Finding the time to go back to school can be difficult, especially when you have other life responsibilities.

If there’s a will, there’s a way, and Brad Hetzel, of Beaver Dam, kept his goals as his main focus during his schooling. Before enrolling at Moraine Park, Brad did some general factory work but was looking for a career he could be passionate about, and that offered a fast-paced, hands-on environment.

As a father of three young children, he knew his family needed him to provide a stable life. He decided to pursue a career in Electrical Power Distribution (EPD), which offers a secure job with exceptional earning potential.

“When I started college, I had a family to support, a house, and a full-time job. I had to stay focused, dedicated, and keep at the forefront of why I was there.”

Brad graduated in May 2019, with his family cheering him on at the commencement ceremony. He was offered a job at Alliant Energy two weeks before graduating and today serves as a line apprentice.

“I know someday I’ll get to work a power outage in my area, and when the lights go back on, my kids will say ‘my Dad did that’. I look forward to that opportunity.”

Keisha Krezman, of Fond du Lac, is a survivor of many things; the struggle of possible infertility, the diagnosis and treatment of stage 3 ovarian cancer, and her miracle pregnancy with twins are just a few. Through it all, she remained an example of strength and tenacity, and always kept her educational goals in sight. Before the birth of her twins, Keisha worked in management and found success in that role. She decided to step away from work and focus on raising her children, but she had a clear goal to one day earn an accounting degree.

When her twins turned four, she decided that it was time for her to act upon that goal. Keisha enrolled in the Accounting program at Moraine Park Technical College and immediately knew she was where she was supposed to be. She leaned heavily on her advisors, tutoring services, and her accounting instructors to ensure success in the program.

Her determination helped to pave a solid career path, and it should come as no surprise that she was hired in the accounting field before her graduation in May. Keisha’s long term goal is to one day be managing an accounting department at a local company.

“Enrolling in college as an adult is scary, but it was totally worth it. Moraine Park helped to support me throughout my education and has given me the tools to find success.”

morainepark.edu/ican

The Wisconsin Technical College System’s (WTCS) District Board Association (DBA) has named Moraine Park Technical College alumnus, Stephen Peterson, of Fond du Lac, as the 2020 Distinguished Alumni award winner.

Each year, the DBA accepts Distinguished Alumni nominations from all of the Wisconsin Technical Colleges. From the nominations, they select their winner based on five criteria: the role that a technical college education played in the nominee’s career and personal life; the nominee’s accomplishments in his/her professional field; the nominee’s community involvement; his or her support for the technical college system; and, finally, the nominee’s commitment to continuing education and life-long learning.

Peterson, a 1969 graduate from Moraine Park’s Mechanical Technology program, spent his entire career working for companies headquartered in Fond du Lac. With his degree from Moraine Park as a foundation, Peterson was able to further develop his leadership and technical skills while serving in domestic and international manufacturing positions.

After graduation, Peterson completed an apprenticeship at Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool Co. in Fond du Lac. Throughout his 36-year career, he served many capacities, eventually becoming the President and CEO in 2000. He retired from Giddings & Lewis in 2005 and joined Mid-States Aluminum Corp. as President and CEO. He retired from Mid-States Aluminum in 2016.

“My time in college offered me the opportunity to mature before entering the workforce,” Peterson said. “In addition to the technical classes I was studying, I was able to develop my interpersonal skills as well as my problem-solving skills in a structured environment.”

Peterson is also well known for his continued community involvement. Currently, he serves as a board member for Agnesian HealthCare and Mid-States Aluminum Corp., and as the board chairman for Society Insurance. Some of his past service work includes Fond du Lac Area Foundation board member and chairman, Fond du Lac Association of Commerce board member and chairman, Fond du Lac STEM Academy and STEM Institute board member, and National Exchange Bank & Trust board member, as well as various industry organizations in leadership and support committee activities. Peterson was also the recipient of the 2009 C.L. Greiber Award of Merit for Outstanding Support of Career and Technical Education and named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation in 2018.

“I am proud to be among the thousands of students who have used MPTC as their first step in the lifelong learning process,” he said. “The education I received opened the door for me to enter into the local workforce and have an interesting and stimulating career at world-class manufacturing companies in my hometown.  I also recognize the responsibility to support this fine institution so that it can continue to provide much needed technical training to the next generation of workers in our community.”

Peterson’s drive, dedication, and contributions made him an obvious choice for the DBA’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni award. He will accept his award at a virtual award ceremony.

