My name is Kerry Sauer.  I have lived in the Kohlsville area my entire life. 

After I graduated from high school, I attended Moraine Park Technical College and enrolled in their Legal Secretary Program.  I graduated with an Associate Degree in May of 1992.

Since my graduation, I have worked in various office environments, all of which I enjoyed.  During my career, I noticed that larger companies were a good fit for me.  Larger companies provide more opportunities for advancement and give you the opportunity to work with diverse people.

I got to a stage in life where I decided that it was time to go back to school and further my education. I knew that it would not be easy, but I could do it.

In the fall of 2018, I enrolled in the Office Assistant program (now called the Virtual Assistant program).  I chose this program to update my skills and open new opportunities.  This program allows me to utilize my strong skills such as customer service and organization.  When I graduate in the spring of 2020 with my Office Assistant Technical Diploma, I want to focus on finding employment in the health care, insurance, or manufacturing fields. 

Working at Salem United Methodist Church as Administrative Coordinator allows me to use my current skills and apply what I have learned in school.  I can also focus on my customer service skills when dealing with parishioners.

I chose Moraine Park because it has convenient locations which allow me to go to school and to work.  The entire staff is helpful.  I can communicate with my instructors through phone calls or emails to assist me with any assignments or questions that I have.  I would encourage anyone to attend and capture the Moraine Park experience. Moraine Park offers students the opportunity to join a variety of clubs.  By joining a club, students can interact with their peers that work in the same business area.  You can discuss similarities and difference of where you work.  You can also discuss potential employment opportunities.

–Written by Kerry Sauer

Hi, my name is Taylor Bever. I live in Hartford, WI. I attended and graduated from Hartford Union High School in 2018. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, camping, hiking, and going shopping. 

I started my Administrative Professional Program studies at Moraine Park Technical College in the fall of 2018. Currently, I am in my third semester. I chose this program for many different reasons. I really enjoy doing business related work. I found out I enjoyed the business field while in high school where I was involved in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and the Business Co-op/Youth Apprenticeship program. Through these opportunities, I was able to do basic business work. I also chose this program because of the endless career options. Lastly, already knowing the skills that I would learn through this program such as communication, customer service, and organization, it sounded like it would be the program for me as I already had a small grasp on these skills.

After I graduate from Moraine Park in spring 2020, I plan on finding a full time Administrative Assistant job in the educational or real estate field. I have already started to look at the various opportunities that lie within these two fields, as I feel they are perfect for me. I further plan on obtaining a real estate licenses once I am settled in with my new Administrative Assistant job.

I currently do not have a job within my career field; however, I plan on finding an internship by the start of 2020 to help me become more familiar with my future field. I do, however, have a part time job outside of school. I work for the Hartford Joint 1 School District as a substitute teacher aide. Here I get to support, assist, and help special education students succeed. I am very passionate about this job. Although this job doesn’t relate to my future career field, I have learned valuable information and skills that I can apply to my future career field. One very important skill being communication.

There are endless reasons for what I like most about Moraine Park. The staff is absolutely incredible. Everyone is so supportive and willing to help. Having smaller class sizes, which is also a plus, allowed me to build a relationship and connection with a number of my instructors. Being able to build this connection with my instructors has drastically helped me throughout my education. For example, it very easy to communicate with my instructors about any questions or difficulties I experienced. I also love the flexibility. A lot of my classes were offered both in class and online; therefore, I had options for how I wish to complete some of my classes. Overall Moraine Park is an amazing college and has exceeded my expectations as a student!

—Written by Taylor Bever, Administrative Professional program student

Hi, my name is Claire Sager. I am 24 years old, living in West Bend, WI. In 2013, I graduated from Living Word Lutheran High School in Jackson.

Personally, I enjoy reading, hunting, photography, and could spend days getting lost in museums. I am engaged to be married this August! As the day comes closer; we get more and more excited. My fiancé has an 8-year-old son. As a family we enjoy attending the races at the Beaver Dam Raceway, mini golfing, swimming at the beach in Port Washington, traveling, and playing outside.

