Are you successful in one or more of your classes at Moraine Park? Are you able to communicate effectively with students from diverse backgrounds? Are you willing to help fellow students achieve their educational goals? If so, please consider becoming a peer tutor and helping other students succeed.  Here are some great reasons to consider becoming a peer tutor.

1. Tutoring offers Flexible Scheduling: 

The average tutors spends about 2-3 hours a week tutoring.  You work around your schedule.  It may involve setting a weekly time or it can be on an as needed basis.  The tutoring sessions take place either on campus or virtually. 

2. Tutoring gives you great job experience: 

Tutoring in your program area will give you experience related to the job that you eventually want to do.  It is an opportunity to build your resume and shows that you are willing to mentor others. 

3. Tutoring can supplement your income: 

Moraine Park peer tutors are paid $13 hour.

4. Tutoring is a rewarding experience: 

Tutoring can give you the satisfaction of making a difference in someone else’s life.  For a few hours each week you can help another student earn a passing grade and advance in their program area.  Tutoring will build your self-confidence, listening skills, interpersonal and oral communication skills, empathy and patience.

5. Maintain subject knowledge: 

Helping others can keep the information fresh in your head and even deepen your understanding of a subject area.  In order to teach the subject to someone else, you need to break it down into smaller, easier to understand chunks which give you a greater master of material.

If you are finishing strong in one or more of your courses, please consider becoming a valued peer tutor.  Students interested in learning more about tutoring at Moraine Park can contact Mary at mdaley1@morainepark.edu or 920-924-6488. Additional information can be found here https://www.morainepark.edu/experience-mptc/student-resources/tutoring/.

As an educational institution, Moraine Park understands that learning looks different for everyone, and the College has several resources available to ensure that students have the opportunity to be successful.

For Britney Olsen, the path to success did not come easy. In the first grade, she was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder–a learning disorder affecting the ability to understand speech. From elementary through high school, she struggled to comprehend teacher directions and assignments, and her grades suffered.

“I barely graduated high school and was sent to a program called Diploma Bound during my senior year to receive my diploma in 2013,” Olsen said. “In high school, my math teacher gave me a calculator and a page of multiplication problems, and I was told to finish it. That was the bare minimum required to pass.”

After her graduation, Olsen tried working in factories and applied for various office jobs but was unhappy and lacked the required experience.

In 2019, she enrolled at Moraine Park to earn her technical diploma as a Virtual Assistant. However, going back to school meant facing her learning disability head-on.

“I was nervous I wouldn’t get the support needed to be a successful student,” Olsen said. “My disability accommodations allowed me to work with the disability specialist for up to two hours a week. I would complete the homework I felt comfortable doing by myself and would receive help with the homework I struggled with.”

Each semester, Olsen introduced herself to her instructors and confirmed her accommodations; becoming a strong advocate for herself and ensuring her success. In addition to her disability accommodations, Olsen utilized Moraine Park’s student success center and campus tutors to receive extra help.

“The overall experience of working with disability resources was easy, and I felt comfortable,” Olsen said. “I remember they had an orientation with students who had accommodations before the semester started. That meeting helped me understand the resources available to me. I always felt that my accommodations and disability were confidential, which made me feel respected. I would not have passed some of my classes without the support and accommodations I had.”

Halfway through finishing her technical diploma, Olsen found a new passion for learning and decided to pursue her associate degree. In May 2021, she earned her technical diploma, and in May 2022 she earned her associate degree in the Administrative Coordinator program and an additional degree in Meeting and Event Planning.

After graduating, Olsen moved to Prescott, AZ, and accepted a job at Yavapai College as a Learning Center Assistant. Three months later, she was promoted to Learning Center Specialist. She will begin pursuing her bachelor’s degree this fall.

“For a long time, I let excuses prevent me from living my life,” Olsen said. “I told myself that since I had a disability, I was not good enough or intelligent enough to go to college, become a supervisor or move across the country. I do not live by that lie anymore.”

Learn more about Disability Resources at Moraine Park https://www.morainepark.edu/experience-mptc/student-resources/disability-resources/.

Written by Crystal Guell, a fellow parent and Moraine Park student

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Struggling to balance family life and furthering your education?  You’re not alone. According to a study by the National Center for Education, approximately four million college students are parents (Williams, 2022). You took the first step and committed to going to college, now what? Embarking on this new journey it is essential to feel prepared and confident. As a working parent going to college, you might face some obstacles along the way. To ensure that you are successful in all aspects of your life, here are some tips and tricks.