“Steve has been a champion of technical college education all of his career and knows first-hand how education changes lives,” Dana Bourland, Moraine Park’s director of college advancement, said. “He used what he learned at Moraine Park and through his mentors to become a true servant leader.  Steve believes strongly in investing in people and communities, and I am so pleased he was chosen to receive this award.”

For more information on Moraine Park’s Alumni Association, visit morainepark.edu/alumni.

College isn’t one size fits all, and Tyler Duel of Van Dyne learned quickly that despite his path, Moraine Park was his fit all along.

As a 2014 graduate from North Fond du Lac, Tyler had every opportunity available to him. He had earned an impressive score of 33 on his ACT’s and easily got accepted into the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where his plan was to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.

“UW- Madison is wonderful, but early into my first semester I realized it wasn’t for me,” Tyler said. “I didn’t excel in the university setting, tuition was expensive, and honestly I wasn’t mature enough for that atmosphere.”

Tyler may not have felt mature enough for the university setting, but his actions following showed the opposite. He completed his year at the UW, moved back home, and began to explore his options locally.

“I originally thought a 4-year college was my only option for success,” Tyler said. “When I found Moraine Park I was hesitant. I didn’t know if the same career opportunities would be available for me.”

Despite his initial hesitations, he decided to enroll at Moraine Park in the Mechanical Design program.

“I easily adapted to the College,” he said. “My classrooms were set up like an industry, so what I was learning every day would easily transfer into a job setting.”

Tyler excelled at Moraine Park and in his program. He interned at BCI Burke in Fond du Lac, and prior to graduating in May 2018, he had three job offers from local industries on the table.

“Moraine Park prepared me all around,” Tyler said. “Not only did I learn about the industry and my career, but I received help on my resume, searching for jobs, and preparing for interviews. I felt ready and able to start my career.”

Today, Tyler is employed at Marchant Schmidt, Inc. in Fond du Lac as a mechanical designer. He has a steady career, very minimal school debt, and endless opportunities for growth- all before the age of 25. His goal is to continue his education so he can further his career.

“I love what I’m doing,” Tyler said. “I’m advancing in my field and enjoying my work. I’m glad I chose Moraine Park.”

Hello Joe and Jeff [Moraine Park IT Instructors],

I hope this email finds you well. I have been meaning to reach out to you sooner but my life is as busy as ever. But, better late than never. I want to start by saying, “Thank You”. Thank you for giving me a wonderful learning experience at Moraine Park. I truly did enjoy the lectures, labs, and even the occasional debates that would eventually get the whole class off topic. I also appreciated all the effort you all put into having us students apply our knowledge, skills, and critical thinking through programs like the Computer Clinic, Tech Tyme, and the IT Club. The latter two proved instrumental in helping me develop a sense of leadership, organization, and pride in motivating myself and my peers to go above and beyond to help out the local community by applying what we learned in class. In mentioning that, I hope the Club is going stronger than ever and that more and more students find the real value of the experiential learning that it offers them. 

But all in all, it was a challenging three years that have paid off for me and my family. Prior to enrolling in school, I was giving up in attempting to fulfill my dream of college education before even trying and I was just about ready to succumb myself to working a dead-end job that would lead me nowhere but to complacency. Thankfully, I had a wonderful group of family and friends that encouraged me to finally believe that I could achieve my dream as I did. That moment at graduation was a milestone achievement in my life that my family and I will never forget. 

It didn’t just end there. Last May, there was an opening in the IT department at Masters Gallery Foods. I felt excited, nervous, and stressed about applying for the position and not knowing what kind of candidate they were after. However, I was also confident that all the hard work and sacrifices I put in those three years at MPTC would make me a worthy candidate whether I got the job or not. Needless to say, I aced the interview. I was asked questions about networking, such as defining DHCP and DNS, as well as to what troubleshooting approach would I take when dealing with malfunctioning hardware and software. Also, they were very impressed with the volunteer work I did as well as the internship at JF Ahern. I left the interview not know what would happen next. Two days later as I was driving home from class, I get a call from HR saying that the IT Director and Network Manager had selected me as their primary candidate and that if I chose to accept, I would be joining their Networking Team as a Technical Support Specialist. I couldn’t contain my excitement and relief, I had to pull over to the side of the road as my hands started to tremble and I couldn’t drive straight anymore. 

Almost a year later and I find myself working with coworkers who are just as passionate about working in IT as I am. I feel good going to work every day and feeling proud of what I did to earn it. I look back at all that lead me to this job and I don’t regret one thing. I just wanted to share this story with you so that you realize how impactful your work is in shaping students and their lives. Keep up the good work and I hope to see you soon. 

