“Volunteering with the Red Cross for my service learning project has been an amazing experience. Therapeutic communication really came in handy talking with everyone. Every shift I worked I was with a different crew and did things a little different, but it was easy to adjust. They all were so much fun to work with but honestly the best lead I had was Julie. Julie is a Certified Medical Assistant that left a clinic job to join the Red Cross, it was amazing talking with her and once the crew learned that I was a MA student they were showing me different tips and tricks.”
“They were really cool with letting me watch how they start the venipunctures and I learned a different way to mark that I think will be helpful with starting venipunctures in class. It really was a learning experience to feel veins on different people and how some are small and hard to find, and some are very easy. I learned so much from this experience that I will take into class and the work field.” Corinne Chalker, Medical Assistant Student
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of nearly everything that happens at the American Red Cross. In their volunteer roles, Corrine, Megan and Whitney are also the spirit at our blood drives,” said Amber Carey, Volunteer Partnership and Community Outreach Specialist at the Red Cross for Southeast Wisconsin. “They’re the smiling faces which welcome donors of life-saving blood, making sure donors are at ease every step of the way. We’re grateful for their important volunteer service – especially during a pandemic – and know that their impact has been felt by dozens of blood donors in our community.”
Amber Carey, Volunteer Partnership and Community Outreach, American Red Cross, 2600 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414.335.7114
Whitney Liegl, MPTC MA Student Red Cross VolunteerMegan Andrew, MPTC MA Student Red Cross Volunteer
Congratulations Corrine and Megan on your Bronze and Silver Student Community Impact Awards! Congratulations Whitney on your Bronze Award!
Fifteen soon-to-be Medical Assistant graduates participated in virtual employment event to interact with area healthcare employers. Representatives from Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension WI, Froedert, SSM Agnesian, SSM Health, UW Health, and Wildwood Family clinic participated in the event. While the employment event is not new to the MA program, holding this in a virtual environment was a new experience for all.
Moraine Park Technical College’s Associate Dean of Health, Ben McKenzie shared welcoming remarks with the group stating the importance of staying current with interviewing skills. He emphasized using the interview process to determine if the organization is a good fit for you.
Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA), Katie Blessing, offered tips to stay engaged and grow in the MA field. She recommended to look for networking opportunities for continuity of care. Katie stated to treat your practicum experience like a job interview. Demonstrate that you want to be there: be willing, able and ready to help every day! In addition, Katie suggested to look at the total package offered by the employer, not just the starting pay when you are starting out as a Medical Assistant.
Medical Assistant students received Service Learning Recognition Awards for their volunteer work this past year from Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator.
Employers addressed student questions during the Employee Panel portion of the event. Some of the employers reinforced sharing your passion and drive to be an MA during the interview. Important qualities to employers include being upbeat, flexible, willing to learn, being a team player, soft skills, and communication skills. Employers look to complement their current team with new hires; they want to make sure that their organization is the right fit for the prospective employee. Each employer shared what sets their organization apart from the other employers.
Employers conducted Mock Interviews with the students and provided feedback on their resumes.
Sarah Chojnacki, Medical Assistant Program Director coordinated and facilitated the event. Lisa Ferguson, Careers Instructor assisted with facilitation.
Moraine Park Careers Instructors can offer assistance with: Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviewing, Job Search, Career Fit and so much more!
Contact us at: www.morainepark.edu/careers
Fond du Lac | 920-924-3244 | Lisa Ferguson | lferguson@morainepark.edu
West Bend | 262-335-5773 | Rhonda Roehrig | rroehrig2@morainepark.edu
Moraine Park Technical College’s Gas Utility Students led the Operation Christmas Child shoebox project at the Beaver Dam campus this November.
Every year since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has collected shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items for children around the world. To date, more than 178 million children in more than 150 countries have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
The 2020-21 class of gas utility students are Mike Breitzke of Lomira, Grant Burbach of Oakfield, Eli Davidson of Baraboo, Luke Halbach of New Holstein, Payton Kollmann of Fond du Lac, Kobe Krebs of Berlin, Cole McKay of West Bend, Mauston Reilly of Berlin, and Ryan Sellnow of Watertown. To date, they have filled over 50 shoeboxes.
