When the need for 9-1-1 services arises, there is no better reassurance than hearing that help is on the way. On average, there are 765,000 medical emergency calls placed annually in the state of Wisconsin. In spring 2019, Greg Mowery, an emergency medical technician (EMT) student at Moraine Park, will be fully trained to help respond to these calls.   

“Helping others is my passion,” Greg said. “I am being trained to respond to emergencies quickly and professionally, and to get the patient the care they need as soon as possible.”

Greg was a fire department employee in the state of Oregon and worked on their emergency medical services (EMS) crew. It was there that he helped to save an 8-year old boy who was severely injured in a climbing accident.

“I’m glad I was there,” he said. “I helped stabilize him and with him rode to the hospital. A year later, I saw him out in the community. He didn’t remember me, but I remembered him. While some of his injuries were life-changing, he was alive and well. That is the best feeling, knowing I had a part in saving his life.”

It’s for this reason that Greg decided to become a licensed EMT in the state of Wisconsin, and upon completion, he will be furthering his education in the paramedic program.

“Moraine Park’s Paramedic program instructors are great,” Greg said. “Drew brings great leadership and innovative ideas, and Andy brings a wealth of experience. Together they make a great team.”

Andy Baus and Drew Novak, paramedic program instructors at the College, both have extensive backgrounds in the field and are working to fill our communities with educated paramedics.

Andy, a resident of West Bend, not only has previous on-the-job and teaching experience, but he also comes from a long line of emergency service professionals. Drew, of Waupun, is quite familiar with Moraine Park, having served as an adjunct faculty for the last five years.

Andy and Drew will be instructing the EMT, paramedic and advanced paramedic technical diploma, and the paramedic associates degree program. These are offered at Moraine Park separately or as an opportunity for career laddering by first taking the EMT program and then utilizing that diploma to advance into the paramedic field.

“For anyone in the emergency services profession, education doesn’t stop at the EMT level,” Drew said. “It’s important to keep learning. There are huge opportunities in the field and now is the time to take advantage of those.”

In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for skilled employees in the paramedic field is expected to grow 15 percent by 2026, much higher than the average growth prediction of 7 percent for all occupations. This jump in growth is a result of an aging workforce and the need to fill the positions with trained and licensed professionals.

“The industry encourages students to pursue the paramedic associate degree program,” Drew said. “This allows the opportunity for an extensive hands-on internship and a chance to build a well-rounded background in the field.”

There are also opportunities to complete a fire certification, opening up even more doors for employment.

“Creating relationships with our communities is very important to us,” Drew said. “Many of our students will become employees of the municipalities and private companies in our district. It benefits everyone to make sure they leave the College skilled, educated, and ready to make a difference.”

As for Greg, he is looking forward to the future and expanding his career options. He will graduate in spring 2019 with his EMT diploma and will become a part-time employee of the North Fond du Lac Fire Department. His goals are to utilize his paramedic degree as an employee of the fire department and hopes to one day have the opportunity to follow in Drew and Andy’s footsteps and become an instructor.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from Drew and Andy at Moraine Park,” Greg said. “As a result, I will get the opportunity to make a difference and help save lives right in my community.”

“As I approached my last semester of the Health and Wellness program, I decided to enroll in the Think Critically and Creatively course. I didn’t think it would be that difficult of a class, but it challenges me in an unexpected way. It’s not your typical classroom set up – group discussions are the norm by talking about what you learned from a video or by using the Elements of Thought model to examine case studies and issues. This class challenges you to really think and use your brain – in a way that, for me, hasn’t been used that way in awhile.

This class will help me become successful in my career because I now have valuable knowledge about how to think critically and solve problems outside the box. When thinking this way, I will be able to come up with new solutions. Thinking critically will be useful in the Health and Wellness field because not everyone is the same so they will need different solutions and ways that they can implement healthy living tips into their daily lives. I have loved this class so far and I think everyone should take it! I’ve learned valuable knowledge from Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss and also learned more about myself and how to push myself to think differently. “

Written by:  Kelly Prom,
Health & Wellness Program Student

Congratulations to Moraine Park’s CNC and Electricity students on their accomplishments at the SkillsUSA national competition in Louisville, Kentucky.

