Pictured above: MPTC Dean Dr. Bobbi Fields, Experiential Learning Specialist Kim Spartz and Bronze Community Impact Award Recipient Anna Jacobs. Anna is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at MPTC.

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. We encourage 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, and President’s Award for 200 hours!

In the Fall 2022 semester, 21 students earned awards and logged over 1,300 hours of service!  Congratulations to our Fall 2022 award winners!

Gold Award
Completing 100-199 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician

Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant

Silver Award
Completing 50-99 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Anderson, Hannah – Marketing and Social Media

Gurke, Chloe – Medical Assistant

Kaiser, Marissa – Medical Assistant

Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician

Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant

Bronze Award
Completing 25-49 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Aguilera, Silvia – Medical Assistant

Anderson, Hannah – Marketing and Social Media

Bates, Corinna – Leadership Development

Becker, Jeremiah – IT: Network Specialist

Bednarek, Courtney – Medical Assistant

Behling, Kalli – Medical Assistant

Bickelhaupt, Lydia – Medical Assistant

Bostwick, Joleen – Medical Assistant

Churchill, Kelsey – Medical Assistant

Glynn, Maura – Medical Assistant

Guell, Crystal – Early Childhood

Gurke, Chloe – Medical Assistant

Jacobs, Anna – Early Childhood

Kaiser, Marissa – Medical Assistant

Nelson, Victoria – Emergency Medical Technician

Oestreich, Victoria – Medical Assistant

Siebenaler, Rhiannon – Medical Assistant

Strohwig, Emily – Medical Assistant

Van Buren, Katie – Medical Assistant

Vera, Samantha – Medical Assistant

Williams, Jennifer – Medical Assistant

On October 3, 2022, MPTC Fond du Lac Medical Assistant students visited Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac kids for a fun, interactive Dream Big event.

The Dream Big project started in 2017 with Fond du Lac, Tri-County Area and Washington County Boys and Girls Club teens learning more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC. Each semester, Moraine Park student volunteers showcase their programs and make a true community impact for area teens to get excited about career choices!

MPTC Medical Assistant Student Kalli Behling said, “Working with The Boys and Girls Club was such an amazing experience. The Dream Big program allowed us to share our college experience with the younger generation. They were super interested in what we were learning and had a blast with the hands-on portion of our day. It was such an incredible feeling to see how excited they were to do blood pressures with us and use stethoscopes. I was once a Boy’s and Girl’s Club member, so coming back as one of the mentors was a very heart-warming experience. We really enjoyed working with all of the kids.”

Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac Director of Teen Services Dillon Wiese said, “Our kids love learning from Moraine Park students! We are always looking for opportunities to inspire our youth and encourage learning about future careers. Thank you MPTC!” 

For more info on the Medical Assistant program at Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu/academics/programs/medical-assistant/.

Pictured above: Moraine Park President Bonnie Baerwald (right) presents the 2022 Community Partnership Award to Rebecca Rapp (left) of Ascendium Lawyers for Learners.

Moraine Park Technical College has presented Ascendium Education Group and Legal Action of Wisconsin with its 2022 Community Partnership Award for their work on Lawyers for Learners. This award recognizes a community partner organization who has gone above and beyond in the role of working with Moraine Park students in student community impact opportunities.

Lawyers for Learners helps students and community members overcome legal obstacles, empowering them to move forward with their lives and achieve educational and career goals. Legal Action of WI and other legal-aid partners provide free legal services to students and low-income community members who would otherwise be unable to secure legal help.  Since 2020, MPTC has partnered with Lawyers for Learners to offer free legal clinics for our students and community members, service learning opportunities for paralegal and criminal justice students, and student internships.

MPTC Dean of Technology & Trades Bobbi Fields expressed gratitude for this 2022 community partnership: 

“While there were many, many wonderful student reflections and contributions from community partners this past school year, Legal Action and Ascendium did an amazing job providing opportunities for students across multiple programs to engage in a positive service-learning experience. More so, these students worked with the community partner to provide a very impactful legal service to our extended MPTC community! They truly were, and continue to be, excellent partners. I am happy that we are acknowledging them and hope that our collaborations continue to grow.”

Rebecca Rapp, General Counsel for Ascendium noted, “This is such an incredible honor!  Thank you! The Lawyers for Learners and Moraine Park partnership have been so gratifying.  Moraine Park’s tremendous team is fabulous to work with and such an important reason for Lawyers for Learners’ success at Moraine Park.  This award really means a lot.” 

Megan Sprecher, Attorney at Law for Legal Action of WI said, Wow, what an honor! Thank you so much. We truly appreciate your partnership and welcoming us into the MPTC fold!”  Megan also shared, “Recently, through our Legal Action/Lawyers for Learners work, an MPTC student obtained expungements for their two felony convictions, making it easier for them to find work in their field of study upon graduation. Another Moraine Park student’s driver’s license was reinstated, allowing them to drive to and from work and school lawfully and stop racking up expensive tickets.”  