“Our students have received great support from the College and community,” Steve Logan, Moraine Park gas utility instructor, said. “A gentlemen they met at the store even donated $20 when he learned about the project and their efforts. Both this project and that kind gentleman have provided a great learning opportunity, which I believe will stay with these students long after they have moved on from Moraine Park.” Donations that cannot go in a shoebox will be given to Community Care Inc. in Beaver Dam, a preschool and childcare facility for Dodge County families in crisis.
Allexis Wegner, MPTC MA Student volunteering at the Community Blood Center
“I did all my service learning hours at the Community Blood Center. This was a great experience for me as I learned quite a bit on phlebotomy, taking temperatures, explaining paperwork, and talking to patients. I also learned about watching for reactions as I helped a patient get a snack and/or drink after giving blood. These will all help me with my practicum site in so many ways.”
This experience has given me tips on how to perform skills and get me out of my comfort zone when talking or explaining to someone about something. I am now more comfortable with taking temperatures and feel more confident as I learn venipuncture. Everyone in the blood drive was very nice and helpful when I needed assistance. This experience has also helped me get ready for practicum because I have to be patient with people and that sometimes I have to be up early to make it on time for the event! My goals for practicum are to be the best I can be by being myself and giving the best care possible. I feel better after having service learning hours because I am now more confident and ready for Medical Assistant practicum to start.” Allexis Wegner, MPTC Medical Assistant Student
“Your students have been wonderful, thank YOU!”
Heather Du Vall, MNM | Manager, Volunteer Program 4406 W. Spencer St. | Appleton, WI 54914 (800) 280-4102
If you were having heart troubles, would you take advice from a single google search or consult with a local dentist? If your car was broken down, would you buy parts based on a single internet search or ask advice from your local cable company? Of course not. Why then, are we more likely to search google for “the right answer”, ask your high school buddy, or Aunt Marge for advice on what career you should choose or tips on job searching?
Ask an expert!
Many well-intended people may give you really poor advice. I just completed a course I found on LinkedIn. It was on finding your dream job with interviewing and résumé writing tips. Some of the tips I found to be “spot-on”. However, many comments may have been appropriate in Europe for example, but not really relevant for the United States, the Midwest, Wisconsin, or South-Central Wisconsin. Around here for example, we write résumés, not CV’s. As a Wisconsin Technical College student or graduate, you have unique skills that can be marketed to local employers. After all, programs at the Technical College level have been created to satisfy a need in our community. The goal is EMPLOYMENT!
Ask your MPTC Careers Instructor!
Moraine Park’s Careers Instructors are well trained experts in this field. Let us help you find your fit– prepare a stellar cover letter and résumé– and, ace the interview. Request a meeting to chat face-to-face or virtually at www.morainepark.edu/careers.
Dodge County Public Health and Beaver Dam Moraine Park Technical College Nursing Students partnered up again this year to deliver vaccines to children in Dodge County. Last year the flu vaccine clinical occurred at Dodgeland School. However, this year, thanks to the pandemic the vaccine clinic looked a little different. This was a first for Dodge County Public Health to offer the flu vaccine via a drive thru.
Over a four day schedule, approximately 213 flu vaccines were administered at the first ever drive thru clinic. According to Lina Rooney – Dodge County Public Health Nurse, “There is no possible way this could have happened without the MPTC staff & students. Through driving wind, rain, & chilly late afternoon temps, MPTC students soldiered on. They established an efficient flow of assembling & handling syringes, supplies, & paperwork so everything went smoothly. They cheerfully greeted families, calmed anxious kids, and safely administered flu shots. We can’t forget their stellar traffic control skills, either; only one cone was run over!
According to one of the students, “It was a great experience for us nursing students as we are growing into the role of becoming nurses. The exposure to working with children is priceless as typically that is an area where nursing students may have a fear of how to interact and communicate with them effectively. Essentially we ran the operation this year and all of us nursing students whether we are in our first semester or fourth semester all worked really well together which resulted in a really successful flu shot clinic for the K-12 children within our community.”
– Kass Haima 4th Semester Nursing Student
Overall, it was an amazing opportunity for the Beaver Dam MPTC students to give back to the community and formulate a partnership with Dodge County Public Health. We will continue to forge partnerships within the local communities that foster healthy outcomes. There was a sense of pride, collaboration, and passion that was witnessed among students, faculty, and Dodge County Public Health staff. To watch future nurses work with the community was the greatest reward of all!