• The Automated Manufacturing Technology Team took 4th place.

• The Industrial Electric took 4th place.

• The Constructional Electric took 13th place.

The state of Wisconsin as a whole did exceptionally well. Of the 35 students who competed, 29 of them placed in the top ten and 19 of those were in the top five!

Another successful year, and congrats to Moraine Park’s competing students Zachary Rabideau of Jackson, Jarred Welnak of Germantown, Will Kraus of Jackson, Michael Schaefer of Juneau, and Noah Johannes of Fredonia.

I hope you enjoyed the July 4th activities around the State, and still have plans to enjoy the outdoors as we enter the second half of summer. For those attending our certification courses and others that have recently passed their State certification exams, congratulations. Enjoy your successes. Thank you for the emails, as your success is why we offer these important courses.

We all have heard and talked about present and projected openings in the career field. Shortages of employees are being felt here and in other States. Many times’ we are in competition with other entities that need educated employees to fill varying positions, including operations staff. We look toward consistent staffing and hope to promote strong programs that enable successful succession planning.

Here at Moraine Park Technical College, we have been training students in water and wastewater for years. With ever changing updated curriculum, great input from our programs advisory committee, and related experiences in the field, our Water Quality Technology program remains a strong valuable tool for students and potential employers. For participants in the short water certification courses, their successes with related State exams, continues to promote those efforts as well.

If you or your utility, community or organization, are considering succession planning, then please look to Moraine Park Technical College to be a part of that effort. The wheel, so to speak, has been invented and it has been quite successful, so please look to a strong, proven education, as a part of your succession plans.

Courses for the Water Quality Technology program which leads to an accredited Associated Degree, start in August. Enrollment in the online courses are now underway. For more information, visit
www.morainepark.edu/programs/water+quality+technology/. Certification courses that prepare participants for the seven state water certification sub-grades, also start in late August. Registration is also open for those courses. View the schedule for the upcoming year here. Moraine Park credits are also transferable to 4-year schools, many of which offer online programs as well.

Finally, if you are in need of employees, please consider Moraine Park students and graduates, and consider using Wisconsin TechConnect as a posting site for each opportunity. Wisconsin TechConnect reaches out to all students throughout the Wisconsin Technical College System that are in programs related to the position offered. If you have an opening, always feel free to send it my way, and I will forward to students and graduates. I can also get you in touch with the MPTC Wisconsin TechConnect representative, who will assist you in your efforts.

Please consider our program and courses in your succession planning, as a strong education is truly the building blocks to entity and employee success.

Moraine Park Technical College named nearly 1,100 students to the Dean’s List for the spring 2019 semester. To qualify for the Dean’s List distinction, students must earn a minimum semester grade point average of 3.5, be enrolled in at least six credits of undergraduate-level courses, be in good academic standing and cannot have a failing or incomplete grade for the semester.

Click here to view the list. 

Thomas Hopp of West Bend was sworn in on July 8 as the newest member of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board. He will serve as an employer member representative, with a term expiring in June 2022.

Hopp learned from a young age the all-around benefits of volunteering within the community.

“My father was a large influence in my life,” Hopp said. “Through his dedicated volunteer work, he taught me that volunteering and helping others creates a strong, vibrant, and growing community by simply taking time to help others.”

Hopp has been an active part of the community of West Bend for many years. He currently serves on multiple boards including Albrecht Free Clinic, Commerce State Bank, and the United Way of Washington County. Additionally, he is involved with the City of West Bend Safety Commission as a volunteer for over 10-years and the Kettle Moraine YMCA as an active member and volunteer for over 20-years. 

“I have always believed that continuing education benefits everyone and what better organization to contribute as a board member than MPTC,” He said.

Also sworn in alongside Hopp were Renee Almeida of Beaver Dam and Vernon Jung of Kewaskum, retaining their spots on the board as an employee member and additional member, respectively. Their new terms will also expire in June of 2022.

The 2019-20 District Board members for Moraine Park were also nominated into office during the meeting. The following board members will serve as officers: Bur Zeratsky, chairperson; Vernon Jung, vice chairperson; Bob Lloyd, treasurer; Lowell Prill, secretary.

