Cortland, a Fond du Lac native, is the first person in his family to pursue a college education. He connected with Moraine Park Technical College after graduating high school, hoping there was a possibility that he could achieve the future he’d always dreamed of.

Cooking has been a passion of Cortland’s since he was young and he discovered he was pretty good at it. Family and friends had encouraged him to develop his talent with a formal education in culinary arts. But was there a way?

Unfortunately, Cortland’s family wasn’t able to contribute to his education financially, and his part-time job didn’t provide enough money to live on while also paying for school. Through the help of his college advisors, Cortland applied for scholarships and received enough support to cover his tuition costs and a portion of his textbooks.

Cortland is now enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Moraine Park Technical College! His hard work and ambition, combined with scholarship support provided through generous gifts from individuals like you, set him on a path to success.

Cortland fully embraced his college experience and has taken advantage of many student clubs and activities. He was selected to be part of the Campus Compact 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellows cohort, a nationwide one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. Cortland has also made connections in the community through his volunteer service and is growing as a person and a leader.

We are so pleased to tell you that Cortland will be graduating this May and has achieved his educational goals! His next step is to gain valuable work experience and eventually become an executive chef and restaurant owner.

By investing in the success of students like Cortland, you make dreams possible. Cortland has not only flourished, he has set an example for his family and friends that education changes futures, families and communities.

Our campuses are filled with aspiring students just like Cortland. Would you consider giving a gift to help them receive a life-changing education that will impact families and communities for generations to come?

Moraine Park Technical College has received a Gold Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), with local affiliate Wellness Council of Wisconsin (WCWI). This award recognizes an organization for its commitment to the health and well-being of its employees.

“Well Workplace Award winners have systematically and deliberately created an environment for employees to work in that is going to help them thrive and flourish as humans. These organizations have taken a whole systems approach by investing in the humanity of their people”, Sara Martin, WELCOA Interim CEO said.

Moraine Park first earned the Well Workplace distinction in 2015 through the Well City Fond du Lac initiative. This subsequent award is a three-year distinction and ranks the College among America’s healthiest companies.

“We are committed to the overall health and wellbeing of our employees; mental, physical, emotional, financial, and environmental,” Lori Schrage, benefits coordinator at Moraine Park, said. “Overall health is far greater than just physical health. The College is continuously looking at ways to grow and adapt to meet our employee’s needs.”

Moraine Park was notified of their award in April, and the current recognition plaques that are on display at each campus will be updated to represent the current award.

The Well Workplace Awards initiative is driven by a rigorous set of criteria outlined in WELCOA’s seven benchmarks to a results-oriented Well Workplace. Since its inception in 1991, over 1,000 organizations, ranging from educational institutions to non-profit and profit sectors, have received the Well Workplace Award.

To learn more about Moraine Park’s employee benefits, visit morainepark.edu/jobs.

Thanks to MPTC Beta Mu Kappa Academic Honor Society students, over 150 area area homeless shelter kids and adults will have new socks this spring. Students hosted a Sock Tree drive at all 3 campuses over the past month, and delivered the donated socks to area homeless shelters this past week.

Beta Mu Kappa is our local MPTC chapter for the international Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honor Society. Students who maintain a 3.5 GPA or above after obtaining at least 12 college credits are invited to join the honor society. Check out our web page for more information on PTK plus our leadership and community service opportunities.

สวัสดี : “S̄wạs̄dī” means “hello” in Thailand!

Meet our English student Suchanat Buckman, known by many as “Kate”.  She is from Roi Et, Thailand and has been living in Wisconsin for a little over 2 years.  In Thailand, Kate worked in jewelry design and designed both her and her husband’s wedding bands.  She is a very talented seamstress as well.  During the pandemic, she has been designing, creating, and selling beautiful fabric masks.  What an entrepreneur!  

Kate recently started a job working at Goodwill Industries pricing clothing.  Her coworkers and managers love her friendly and positive attitude.  In April, she was awarded with Employee of The Month.  Way to go Kate!

Kate  is an ELL student here at Moraine Park.  She has been taking classes here since May of 2019.  Kate also participated in computer classes in our Student Success Center (SSC) with Shannon Huberty.  Using the skills and language learned from these classes, we were able to help Kate apply and interview for her job.  

If you are interested in classes, please reach out to Tony Rodriguez at 920-887-4496 or 262-306-5302 arodriquez@morainepark.edu (West Bend and Beaver Dam) or Becky Melo 920-924-6339 rmeloenriquez@morainepark.edu (Fond du Lac).

Moraine Park Technical College has announced Becky Glewen, City of Beaver Dam Mayor, as the keynote speaker for the 2021 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 22.

Glewen has served as mayor for the City of Beaver Dam since April of 2017 and as Dodge County Supervisor for 4 years. She also held the position of Beaver Dam alderperson for Ward 8 in 2016 for one year.

Before entering public service she was a manager for Green Valley Enterprises, Director for a multi-school district federal grant, Program Director/Community Outreach Manager for the Beaver Dam School District, and Field Site Coordinator for the University of WI-Madison, for an epidemiologic study.

Mayor Glewen received her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bemidji State University.

She is actively involved in numerous civic and non-profit organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for Church Health Services, the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation board of directors, as an advisor for the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Beaver Dam Business Networking Group, the PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization), and Grace Presbyterian Church as Elder and Deacon. She has also led the ImpACT Coalition (alcohol/drug abuse prevention group) and is a Leadership Beaver Dam alumni.

Mayor Glewen has led various volunteer groups such as the Beaver Dam Community Meal Coalition, school supply collections for students in need, Thanksgiving day meal distribution, and the 175th Picnic in the Park Celebration. She was also a Positively Hoops basketball coach for six years.