Time Management

One of the challenges that most college students face is time management. For most parents their children are their number one priority.  Time is valuable.  Managing time can get a little tricky but is not impossible.  The first thing you need to do is:

• Set a routine. As a family, decide what your routine will look like. Will schoolwork be worked on at the same time as your children? Or, do you work on homework when they’re in bed? Whatever you decide for your routine, make sure you have one and that you stick with it.
• Limit the number of distractions and interruptions. Designate an area to do your schooling. Make sure this area is quiet and provides enough space to work. During this time, turn off your phone to give your full attention to your studies.

Organization

Life can sometimes be complete chaos. Laundry that’s overflowing onto the floor and a to-do list that never ends. Don’t get discouraged and remember to do the following:

• Plan ahead. To be organized is to be prepared. Look through your class content. Get an idea of how much time assignments will take to complete. Do not wait till the last minute to complete. Keep track of those assignments in a planner. Write out all your commitments and reminders there. If you are a parent, you probably already use a cell phone calendar or application to keep track of all the extracurricular activities that your children are involved in. The takeaway here is to use whatever works best for you. In doing so, it will help you stay organized and decrease stress.
• Breaking up assignments into smaller manageable chunks. After going through the expectations for your classes you can break down those assignments into smaller sections.  This will result in lifting the burden of feeling overwhelmed and completing homework a lot easier.
• Organizing your notes.  It is good practice to take good notes. Your notes should be written clearly so that you can use them to help in future assignments. Each class should have its own section for notes. Properly labeling the topic, the class, and the date will help keep your notes organized and easy to find when you study.

Stress Management

As humans, we all experience stress at some point in our lives. It’s how we handle ourselves in those situations that either has a positive or negative impact on our life. To limit the stress in your life as a parent going to college:

• Stay positive. First and foremost, you are a parent, and you need to set a good example for your children. I don’t need to remind you that your children are always watching. Control of your emotions is vital. Recognize stress when it comes on, calm yourself, and figure out a solution to overcome it.
• Allow for breaks. When you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed, tired or stressed–take a break.  You won’t be able to accomplish anything feeling this way. Giving yourself time to clear your mind will give you a chance to relax.  I like to take a break from my schoolwork by walking to pick up my children from school. When you go back to your studies you may discover the solution to the problem you faced from the beginning.
• Set goals and reward yourself. You are working, supporting the family, and still finding time to do your schoolwork. It is okay to reward yourself for doing a good job. Set up weekly, monthly, or semester rewards for a job well done. The reward should be something that you enjoy doing.  Include the whole family in this celebration if you prefer. Who doesn’t like ice cream?

Support is Available

• Ask for help. Never feel hesitant to ask for help no matter how you’re feeling. Know that you’re not alone and that there are people in your life that can help. Reach out to family members, your spouse and friends. Find other college parents going through the same struggles.
• Have a plan.  As a parent, you are juggling many tasks daily. Set up a plan of action in case something comes up and you need to be in two places at once. Have a plan in place for someone to watch your children while you do schoolwork or to give you a break.
• Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) Resources- Get in contact with your school or academic advisor and ask for help with the areas that you are struggling in. Here is a list of some of the services offered at MPTC (www.morainepark.edu/experience-mptc/student-resources/)
  • Counseling
  • Career services
  • Tutoring

There is no cookie-cutter mold for how to be a successful parent in college. Some tips that work for some college students may not work for others. I can assure you that by following these tips on time management, organization, stress management, and knowing the support that is available for you will result in decreasing the amount of stress in your life and as a college student. Sacrifices might need to be made in managing your time. Your family might have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sometimes because you don’t have time to cook a meal. You need to make those choices and decide what is important to you. Progress doesn’t happen overnight. It’s all about staying positive and taking things one step at a time.

Written by Crystal Guell, a fellow parent and Moraine Park student

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic violence occurs when one intimate partner seeks to maintain power and control over the other partner, which may be exhibited as verbal or emotional abuse, intimidation, isolation, economic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other abuses. The trauma from these abusive behaviors can have significant impact on survivors and can, ultimately, result in death.

According to the annual Wisconsin Domestic Violence Homicide Report from End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, 811 victims were killed in domestic violence homicides from 2000 through 2019 in Wisconsin, excluding homicides involving legal intervention. In 2019, domestic violence claimed 72 lives, including both victims and perpetrators. Tragically, past domestic violence homicides in Wisconsin have claimed the lives not only of victims, but of their family members, friends, co-workers and law enforcement.

from State of Wisconsin Department of Justice

For help in your community:

SSM Agnesian DV and Solutions Center DV are the service providers in Fond du Lac.