After high school, I took some time off of school to really decide what I want to do in life. At 19, I started school at Waukesha County Technical College for Interior Design. Every part of that program was great, but I needed a change; which happily brought me to Moraine Park Technical College.

Here, at MPTC, I had a variety of career and education opportunities. I really wanted to find a path that could support a family, offer benefits, and something I could enjoy doing. I knew it would be hard to replace the design program. Going into MPTC, my mindset was not replacing my love of design but encouraging an outcome that would bring my family a world of opportunities.

I took my strengths into consideration and decided to enter the Administrative Professional program. At the time, this gave me the option of having a dual program with a degree in the Legal Administrative Professional program. With the dual program, I will earn two associate’s degrees in 2.5 years. I am very proud to say; I will complete a 2.5-year program in 2 years! Along with the associate’s degrees, I will have a Technical Diploma in Office Assistant and a Certificate in Customer Service. I am thrilled to be walking at the commencement ceremony in May and receive two of my four achievements. The other two I will receive after the summer semester.

Recently, I heard that the program for Office Management will end and a new program will take its place. I am seeking this credential as well. In December, I will achieve my second Technical Diploma, as a Virtual Assistant.

In total, by the end of 2019, I will have the following:

Administrative Professional Associate’s Degree
Legal Administrative Professional Associate’s Degree
Office Assistant Technical Diploma
Virtual Assistant Technical Diploma
Customer Service Certificate
I strongly believe in education. Something so great about Moraine Park is that they offer real opportunities for adults. All of the achievements I will be graduating with would not be as opportune at a university. For a working adult, an adult with a family, or a student fresh out of high school MPTC offers success in various ways. Moraine Park can offer students an education, success, a career, and a positive start to their future!

My instructors have not only educated and lead my classes, but they also give me insight and constructive feedback for my career field. I continue to learn about more ways to apply my degree and possible outcomes of my education. My instructors encourage the benefits of my education and career. Aside from the textbooks and classes, I have learned life skills to fit my trade and make me a better person. Communication, soft skills, and professionalism are just a few of the other benefits a student learns throughout their time at MPTC.

With all of my education credentials, I have a world of opportunity. My degrees will allow me to work in an endless amount of industries. To name a few, I could work for a law firm, school district, insurance company, corporate office, local business, or work remotely. I like the variety offered by my program choices and the option to grow and promote within a position. When necessary, I will continue education and training for my success and growth.

After Moraine Park I will join the workforce. In which exact field/industry I have not yet decided. As I said, I have an endless amount of options! I have hopes to work for a school district, a corporate office, or a law firm.

Not only have I gained an education, but Moraine Park has granted me possibilities for what could be. I will be able to provide for my family, encourage our hobbies, grow in a business, and continue developing skills that will help my career and personal life.

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“My name is Macy Moldenhauer. I live in Hartford, Wisconsin, and have lived there since I was two.
I attended Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson, Wisconsin and graduated in 2015. I then did two years at UW-Washington County and earned my Associate of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree in 2017. I took the following year off from school because at that point I was still undecided about what to pursue for a career. During that time, I worked as a waitress at Ponderosa and a receptionist at Nail Essentials in Hartford.

During my free time, I enjoy reading, shopping, watching movies, singing, listening to music, watching sports, going out with friends, and spending time with my family at the lake.

I started Moraine Park Technical College in the fall of 2018 and am currently in my second semester in the Administrative Professional Program. I chose this program because the career options and outcomes associated with it relate to the kind of person I am and have become through my job experiences. I am very organized, hard-working, and personable, and this program further prepares me in the areas of customer service and business communications. Through both my waitressing and reception job, I have grown to enjoy working with customers and have learned much more about the business field. This program is a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge in these areas and continue them in my professional career.

I like that this program is much more “hands-on” training rather than typical college classes, which consist mainly of long lectures and exams. The courses in this program give me the opportunity to practice new skills every day, skills that I will use on a regular basis in my future administrative career. The instructors in this program have been so helpful to me, and I greatly appreciate their kindness and dedication in what they do.