During her time in public service, Mayor Glewen has focused her efforts on addressing the eminent major shifts in the workforce shortage and how the city’s initiatives attract and recruit new individuals to Beaver Dam and the Dodge County region. She has successfully researched and obtained numerous grants and private investment for funding of community revitalization projects, enhanced recreational activities and energy conservation projects.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Moraine Park’s 2021 Commencement Ceremony event is open only to graduates but will be live-streamed at morainepark.edu/commencement. Nearly 800 graduate candidates will be receiving Associate of Applied Science degrees and technical diplomas, with over 350 graduate candidates expected to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, will preside over the ceremony.

morainepark.edu/commencement.

Happy spring, and congratulations to all students receiving a GED or HSED this year. On May 27, we’ll be celebrating all the graduates from this year and last, so look for your invitation and join us on the 27^th!

Each year, students work hard to complete their GED/HSED requirements, and every student comes with a story of how they came to Moraine Park Technical College. Many also have a clear plan for what they want to do next, whether it’s to get a great job or pursue further education. One such student is Ariel Baute, who chose a different path.

Ariel came to MPTC last fall, with a determination to earn his HSED and move on to his next goal of joining the army. He did just that, earning his HSED in January, but Ariel will miss the graduation ceremony because he is currently doing his basic training in Georgia. His plan is to continue with advanced training to become a member of 19 Delta Airborne, where he’ll be a Cavalry scout and paratrooper.

Ariel hasn’t chosen the easiest path, but we’re sure he will approach it with the same grit and determination he did his HSED. We wish him every success in his service to the country. Thank you, Ariel!

For more information about the GED program or this year’s graduation ceremony, call Ann at 920-924-6393.

Photo: Ariel Baute of Fond du Lac, with Deb Schuh, Fdl Instructor

STORY FEATURED IN THE SPRING/SUMMER 2021 NEXT MAGAZINE

Kelly Hagner, of Fond du Lac, has always desired to care for others and make a difference in the world. This is what drove her to pursue a nursing degree at Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC).

“When I first came to the College in 2005, there was a waitlist for nursing,” she said. “I knew MPTC was going to be a vital steppingstone for me, and I wanted to take advantage of my time at the College. So, I enrolled in the Supervisory Management program, and then the Nursing program when a spot opened.”

Hagner graduated from the Supervisory Management and Nursing associate degree programs in 2009.

“After my graduation, the economy was not great, and I had difficulty finding a job as a registered nurse (RN) in a medical clinic setting,” she said. “I took a job as an RN in one of Agnesian HealthCare’s nursing homes, which was another choice that proved to be a valuable career step.”

A few years later, Hagner accepted a position as an RN at the Agnesian Cancer Center.

“I love my work at the Cancer Center,” Hagner said. “Both the patients and people I work with are uplifting and bring me so much joy. They make me want to be better and do better.”

Hagner became settled in her career but had aspirations for higher education. She decided to make a goal to earn a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) and become a nurse practitioner (NP) before the age of 40.

“I knew I wanted to continue my education, but it was also scary in so many ways,” she said. “I have a family with young children and didn’t think I would have the time. However, after some encouragement from friends and peers, I decided to have a conversation with the admissions department at Marian University.”

During that time, she also got an email from her employer that detailed both a tuition discount program with Marian and a tuition reimbursement employee benefit.

“I took that as a sign from God and began my next educational journey,” she said.

Hagner graduated with her MSN last May and is living out her career dreams as an NP with the Medical Oncology team at the Agnesian Cancer Center.

“I am so grateful to Moraine Park,” she said. “They offered me the opportunity to stay local, have a family, and live life to the fullest— all while getting an education. The College opened my eyes to both the educational and career opportunities right here in my community, and I’m honored to have Moraine Park as part of my journey.”

Did you know MPTC has transfer agreements with nearly 50 different colleges/universities and in more than 100 program areas?

This means, you can earn your associate degree at Moraine Park for a fraction of the cost and then transfer your credits to earn a bachelor’s degree or beyond!

View our transfer agreements by program or college at morainepark.edu/transfer.

Believe it or not, graduation is right around the corner!

Do you know someone who is graduation this year?  If so, you can congratulate them by giving them a thoughtful gift.

I’ve made a list below of some great gift ideas for 2021. Also, gifts marked with a ($) are $15 and under and ($$$) are $25-$50.

Happy gifting! 😊

• Bluetooth speaker ($$$)
• Gift card ($ or $$$)
• Candy gift basket ($)
• Basic cookbook ($)
• Mantra Band ($$$)
• Travel passport wallet ($)
• Card games ($$$)
• Planner notepads ($)
• Portable charger ($)
• Personalized cup ($$$)
• World bucket list scratch off ($$$)

It’s time to #BuildBackFairer

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 8! The Fair Trade movement has a great solution for helping end inequality, poverty, gender discrimination, and saving our environment. As we recover from the Covid pandemic we cannot go back to the old normal! The old normal left millions of people behind and was destroying our planet. We have the opportunity to Build Back Fairer!

Did you know MPTC is a Fair Trade College? Fair trade supports farmers and artisans in developing countries. These producers lack economic opportunity and often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods. Fair Trade is about making a tremendous impact on artisan and farmer communities while offering great products to the public all around the world.

At all three MPTC campuses, our campus bookstores carry Divine Chocolate and Good Paper Cards, and Alta Gracia clothing. Our three cafeterias offer Fair Trade coffee and Fair Trade tea!

MPTC collaborates with several other area organizations supporting and educating others about Fair Trade such as Fond du Lac Fair Trade Towns, Just Fare Market, UW Oshkosh Fair Trade College, and UW Fond du Lac Fair Trade University.

Learn more at https://fairtradecampaigns.org/campaign-type/universities/

Also, find Fair Trade Information at Campus Libraries.