PAVE is the service provider for Beaver Dam.

FRIENDS is the service provider in West Bend.

Christine Ann is the service provider for Green Lake.

If there is an Emergency, CALL 911.

MPTC Counseling Services are free and confidential and available to assist you. LEARN MORE HERE

West Bend October event:

Fond du Lac October event:

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

MPTC wants to help raise awareness, spread hope and share resources.

Did you know?

• On average, 1 person in the U.S. dies by suicide every 11 minutes.
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–14 and the 3rd leading cause of death among people aged 15-24 in the U.S.
• Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.
• 79% of all people who die by suicide are male.
• In Wisconsin, 888 lives were lost to suicide last year.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available!

Call or Text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If there is an Emergency, CALL 911.

MPTC Counseling Services are free and confidential and available to assist you. LEARN MORE HERE

MPTC Emergency CALL 5555 from any Campus Phone

OR using your cell phone:

BD Campus    920-887-4401
FDL Campus   920-924-3107
WB Campus   262-306-5334

NAMI resources

Need some extra help with classes? Moraine Park offers NetTutor, an online tutoring service, free to all MPTC students via Canvas.

NetTutor can help you with many different classes and topics such as Writing, Nursing/Health, Math, Chemistry, Computer Science/IT, Business and more.

To access NetTutor, follow the steps below.

1. Open Canvas
2. Click on a class
3. Click the link on the left-hand side for NetTutor

For any questions about Net Tutor or any other Moraine Park tutoring services, please contact Tutoring Services Specialist, Mary Daley at 920-924-6488 or mdaley1@morainepark.edu.

Get off the bench and attend Internship Draft Day at Lambeau Field- North Balcony on Thursday, November 4 from 3-6:15 p.m.

Internship Draft Day is more than just a job fair. It’s a chance for students to meet with over 50 companies with over 200 paid internships, co-ops, part-time and full-time positions. Students have the opportunity to network and pre-set 15-minute interviews with companies of their choosing. Attendees will also have the chance to earn free prizes and a college scholarship.

Since 2015, Internship Draft Day has been organized by the Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance (NEW ERA) and the NEW Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA). Together, these entities recognized a unique way to work collaboratively on a unified cause: to expand manufacturing career pathways and build a talent pipeline through internships.

Hundreds of college students from Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan participate in the annual Internship Draft Day at Lambeau Field in Green Bay every year. Students showcase talent, curiosity, hustle, and career interest, vying for scholarships, paid internships, and network connections.

Interested students should register at internshipdraftday.com by the registration deadline of October 31.

Mary Daley recently started as Moraine Park’s new Tutoring Services Specialist. Daley comes from K-12 education where she worked as a kindergarten teacher.  

“I wanted a change, but also wanted to stay in education,” Daley said. “I’m excited to help students in a new way at Moraine Park.” 

In her new role, Daley recruits peer tutors, professional tutors and tutor specialists, and matches them with students based on their programs and classes. 

“Some students need peer tutors, some need professional tutors and some need the Student Center–every student is unique and has different needs to be met,” Daley said. 

Daley looks forward to improving the tutoring program and introducing new ways for students to get help with their coursework. 

Contact Mary for any tutoring needs: 

mdaley1@morainepark.edu 

(920) 924-6488 

FDL Campus 

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing, sponsored by the College Board, allows students to complete exams in a variety of subjects that are generally covered in the first 2 years of college. CLEP Exam results are accepted for college credit at many colleges and universities throughout the United States- including MPTC.

MPTC has a CLEP Testing Center which allows students, as well as our community members, to take the exams at any of the College campuses. 

Now through August 31, 2021, students can save 50% when they register for another CLEP exam.

How to get the discount:

• Students must have taken another CLEP exam this year (or do so by August 31, 2021).
• During registration, students enter code CLEPSUMMER at checkout to receive 50% off one exam. (Code is valid from June 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021.)

Information on MPTC’s CLEP testing process is available via the link here: https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/transfer-information/credit-for-prior-learning/credit-by-exam/college-level-examination-program-clep/

For more information about Moraine Park’s CLEP guidelines, contact MPTC’s Credit for Prior Learning Specialist at cpl@morainepark.edu or 920-924-3215, TTY/VP: Use Relay/VRS.