I plan to graduate in the Spring of 2020, where I will be earning my second Associate Degree. After graduating, I hope to find an Administrative Assistant position in the service/manufacturing or educational field. My ultimate goal, however, is to become an Executive Assistant in a larger company or corporation, where I will be able to perform higher-level administrative duties.

Nail Essentials has provided me with plenty of customer service experience over the past four years. I think that is why I found all of my customer service classes at Moraine Park to be a breeze! They were great refreshers, however, and I learned a lot more about the customer service industry through them. As a receptionist, I am only able to learn the very basics of business, but my program at MPTC provides me with several business and accounting courses that further educate me in this field of study. I have also completed several computer literacy and typing programs, as well as a business document formatting class, all of which I am unable to learn about at my job.

I am only in my second semester of the program yet I feel I have already learned a great deal about what it means to be an administrative professional.

What I like most about Moraine Park is the incredible staff and the support they give to their students. My instructors are always willing to help and are very understanding no matter the situation. They are aware of the fact that most students work part-time or full-time outside of school, so the amount of homework they give each week is never unbearable. Finally, I appreciate their efficient communication; if I ever need to e-mail an instructor, they always answer back within the same day. “

For more information on Moraine Park programs, visit morainepark.edu.

            Moraine Park Technical College’s Business Practice Firm students made a generous donation to ASTOP this holiday season. The Business Practice Firm class is a required course for business-related Associate degree programs. This year, the class developed a Marker Art Gallery business, where they created homemade arts and crafts, and then sold them on campus. Ryan Burke of Fond du Lac, Kristina Faymoville of Fond du Lac, Alyxis Hall of Oshkosh, Mikayla Kirchner of Adell, and Elizabeth Raven of Fond du Lac, worked together to develop a full business model and manage the marketing, human resources, accounting, and production. 

“The Maker Art Gallery inspired creativity,” said Amy Harmsen, business practice firm instructor. “The students worked hard to create different options that would be attractive to a wide variety of people.”

The gallery sold items such as holiday wreaths, spray paint art, hair ribbons, and drawings. On December 20, the students presented ASTOP, a sexual assault service provider that serves Fond du Lac, Green Lake, and Waushara counties, with a check for $122, the full proceeds from their gallery.

“I’m proud of their work,” said Harmsen. “Not only did the students learn how to run a business, but they also helped to better their community in the process.”

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Maker Art Gallery was founded by five Business Practice Firm students from a variety of program areas. Maker Art Gallery specializes in selling handmade arts and crafts at an affordable rate. They inspire creativity to shine through different dimensions by offering different types of art such as spray paint art, wreaths, and drawings.

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The Business Practice Firm class requires students to explore the real business world within a classroom setting.

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Moraine Park’s Business Meeting and Event Planning class focuses on coordinating business meetings and planning successful business events. Students develop skills in meeting logistics including scheduling, preparing, organizing, managing and participating in business meetings. Students engage in all aspects of the event management process including goal setting and objectives, establishing event themes, planning event logistics, financial management, promotion and event evaluation.

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This past semester (fall 2017) a group of talented students from the Business Practice Firm class were given the task of creating a business and selling a product in order to profit from the work. The class collaborated on many small business ideas, ultimately deciding on a candle company. With the holiday season in full swing, they decided candles not only make great gifts, but they become increasingly popular as the cooler winter months approach.

Like an “actual” business, students had many different roles: Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting and Production. Departments met each week to share their progress and brainstorm any potential issues and prepare for the week ahead.

The candles were homemade with soy wax in a variety of fragrances and colors. The scents included caramel apple, cranberry, pumpkin spice, and vanilla; and, were produced in the Moraine Park Technical College kitchen by the Production Team.

All of the proceeds – $688.20 – were donated to those affected by the 2017 Hurricane Disasters; specifically, All Hands Volunteers.

Click here to learn more about the class!