P.S. I am currently in the process of enrolling at Lakeland University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in their Management of Information Systems program.

Best wishes,

Jose R. Bustos

Moraine Park Class of 2018- Information Technology

Have you ever sealed a deal with a pinky promise?

Meet Betty Zimdars and Sandy Pfund. They met each other in a GED orientation class in July 2017. Betty was sitting all alone at a table, not wanting to talk to anyone else and full of nervous energy. This situation was not to be a permanent one, as Sandy entered the scene. Sandy got to the orientation a little late and quickly sought out Betty. They soon became lifelong friends. Sandy very recently completed all the activities and tests to earn her HSED certificate. Betty is not far behind. And it all started with a pinky promise that the two women would meet this goal together.

I asked them a few questions for this blog:

What made you become good friends?

“We made a pinky promise to each other.  We were in this together.  We would get our HSEDs together.”  There was accountability between the two friends.  The pinky promise was the bond that propelled the friendship.  Both women felt that neither would GED test without the other.

What was your favorite part of the GED process?

Sandy answered right away that working with the Student Success Center staff was her favorite aspect of the GED process.  She felt the staff was so kind and very motivating to the students.

Betty agreed that the staff was super supportive.  And that the staff was helpful in responding to deadlines.

What was your least favorite part of the GED process?

Sandy answered that it was the time commitment, due to a hectic home schedule and a tight deadline.  She was at the Student Success Center day and night.  She was not able to see her kids as much as she wanted to and ,additionally, her husband travelled, making it all very challenging.

Betty didn’t hesitate to give me her answer – —  the math!  However, she then said to me, “Why couldn’t you have been my teacher in high school?”  Awwwwwwww!

Will you maintain your friendship after Betty finishes her HSED?

“Absolutely,” both women said.

What did you learn about life besides learning about reading, writing, and math?

According to Sandy, it was not until recently that she learned how important education was.  “This is a good lesson for my teen-aged son,” she added.  Sandy’s son has told her, “Now you’re smarter than me, Mom!”  How’s that for making a mother’s day!

Betty piped in, “You’re never too old to go for your dreams!”

What would be your advice to others as they pursue their GED/HSED?

Sandy answered that students should not get discouraged.  “The biggest step is coming through the door of the Student Success Center.  The wonderful staff help you take it from there.”

Betty nodded and added that a little sacrifice is worth it.  “It all pays off in the end.”

And it all started with a pinky promise to each other.

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

Blog written by Nancy Pusch, student success center instructor.

On Thursday, October 18, Holiday Automotive hosted the Moraine Park alumni gathering. Mike Shannon, CEO of Holiday Automotive and Moraine Park alumnus, entertained with appetizers, drinks, and tours of his beautiful facility.

The Moraine Park Alumni Association holds quarterly gatherings, to keep up to date on these events and more, follow their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/733141183532940/.

For more information on Moraine Park Alumni, visit morainepark.edu/alumni.

To view the Alumni Gathering photo album, visit https://www.flickr.com/gp/148240170@N03/W528TT.

Chris Rowe, a May 2018 graduate of Moraine Park Technical College, enrolled in the Introduction to Mass Communication course and was not entirely sure what to expect.

The Introduction to Mass Communication course at Moraine Park explores communication in media and media literacy by providing insight into the important issues that confront students as consumers and purveyors of mass media within the workforce and in society. The mass media revolution, including media technologies, the evolution of media content and platforms, including new media, the impact of media communications on business and society as a whole, media bias, and media law and ethics provide the focus for this course.

“I learned that Mass Communication is more complicated than I thought,” said Rowe.  “In an ideal world, mass media companies should strive for excellence, honesty, and the betterment of the people they supply the information to on a daily basis,  however, this is not always the case.”

Students who take this course learn that the freedom we enjoy does not prevent the spread of misinformation.  Different types of media can contradict or leave information out to affect individuals’ beliefs and opinions.

“While taking part in this class, I really enjoyed considering some of the history and evolution of mass media, such as news, music, and film,” said Rowe. “It also was significant to learn about the impact the media has on our society and how we think and feel collectively, as well as individually. The pervasive role that media plays can be not only detrimental but also at times positive. I highly recommend this class with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss so that individuals understand the role and influence that media has on our free society.”

To learn more about Moraine Park Technical College, visit morainepark.edu

Don Charleston is the epitome of a Moraine Park success story. He came to the College in 1973 looking for more career opportunities and a better life. At the time, his family was living on his wife’s $4 per hour nursing wage.

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