Yadira and Guadalupe Ortiz, of Horicon, grew up understanding the importance of family. In 2000, their mother immigrated from Mexico to the United States while pregnant to create a better life for herself and her children.

The sisters are two years apart and the first in their family to be born in the United States. With unwavering support from their mom, Yadira and Guadalupe promised each other they would do everything they could to create better, brighter futures for themselves.

“We are able to decide what we do in our lives because of our mom and the sacrifices she made for us,” Guadalupe said. “She changed her life coming to the United States, and we want to work as hard as we can to provide a better life for ourselves and for her.”

Yadira, 20, is a second-year student in Moraine Park’s Nursing program, and Guadalupe, 18, started her first semester of the Substance Abuse Disorder Counseling program this spring.

The sisters grew up sharing a very close bond and have supported each other through hard times and major accomplishments. When it was time for Yadira to begin thinking about college, an interest in nursing brought her to Moraine Park.

“When I was younger, I had high cholesterol, so I was in and out of hospitals and doctors’ offices,” Yadira said. “That was my first exposure to the healthcare industry, and it always stuck with me. I wanted to help people, and I knew I wanted to stay close to home, so Moraine Park was the obvious choice for me.”

Yadira works at Marquardt Home Health as a CNA and plans to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) after graduation and work in women’s health. She is also a part of Moraine Park’s Promise program, an opportunity for debt-free tuition. As part of the program requirements, Yadira volunteers with her sister at various places and events in her community including, the Fond du Lac Taste of Mexico Festival, Humane Society and MPTC events.

“The volunteer hours have really helped with my shyness, and I feel more like myself than I ever have before,” Yadira said. “The Promise program has not only helped me afford tuition, but it has also given me amazing mentors who helped guide me as a first-generation college student.”

When it came time for Guadalupe to decide what she wanted to do after high school, it was not as easy. She considered going into counseling because she wanted to enter a career where she could help people, and her friends always said she gave the best advice.

“I got discouraged because I started having mental health problems of my own,” Guadalupe said. “I thought since I could not handle my own issues, I would not be able to help anyone else.”

After learning about Moraine Park’s Substance Abuse Disorder Counseling program and talking with supportive friends and family, she felt confident that it was the right path for her. “Being a first-generation college student would not have been so easy if it were not for my sister,” Guadalupe said. “She had it way harder than me because she had to navigate through everything first, like financial aid, applications and more. When it came time for me to start my college career, my sister helped me through every step of the way, and I am very grateful for her.”

Read more stories like Guadalupe and Yadira’s in our Spring 2022 NEXT Magazine.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s time to draw attention to the prevalence of sexual assault and educate ourselves and our communities about how to prevent it.

Did you know that 1 in 5 women in the U.S. experience sexual assault in their lifetime? Nearly 25% of men in the U.S. also experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Nationwide, 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault.

For more information and statistics at the NSVRC.

The movement to end sexual violence in the United States, and around the world, relies on people who have made a choice to do something. Sexual violence often seems inevitable, but the choice to do something and get involved has made incredible changes in national and global conversations about sexual violence. In recent decades, these changing conversations have expanded support for survivors and led to substantial innovation in the work of preventing sexual violence.

There are many ways you can become involved in the work of changing conversations about sexual violence, supporting survivors, and preventing sexual violence before it ever happens.

• Wear DENIM for Denim Day on April 27, 2022, when millions of people across the world will wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence.
• Print and share the April Sexual Assault Awareness poster at your office, business, school or church
• Stay connected at the WI Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• Follow and Volunteer for FDL Says No More

MPTC Area Sexual Assault Resources

Fond du Lac – ASTOP

West Bend – Friends, Inc.

Beaver Dam – PAVE

Green Lake – ASTOP

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Every April, Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the necessity of communities working together to promote the social and emotional well-being of all children and their families. 