Courtney Dickow, Medical Assistant Student, volunteering for ASTOP crisis line.
“ASTOP has been an amazing organization to volunteer for my service learning project. They are very flexible and do not require a certain amount of hours. I really like that I am able to do the crisis line from home. My favorite part of this volunteer opportunity was the training. The training was about 9 hours in total. I learned so much about sexual assault. It was also really interesting learning about different kinds of grounding exercises. These are very important to use during a crisis call. Grounding exercises really help a person in crisis calm down.”
“Another area that I was trained in was patient advocacy. When learning about patient advocacy I learned a lot about what happens at the hospital for a sexual assault victim. I think this volunteer opportunity will greatly benefit me as a future medical assistant. It has taught me how to speak to assault victims. It has also taught me even more about confidentiality. ASTOPS confidentiality is actually even more strict than HIPAA, which I found very interesting. I now know a lot more about sexual abuse and how to talk to victims. I also now have a resource that I can offer to patients if they are a victim of sexual abuse. I plan to continue to volunteer for ASTOP for a very long time. I think they are an amazing organization and a great benefit to the FDL community.” Courtney Dickow, MPTC Medical Assistant Student
“Courtney, thank you for all that you do for ASTOP. We would not be able to maintain a 24-hour advocacy and crisis line response without volunteers like you. It’s reassuring to hear how your volunteer training has helped prepare you for your chosen career field. We appreciate you!” Nicole Krause, Executive Director, ASTOP, Inc.
Are you interested in a new career in just 3 months? What about earning a college level certificate with hands on training and a PAID internship as part of the deal? Even better- NO TUITION for students! Tuition and materials are covered 100% by a combination of grants and community agency support. No experience necessary and no income limits applied! Check out upcoming opportunities with Moraine Park’s Manufacturing Boot Camps. We offer 3 month training programs in CNC Machining and in Welding where you can earn an entry level certificate and take part in a paid internship at a local business with the opportunity for it to become a full time job offer when you complete the program.
Unsure what Welding and CNC Machining have to offer? Come check us out at our Test Drive on December 9th where you can tour the labs, participate in a workshop for CNC or Welding and try your hand at creating a project with the help of our instructors. Participating is FREE and you are not obligated to apply or enroll after. Spaces will be limited due to COVID-19 protocols, so please sign up early.
The first step to enrolling in Boot Camps is attending an Information Session, where you will learn more about Boot Camps and next steps. Information sessions will be held in January 2021 and Boot Camps will run March-June 2021. Boot Camps are a full time program for 3 months and run Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars, and Veterans Day 2020 occurs on Wednesday, November 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, marking the official end of World War I. Nonetheless, the armistice date of November 11, 1918, remained in the public imagination as the date that marked the end of the conflict. One year later, in November 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 a.m.
World War One Soldiers Rejoicing The Armistice November 1918, Germany-World War I Armistice: Officers celebrate at captured German canteen. Courtesy, Bettmann/CORBIS
On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring anniversary of [November 11, 1918] should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through goodwill and mutual understanding between nations,” and that the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day. By that time, 27 state legislatures had made November 11 a legal holiday. An act approved May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal Federal holiday, “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’”
American effort during World War II saw the greatest mobilization of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force in the nation’s history (more than 16 million people); some 5.7 million more served in the Korean War. In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
The next development in the story of Veterans Day unfolded in 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which sought to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees—and encourage tourism and travel—by celebrating four national holidays (Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day) on Mondays. The observation of Veterans Day was set as the fourth Monday in October. The first Veterans Day under the new law was Monday, October 25, 1971; confusion ensued, as many states disapproved of this change, and continued to observe the holiday on its original date.
In 1975, after it became evident that the actual date of Veterans Day carried historical and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th beginning in 1978. If November 11 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the federal government observes the holiday on the previous Friday or following Monday, respectively. Government offices are closed on Veterans Day.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day—a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
History.com Editors. (2020, October 9). Veterans Day 2020. In History. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-veterans-day#:~:text=The%20first%20Veterans%20Day%20under,holiday%20on%20its%20original%20date.
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