Each year, the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Students are given the opportunity to attend the annual Wisconsin chapter’s American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS-WI) Convention. This is one of the professional groups for laboratory science careers.
Graduating veterans from Moraine Park Technical College had an opportunity to participate in the second annual Hail & Farewell ceremony on May 10 2018.
Robin Peebles, a graduate of Moraine Park Technical College’s Cosmetology Program, knew it was time for a change. Upon graduation, she looked forward to starting her new career and accepted employment with a small salon in Oshkosh. After gaining experience over the next seven years in different salons, decided renting a booth would be the logical next step but it didn’t take her long to begin thinking about starting her own business.
Becoming an entrepreneur would allow her to create an atmosphere for her clients to “achieve a state of bliss while visiting the salon” and would definitely provide an opportunity to achieve financial success, while becoming more independent.
“I had the skills and ambition to make the dream a reality but soon learned there were things I needed help with. Immediately, I needed help with writing a business plan and spent quite a bit of money hiring someone”. After her initial investment and her business plan in place, Robin opened the doors to Euphoria, Inc. an Aveda concept salon specializing in hair and makeup services.
As she became more invested in her business, Robin soon realized there were additional skills that she would need such as payroll, how to prepare accounting and tax reports, and determining effective marketing strategies. Through a great deal of hard work, Euphoria, Inc. has been a success but Robin cautions those who are thinking of making the leap to entrepreneurship.
“I am happy I made the decision to open my own business; however, it has not been an easy task. Owning a business is more than having the skills associated with the trade. You need to have business skills and constant problem solving to achieve solutions”.
If you are considering your own business, Moraine Park Technical College offers a certificate program and associate degree program to enhance your existing skillset. The programs provide new and existing entrepreneurs hands-on training in the areas of business planning, financing, marketing, customer service, financial management and business communications.
Jeff Stueber, Business Management Instructor at Moraine Park Technical College comments, “An entrepreneur is a doer, not just a dreamer. It takes a lot of hard work and passion. Robin demonstrates that in her pursuit of her salon while voicing some of the obstacles that might get in the way. That is where a class or certificate might come in handy. Entrepreneurs are vital to our economy and they account for 28.8 million businesses in the United States according to the SBA. The interesting part is we still need more. Imagine what our down town districts would look like without small business.”
If you are interested in learning more about the Small Business Entrepreneurship associate degree or Entrepreneurship Certificate, please contact an academic advisor to get started on your new career pathway!
- Julie Bosveld, 920-924-6325 jbosveld@morainepark.edu (Fond du Lac campus)
- Laurie Kuehn, 920-887-4457 lkuehn2@morainepark.edu (Beaver Dam campus)
- Robin Kranz, 262-335-5877 rkranz@morainepark.edu (West Bend Campus)
To learn more about Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.
When it comes to fun, new restaurants Moraine Park alumna, Allison Gossman, has topped the list. Allison is one of the masterminds behind Fond du Lac’s deliciously unique restaurant, The Sweet & Salty Pig.
As a 2004 graduate of Moraine Park’s culinary program, she is no stranger to the inner workings of the food business. Allison spent 13 years working as a cook at local eateries, a large majority of that time at Backyard Grill & Bar.
Just how did The Sweet & Salty Pig come to be? After her father, a believer in Allison’s talents and drive passed away from an aggressive form of kidney cancer, she decided to join forces with her good friend Janis (also a Backyard employee) and tackle the challenge of restaurant ownership. Together they embraced the opportunity and began brainstorming ideas for a new restaurant.
“I have always loved baking, I knew I wanted to incorporate baked goods somehow, that’s where the ‘sweet’ comes in,” said Allison. “As we were developing the rest of the menu, we noticed that there was a lot of bacon and pork incorporated in our ideas, and that is how The Sweet & Salty Pig was born.”
And, who doesn’t love bacon?
The Sweet & Salty Pig officially opened its doors on February 28, 2018, and when I walked in the doors on May 23 at 2:00 p.m. to meet with Allison, there were very few empty tables.
“It’s been going great,” said Allison.
Not only did it look like it was going great- it smelled like it was going great!
Allison speaks fondly of her time at Moraine Park, her instructors, and everything that she has learned along the way. Her advice to those interested in pursuing a culinary career?
“Have an open mind of where your degree can take you,” she said. “I thought I wanted to be a full-time baker, but after trying new things, I learned that I loved all areas. Have an open mind and don’t limit yourself.”
The fully-stocked bakery case is proof that the “sweet” is a huge part of the business model. She does get the opportunity to bake now and then, but with her other responsibilities, she is learning to delegate tasks as needed.
“I recently hired a baker and she is amazing,” Allison said. “Everything from the waffles, biscuits, and croissants, to the desserts, are all hand-made from scratch, and they’re delicious.”
So, what’s next?
An open house, debuting a new, expanded menu! Allison states that they did a soft launch and then an official open, but never did a ‘grand opening’ event. The open house will take place on June 2, and the new menu will debut some customer requests, as well as new unique items.
As for further down the road, she has her eye on big plans for her sweet & salty business.
“My first step is to incorporate some outdoor seating. I’m working on plans for that now,” said Allison. “Further down the road, I’d love to look into expanding altogether.”
