morainepark.edu/ican

“Service Above Self” is the motto of the Fond du Lac Morning Rotary Club.

Recently, the Rotary Club honored two Moraine Park Technical College student clubs – Criminal Justice Club and IT Club, for their outstanding service projects. Criminal Justice students presented examples of their service projects including Dream Big with Boys and Girls Clubs and IT students presented Tech Tyme at the FDL Senior Center. Each student group was awarded a $250 FDL Rotary grant to help continue their efforts. Congratulations!

On November 6, 2019, instructors and students from the MPTC Criminal Justice Program, hosted teens in grades 5-12 and staff from the Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac for a fun interactive Dream Big event.

The Dream Big project started in 2017 with Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac teens learning more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC.  Now Dream Big has expanded throughout the MPTC district (Fond du Lac, Dodge, Washington and Green Lake Counties.)  This is a great community partnership opportunity for Moraine Park students to showcase their careers and make a true community impact and for area teens to get excited about career choices!

Fond du Lac Boys and Girls Club Teen Services Director Dillon Wiese said, “We are so excited for these Dream Big opportunities! At Boys and Girls Clubs we work hard to prepare teens with life skills to get ready for the world of work.  At Dream Big Criminal Justice our students experienced finger printing, hand cuffing, jail cell searches, and what professional skills it takes to work in a criminal justice career. Our partnership with MPTC is a great way for teens to explore their interests, learn about careers, get ready for college and know they really can achieve their dreams! Thank you MPTC!”

Did you know how many different career opportunities there are in the field of Criminal Justice? Did you know that for the past 28 springs the MPTC Criminal Justice instructors have been hosting a Career Day to help students explore?

Students spend the day engaging in professional communications, networking, and participating in and observing mock interviews with community partners from: Fond du Lac, Washington, Dodge, Green Lake, and Winnebago County Sheriffs, Fond du Lac and Oakfield Police, State of WI Department of Corrections, and U.S. Probation. Criminal Justice Instructor Joan Barfield said, “The many available jobs and career opportunities in this high demand law, public safety, and security field can be confusing! This day is great with experiential learning for our students to get a clearer picture of all their choices so they can imagine success!”

Check out the Criminal Justice Associate Degree!