Some student words of reflection include:

“Before logging any service learning hours for this project, I recall being very nervous and doubtful. I did not know what to expect, and I felt that I was not capable of working side by side with a real attorney, and I remember that intimidated me a little bit! Then, I volunteered for the first time. I volunteered for the Urban Expungement Clinic, and worked with many of my peers, which put me at ease. Some of these clients were convicted of a crime they did not deserve in my opinion, and they were now facing some life barriers because of it. Overall, after my first clinic, I felt 100% more at ease and confident, and I really learned a lot more than just law. I learned the importance of empathy when working with these clients, and the importance of being a good listener to the troubles they have faced, because those barricades will help the case.”

“I found this clinic to be very interesting and eye-opening. I enjoyed it so much. I worked with Jim’s team. He had so much insight and knowledge on different laws and how certain options could be more beneficial to the clients. It was amazing to see someone with so much passion for what they do.  I didn’t realize all the different ways certain situations could put different resources at play for individuals. It was refreshing to see how people can come together and use their skill set to help another person. I think the experience was very enlightening and gave me a good glimpse at what I could possibly be doing in a future career. I am excited to go forth in the community and put my knowledge to use helping people.”

“I feel like the work I did actually does help the client I did the records request for. Rather than spending hours doing in class work which has a very limited impact on the real world. Of course, they’re preparing us for the real world but the work I do for class has no impact on anyone. Volunteering my time in the legal clinics actually does help someone. It fills me with a certain pride knowing that I’m applying the skills I’ve learned in class to real-life scenarios.  For me, it’s hard to gauge whether I’ve actually taken something away from classes or if I just memorized information to pass the class. But I feel like through this simple exercise I’ve actually learned a lot from my classes and applied that knowledge.  I’m excited to continue to volunteer at the clinics.”

“I also really appreciated the attorney’s advice about looking for jobs after graduation. It was also really inspirational to see someone successful in the legal field who still took the time to volunteer their free time to help others.”

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.”

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.

Pictured above: President Bonnie Baerwald and Student Community Impact Coordinator Anne Lemke present Mina Vang-Xiong with her President’s Award.

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. We encourage 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, and President’s Award for 200 hours!

In the Spring, 2022 semester, 29 students earned awards and logged over 1,600 hours of service!  Congratulations to our Spring, 2022 award winners!

Presidents Award

Two graduating students earned the President’s Award for over 200 hours of service each in their time at MPTC!  The students are Alaska Burroughs – Marketing and Social Media; and Mina Vang-Xiong – IT Technical Support and Network Specialist. MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald celebrated with and congratulated each student, stating: “I’m extremely proud of the accomplishments of Mina and Alaska. Each has their own unique story and came to Moraine Park Technical College to explore and create new career opportunities. In addition to their work and college obligations, their volunteer efforts exemplify the college values of continuous improvement, collaboration, and impactful learning. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!”

Gold Award

Completing 100-199 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Burroughs, Alaska – Marketing and Social Media

Dziuba, Austin – Marketing and Social Media

Vang-Xiong, Mina – IT Technical Support and Network Specialist

Silver Award

Completing 50-99 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Burroughs, Alaska – Marketing and Social Media

Dziuba, Austin – Marketing and Social Media

Hackett, Richard – Leadership Development

Rogers, Dorothy – Paralegal

Smith, Brooke – Medical Assistant

Vang-Xiong, Mina – IT Technical Support and Network Specialist

Bronze Award

Completing 25-49 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Bille, Ellen – Medical Assistant

Brantmeier, Samantha – Medical Assistant

Burroughs, Alaska – Marketing and Social Media

Carbajal, Yaneli – Medical Assistant

Corona, Ruby – Medical Assistant

Davis, Jada – Medical Assistant

Detert, Jozee – Medical Assistant

Devries, Kelly, Medical Assistant

Dziuba, Austin – Marketing and Social Media

Goldbach, Courtney – Medical Assistant

Hackett, Richard – Leadership Development

Jetzer, Jennifer – Medical Assistant

Krause, Michael – Leadership Development

Lear, Jamie – Medical Assistant

May, Chantel – Medical Assistant

Neitzel, Amanda – Medical Assistant

Nieman, Emily – Medical Assistant

Nieman, Olivia – Medical Assistant

Olson, Kara – Leadership Development

Peplinski, Samantha – Medical Assistant

Race, Miranda – Medical Assistant

Roecker, Kayla – Medical Assistant

Schick, Hailey – Medical Assistant

Smith, Brooke – Medical Assistant

Swedowski, Stephanie – Medical Assistant

Ward, Sydney – Medical Assistant

Wendt, Madelynn – Medical Assistant

40+ Nursing students in Julie Lepianka and Ashley Gilson’s Mental Health and Community Concepts courses recently completed their community advocacy projects as part of our Spring, 2022 service-learning opportunities.