In Fond du Lac County alone, 552 cases of child abuse were reported in 2021, according to Nicole Mann, FDL County Social Worker. Children are the foundation of our society, our community and our future. Children raised in loving and supportive environments are more likely to prosper academically and
financially, becoming successful contributing members of society. Wisconsin must be a leader and
champion for all of our children. Research has shown the most effective way to prevent child abuse & neglect is to provide support to families so children can grow up in an environment that supports their well-being. Preventing child abuse and neglect results in better childhoods, ultimately saving millions of dollars currently needed for the services that address the short and long-term effects of abuse on children, their families, and our communities.

Find out more info at Prevent Child Abuse WI.

What can YOU do?

• Wear BLUE on April 1 in support and recognition of Child Abuse Prevention month
• Put a blue pinwheel in your yard
• Print and Share the CAP poster at your office, business, school or church
• Stay connected at Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin and Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board

Resources for Child Abuse Prevention in MPTC District:

FDL County Social Services

Washington County Social Services

Green Lake County Social Services

Dodge County Social Services

Moraine Park’s State Certified Firefighter 2 and EMT classes recently held a vehicle extrication training exercise. During the event, the fire students completed a safety check of the vehicle and checking on the number of patients, vehicle stabilization, window removal, door removal, roof removal, and assisting in patient removal. This training was to help prepare the students for the fire certification test. EMT students were able to learn how to remove a patient from the vehicle and collaborate with the firefighters during an emergency. This training ties into trauma assessment for the EMT students. 

Participating Firefighter 2 students include Josiah Brath, Joshua Bartelt, Griffin Brunet, Nick Smith, Kurt Haefs, Mitch Hartmann, Mike Webber, Andrew Pike, Kate Breunig, Doug Budiac, Kerri Ostrowski,   EMT students from my class, Joanne Bernhardt, Crystal Braun, Haylee Cornelius, Dan Croft, Mark Franz, Nikkos Kanthack, Gabe Maurer, Jim Perkins, Cassandra Schultz, Erick Searvogel, Nate Stocks. 

Participating EMT students include Pamela Brunet, Caitlin Butterbaugh, Kaylee Chapman, Ella Schmidt, Janeen Williams, Sophie Willinganz, Sara Zeinert.

During the exercise, the College was able to use their new extrication equipment received through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). This included Holmatro extrication equipment from Jefferson Fire & Equipment, and a spreader, cutter, ram, and vehicle stabilization steps.

Wally’s Auto Salvage of Beaver Dam donated the vehicle.

For more information, visit morainepark.edu. 

Moraine Park Technical College’s Fire/EMT program has received a generous donation from Woodland Fire Department. Last fall, the Woodland Fire Department announced their plans to cease their community services and made plans to donate their department fire engine to Moraine Park. The engine was presented to the College on Monday, March 22 during a small event at the Woodland Fire Department.  

“We hope this donation will help Moraine Park fill the industry with new firefighters,” Tony Roethle, Woodland Fire Department Chief, said. “There is a need for volunteer firefighters- without them, fire stations simply can’t survive.”  

This year, the College has an increased number of students in the firefighter certification courses, and in mid-May, they will undergo their testing to become certified.  

“We are pleased to see this increase,” Barb Jascor, Dean of Health and Human Services said. “We have been working hard to promote and support our local fire departments, and we hope to continue to see enrollments increase in the future as well.”  

The College will use the donation for hands-on student learning, which will help students learn on equipment comparable to what they will see on the job.  

“The donation of the fire truck complements the existing simulation equipment used for Fire/EMT students,” Barb Jascor, Dean of Health and Human Services said. “Currently, we have both a full-sized ambulance and apartment, along with high fidelity patient simulators, that many of our health and human service programs utilize for simulations. The addition of the fire truck allows further hands-on training for both existing and future firefighters throughout the Moraine Park district.”  

The ambulance and apartment simulation were added last summer, as part of the Beaver Dam campus remodel project, and have been a vital addition to the curriculum. 

“Hands-on learning offers an easy pathway from the classroom to career,” Jascor said. “We rely on our community partnerships, and the generosity of the Woodland Fire Department will directly impact fire training offered within our district for many years.”  