Two Moraine Park students were recently recognized for their heroic and life-saving actions.

This spring, Scott Lieburn, Moraine Park’s dean of students, received a notification that a 911 call was placed on campus. Upon his arrival at the scene, he immediately identified that it was near the nursing classroom. Natasha Sokoloff, a second-year nursing student, and Andres Morales, a first-year respiratory therapy student, were providing care to an unresponsive person. They were supported by instructors and classmates and administered life-saving care until EMS arrived.

“It is clear that these students are in the right field,” Scott said. “They showed a sense of urgency and remained calm during the intense situation.”

This person was within minutes of death, but because of Natasha and Andres’s teamwork, they are alive today.

It is because of these heroic measures that the Fond du Lac Fire Department presented Natasha and Andres with a Lifesaving Award at Moraine Park’s June 19 board meeting.

Additionally, the person sent a message.

“To the person or people who found me, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I literally owe you my life, and I hope you know how grateful I am for that.”

Moraine Park staff and board members gathered at the College’s monthly board meeting on Wednesday, June 19 to honor Mike Staral’s retirement from the Moraine Park board and his many years of service to the College.

Staral is a 1978 graduate from Moraine Park’s Tool and Die Technologies Apprenticeship program, and since then has been a self-motivated advocate and ambassador for the College.  He served for 40-years at Willer Tool Corp. in Jackson, retiring in June 2016 from his role as Vice President. He was also an active member of the Moraine Park CNC/Tool and Die Technologies Advisory Committee for 15 years, the Moraine Park Alumni Advisory committee for four years, and served on the Moraine Park Board for six years, two of those as the Chairperson.

He’s dedicated a large part of his life to spreading the good word about technical education. It’s no wonder, then, that 65 percent of Willer Tool Corp.’s employees are Moraine Park graduates.

 “I’m Moraine Park’s biggest fan,” Staral said.

Aside from himself, three other members of his family are graduates of Wisconsin technical colleges, including his wife, Kate, with a degree in interior design; his son, Jason, with a tool and die degree; and his daughter-in-law, Krista, with a degree in dental hygiene.

A lifelong West Bend resident, Staral will continue to serve his community as president of Friends of West Bend Parks and on the West Bend Baseball Association Board of Directors and the West Bend Park and Recreation Commission.

At the June board meeting, President Bonnie Baerwald extended her gratitude and presented Staral with a gift in honor of for his service to the College.

“Mike is one of those unique board members,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president said. “I’m a firm believer that the success of an organization is built around strong leadership, which comes directly from the board, especially its chair. Mike has been one of my strongest supporters and the biggest cheerleader for Moraine Park. He is passionate about career and technical education, and it is felt through all that he did for the College. He not only served in various leadership roles on the Board, but also advocated for legislation, attended conferences to learn best practices, and challenged, as well as supported, fiscal and strategic decisions. He is a wonderful ally and dear friend, and the College and I will certainly miss him.”

“I graduated from Moraine Park Technical College from the Business Analysis program in May, 2019. I plan to enroll in the Marketing and Social Media Management program at MPTC for the Fall 2019 semester. Having a business background, along with a future in marketing and social media, the importance of mass communication is obvious to me, which is why I took the Introduction to Mass Communication course with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss.”

“Mass communication paves the way for various career paths, most specifically, journalism, public relations, event management, advertising, visual communications, and marketing. Mass communication mediums, such as radio, television, newspaper, and social media, represent platforms that individuals in these fields will likely utilize. However, having an understanding of the functions and benefits of mass communication is necessary for success in any career field, because we live in a world that is dominated by mass communication.  It surrounds us.  As new technology and mass media continue to grow and change, professionals in all industries will need to keep up with the rapid changes. Communication skills, such as active listening, verbal communication, and the ability to write well are needed. These skills also provide a strong foundation for potential roles within mass communication fields.”

“I feel that my coursework in mass communications at MPTC, specifically the Introduction to Mass Communication course that I took as an online course, helped to further prepare me for my career in the marketing field. “

Written by: Anjelynn Coyne, MPTC Graduate 2019