Julie said, “Everyone has their own story. Each of us has a bigger purpose on this earth to share our story. Thank you for being vulnerable in your sharing! It was a privilege to teach all of you in this important community mental health learning. Best of luck in your final semester!”

Students spent over 200 hours researching and collaborating with community partners in Fond du Lac, Washington, and Dodge Counties to learn more about substance abuse, foster families, gun violence, elderly depression, bullying, human trafficking, poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, and more. Students formulated detailed plans to address how a nurse can help a community identify and address these issues, providing education, awareness, advocacy and resources. Students gathered data to help determine strengths and weaknesses in their own communities. Project presentations were held in May. Ashley said, “My students did a phenomenal job assessing their surrounding communities for health concerns and building advocacy plans that we, as nurses, have the power to implement within their communities. These students were drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, and to help…..and they did just that!“

Congratulations on all of this great work on important mental health issues in our MPTC community!

On April 21, 2022, MPTC West Bend Electricity Instructor Gus Boyle-Gustavus and her students hosted Washington County Boys and Girls Club scholars in grades 5-11 for a fun, interactive Dream Big event.

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. Each semester, Moraine Park students showcase their program and make a true community impact for area teens to get excited about career choices!

West Bend Boys and Girls Club Teen Program Director Ashlyn Poling said, “Our teen members loved partnering up with the Electricity students from Moraine Park Technical College. We are always looking for opportunities to inspire our youth and encourage learning new skills, and this Electricity Event allowed us to do just that! Thank you MPTC!” Ashlyn herself got to wire up a circuit to turn on a lightbulb and had great fun! Electricity Instructor Gus said, “What an awesome event! Our Electricity students each partnered up with a BGC scholar and had a blast! I was so impressed with each of our students’ teaching, mentoring and patience skills to do this 2-hour activity with teens. I surprised them today with this event and they all came through!”

For more info on Electricity at MPTC.

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. 

We encourage 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, and President’s Award for 200 hours!

In the 2021 fall semester, despite all the Covid-19 challenges, 15 students earned awards and logged over 1,600 hours of service!  Congratulations to our Fall, 2021 award winners!

Presidents Award

For Fall, 2021, three students earned the President’s Award for over 200 hours of service each in their time at MPTC!  The three students are Corey Koch – Administrative Professional, Heather Quickle – Nursing, and Julianna Stuht – Paramedic.  MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald celebrated with and congratulated each student, stating: “I’m extremely proud of the accomplishments of Julianna, Corey and Heather. Each has their own unique story and came to Moraine Park Technical College to explore and create new career opportunities. In addition to their work and college obligations, their volunteer efforts exemplify the college values of continuous improvement, collaboration, and impactful learning. I can’t wait to see what their futures hold for them!”

President’s Award winner Corey Koch said: “I spent my volunteer internship hours working on the new database/donor tracking system for the FDL Area Women’s Fund.  I was excited to learn and plan how a good database could help bolster the Women’s Fund mission and goals.  I helped with each Women’s Fund fundraising event, and put all previous and new donors into the database.  I also worked on creating a guidebook for the software. I hope this book can be utilized by the next incoming person who will handle software management.  I learned more about working independently and on a team. My Women’s Fund experiences were eye-opening and great practice for my future career.”

President’s Award winner Julianna Stuht said: “Volunteering as an AEMT/firefighter for my community gives me the opportunity to meet the citizens that reside in my service area, as well as further my skills as a healthcare provider. I am so excited to continue learning through this volunteer opportunity.”

Gold Award

Completing 100-199 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Stuht, Julianna – Paramedic

Silver Award

Completing 50-99 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Riemersma, Allison – Nursing

Beeks, Tonia – Medical Assistant

Manke, Zoe – Medical Assistant

Stuht, Julianna – Paramedic

Bronze Award

Completing 25-49 hours of service-learning or volunteering.

Beeks, Tonia – Medical Assistant

Moore, Brianna – Medical Assistant

Diaz, Gisselle – Medical Assistant

Manke, Zoe – Medical Assistant

Gerth, Ashley – Medical Assistant

Fassbender, Noelle – Nursing

Koenitzer, Kaitlyn – Medical Assistant

Riemersma, Allison – Nursing

Rogers, Dorothy – Paralegal

Schmitt, Jordyn – Nursing

Stuht, Julianna – Paramedic

Vang-Xiong, Mina – IT Network Specialist

Mueller, Cindy – Leadership Development