And, just what is her favorite part of owning this unique haven?
“I love coming up with neat ideas to incorporate into the menu, and sampling the creations,” she said.
You can plan to see her at the Fond du Lac farmers markets this summer, looking for fresh produce to use on her menu items, which she plans to update frequently.
“People like to try new food, and I like to make new food!” she said.
And, as if she isn’t busy enough, Allison is also working towards earning her Bachelor’s degree, raising her 8-year old son, and planning a wedding for some time in the future, date TBD.
It’s very evident that she is enjoying her time as a new business owner and grateful for her Moraine Park education and the community support. However, she is also proud to have built a living legacy for her Dad.
“He rode his bike everywhere, which is why I have bike décor, it’s a small reminder of him,” said Allison. “He would have loved this place.”
The next time you stop in, look around and you’ll find lots of treasures, mementos, and items honoring their “sweet & salty” roots.
And one more tidbit for current students or recent graduates, Allison is hiring! She is in need of line cooks, and currently has 2 Moraine Park graduates on staff! She is truly an alumna who sees the value in Moraine Park’s culinary education, and we are proud to have been a part of her journey!
To learn more about the Sweet & Salty Pig, visit sweetnsaltypig.com.
Are you a Moraine Park Alumni? Interested in sharing your story? Email khaensgen2@morainepark.edu.
For more information on Moraine Park programs, visit morainepark.edu/programs.
Congratulations Zach Prunty, winner of Moraine Park Technical College’s Alex Prunty Racing $500 Scholarship!
The Moraine Park Foundation has received support from a long-time community partner, the National Exchange Bank Foundation, with a $50,000 contribution to benefit low and middle-income students.
“I’m excited to showcase my writing skills in my career, because I learned from Dr. Leichtfuss that good communication leads to career advancement.”
Evan Kehrmeyer, a May 2018 graduate from the Electricity Program at Moraine Park Technical College, never expected to enjoy, much less benefit from taking a writing course. “I assumed the English Composition I course at Moraine Park would be like every other English class I had ever taken,” Kehrmeyer stated. “I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much about writing style, communication in the workplace, the 4 C’s of writing, and how to conduct research.”
Each school year, students in Moraine Park’s Mechanical Design, Process Engineering Technology, and Electromechanical Technology programs take a course together and work in teams to complete a large-scale project. This year’s projects were to manufacture a pen in Moraine Park’s Automated Workcell, and to build a robot for the TechBot competition.
Students designed and manufactured a pen using automated processes and 3D-printed tooling, with the majority of the manufacturing and assembly being done with automation. There were also eight TechBot teams, building robots within a 15 lb weight limit designed to destroy each other in an 8’ x 12’ cage. Another team designed bike racks to be built and used in the West Bend area.
For more information on these programs, as well as others, go to morainepark.edu/programs/.
Moraine Park Technical College hosted an open house for their new Energy Education Center, located at the Beaver Dam Campus, on Wednesday, May 9.
Attendees had the opportunity to view and tour the new Energy Education Center, learn about the new Gas Utility program, speak with Moraine Park representatives, and network with community peers.
The event included a brief program, where Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce and Moraine Park Technical College officials, as well as major donors for the project, participated in a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Recently, due to an aging workforce, the demand for gas utility technicians has grown much faster than the supply of skilled workers. Moraine Park Technical College, with help from generous donors, was able to find a solution, the Energy Education Center. Major donors include Alliant Energy, KS Energy Services, Madison Gas and Electric, Michels Corporation, We Energies, and Wisconsin Public Service.
“Michels has a long history of being a leading gas distribution contractor and employer, locally and throughout the country,” said Sean Nicholson, vice president of health, safety, and environment at Michels Corporation. “We are proud to be in a position to support programs that will teach the skills required of the next generation of gas utility technicians. This is important and much-needed work; safe and reliable gas distribution infrastructure is essential to everyday life.”
This fully functioning state-of-the-art gas utility lab will house the Gas Utility Technician program and will serve as a critical pipeline for skilled workers to companies in natural gas, utilities, gas contractors, and propane suppliers over the next decade.
“The Energy Education Center isn’t just another classroom. Inside is a fully functioning gas utility lab and outside is a hands-on Training Neighborhood,” said Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president. “Students in this program will work through real gas utility scenarios in the Training Neighborhood, have access to the latest technology, and undergo thorough training to get them ready for the field.”
Donors contributed a combined total of $325,000 to make the Energy Education Center and the Gas Utility Technician program a possibility.
“We are proud to support Moraine Park Technical College’s efforts to enhance training and skills development for students through the Energy Education Center,” said Vern Peterson, vice president of field operations for We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service. “It is vital for us to have a highly-trained workforce so that we can continue to provide safe and reliable energy to our customers. The addition of the Energy Education Center will help us meet this growing need for many years.”
Reuben Srinivasan, vice president of human resources at Alliant Energy, said “This new program will create the next generation of energy workers. We’re excited about our investment in these students, and we can’t wait to congratulate the first graduating class.”
The first cohort, starting this June, is at full capacity. This means that soon there will be skilled workers to fill the needs of the industry.
Information on the second cohort, set to begin June of 2019, will be available in fall 2018.
For more information on Moraine Park programs and service, visit morainepark.edu.
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