The Woodland Fire Department ceased operations effective January 1, 2021, and staff who elected to relocate are serving the Iron Ridge and Neosho departments. Additionally, Hartford, Iron Ridge and Neosho Fire Departments are now serving the community of Woodland. 

For more information on Moraine Park’s Fire Certification Training, visit morainepark.edu.

The Moraine Park Foundation has received a donation of $10,000 from Waupun Memorial Hospital, a member of Agnesian HealthCare, to purchase 44 Portable Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Jump Bags. This equipment will be used as an additional learning tool for the College’s Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), and Paramedic program students. 

“COVID-19 had a significant effect on our hands-on classroom time,” Drew Novak, paramedic instructor said. “While we’ve done an excellent job at adapting and finding alternatives, these bags allow students to continue their learning and practice skills outside of the classroom.” 

The EMS bags are designed around the tools and equipment that are needed in the field and are centered on the Wisconsin and National Curriculum’s scope for EMTs. Items include simple airway devices (oral and nasopharyngeal airways), SAM Splint, Blood Pressure Cuff, stethoscope, bandages, cervical collar, gloves, bag valve masks, tourniquet, and an assortment of bandages. The bags are designed to be safe for the student in an unsupervised environment and are a means to continually engage students in learning.  

“The EMS jump bags will allow students to practice their skills remotely,” Novak said. “Additionally, students can record their progress so we can evaluate and follow their learning.” 

This donation will serve the educational needs of approximately 400 students over the next five to ten years and will help to ensure that the local community has a pipeline of skilled emergency care professionals who provide competent, compassionate care to patients. 

“These kits will help our future paramedics and EMTs get the training they’ll need to provide the very best emergency care within our communities,” DeAnn Thurmer, President, Ripon Medical Center/Waupun Memorial Hospital, said. 

Moraine Park Technical College’s Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic program strives to prepare competent entry-level EMT-Paramedics in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains to perform pre-hospital medical procedures. EMTs respond to emergencies and transport patients to appropriate care facilities while working collaboratively with various healthcare professionals to provide patients with the best care possible. The College is committed to upholding excellence in the standards of healthcare and safety, and this generous gift demonstrates a commitment to educating the next generation of EMS providers.  

“We are grateful to our community partner, Waupun Memorial Hospital, for their continued support of student learning,” Dana Bourland, Moraine Park’s director of college advancement, said. “Their generous donation will help ensure our students have access to robust learning tools- helping to make them ready to serve our communities.” 

For more information, visit morainepark.edu.    

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. 

Dajan Haley, of Fond du Lac, made a powerful and life-changing investment in himself when he enrolled at Moraine Park Technical College immediately after graduating from high school in 2018.

When Dajan came to the College, he didn’t have solid career plans. In fact, his goals were quite broad- he wanted to build upon his leadership and communication skills and find a career where he could use those skills to benefit others. The MPTC Career Center helped him to build upon those goals and map out his college journey to fulfill them.

Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. Dajan’s commitment to his education and future career allowed him to explore many program options at the College and eventually, he found that the Substance Abuse Counseling program was the best fit.

“Moraine Park allows me to continue to grow and build upon my goals,” Dajan said. “Their support of my pathway has ultimately led me where I am today, and I’m confident that I’ve found a program and career that I will love.”

His success at Moraine Park isn’t just confined to the classroom. Dajan’s extensive involvement in both student life and the Edge Program have opened many doors and allowed him to be a positive influence and friend to many at the College.

“I love being involved and helping people,” he said. “Being active at the College helped me find a home and extended family here at Moraine Park.”

Dajan is scheduled to graduate in May of 2022 and has goals to utilize his skills to benefit his local community.

morainepark.edu/ican

The final week of classes the Early Childhood program students supported the community by volunteering helping the Salvation Army to sort toys and put together stocking stuffers for all the good little boys and girls. These gifts were donated by the community Angle Tree patrons for distribution to low income families in Fond du Lac County.

To learn more about the Early Childhood program visit morainepark.edu/academics/programs