The Ell classes at the Beaver Dam Campus are up and running in person this semester. It is so nice to have the students back on campus! The evening class is very popular and there currently are 13 students attending on a regular basis. We have a very diverse population this semester. We have students ranging in ages from 18 to 74. The students all have Spanish as their first language, but represent many countries and cultures. We have students from Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Guatemala. It is quite interesting to talk about dialect differences, beautiful locations and specialty food from each country.

The majority of the students work all day and come to class at night. They are exhausted, but really motivated to learn English in order to get promotions at work and make life easier here in the United States The students work at a variety of different business such as local farms, a foundry and cheese factories. The teacher, Jennifer Lang, tries to connect the curriculum to their work and daily lives as much as possible in order to keep the classes relevant, instantly applicable, and engaging.

What makes the classes successful is that it is a balanced mix of fun and hard work. The students build an instant community and there is a strong sense of teamwork and comradery. Jennifer gives strong encouragement to the students and reminds them that they are all on a different path and to not make comparisons. She shares many of her embarrassing language learning stories to help put the students at ease and to laugh at their own mistakes. She likes to share the story of how she tried to order two pounds of soap instead of ham. Soap is jabón and ham is jamón-easily confused. As for the two pounds, well, she needs a little help with the metric system.

If you are ever on the Beaver Dam Campus on Tuesday or Thursday nights, stop by and say !Hola! If you are interested in registering for classes, please reach out to Tony Rodriguez at 920-887-4496 or 262-306-5302 arodriquez@morainepark.edu (Beaver Dam and West Bend) or Becky Melo 920-924-6339 rmeloenriquez@morainepark.edu (Fond du Lac).

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.

morainepark.edu 

Being an adult student or making the decision to enroll in college isn’t easy. If any current Moraine Park student knows that, it’s Aurelio Rosas of Beaver Dam.  Aurelio came to Wisconsin from Crystal City, TX in 2013. As a divorced father of two, he was looking for an opportunity to provide a life for his children.

“I worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in Texas,” he said. “I knew I wanted to further my education in healthcare, which is what brought me to Moraine Park.”

He found a home in Beaver Dam with his brother, Armando, and enrolled at Moraine Park. He decided to pursue both the medical assistant and medical office support Technical Degrees.

“I came to Moraine Park Technical College because I could obtain an affordable education in a short amount of time,” Aurelio said. “Also, the hands-on learning and one-on-one interaction with the instructors was important to me.”

Life settled into a routine pace for Aurelio until his brother tragically died of a drug overdose. As a result, Aurelio ended up homeless and living in his car. He briefly relocated to Milwaukee to live with his sister but could barely afford the gas to get to and from school. 

“It was a horrible time,” he said. “I wanted to give up, but I knew my children needed me to keep going.”

That’s when he connected with Karla Donohue, a counselor at Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus. Together, they were able to find immediate solutions to help him get to class.

“The College’s Foundation has emergency funding set aside to help students in situations just like Aurelio’s,” Karla said. “Once I met with him, we were able to work together to ease his life stresses so he could focus on his education and future.”

Moraine Park support services, like counseling, are always free to students.

“Connecting students to campus services helps to give students a sense of belonging, and they realize they aren’t alone,” Karla said. “I am impressed with Aurelio’s determination to overcome some major life barriers. He is a great example of strength.”

The determination that Aurelio demonstrates in his personal life is also brought into the classroom and on campus. For this reason, he was named as the 2018-19 Moraine Park District Student Ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System. This role requires the student to actively serve as a member of student government, advocate for Moraine Park and the Wisconsin Technical College System as a whole, assist with college activities and events, and represent the student body within the community. Aurelio’s tenure in this position will soon end, and his final assignment as the Moraine Park student ambassador is to serve as a student speaker at the 2019 commencement ceremony. 

“Aurelio is a great student and a deserving recipient of the Student Ambassador award,” Karla said. “Even more important, Aurelio is a great person. By nature, he is kind, compassionate, and relatable, which makes him a perfect fit for his selected career path.”

Aurelio took advantage of career laddering opportunities at the College. He is a three-time Moraine Park graduate, and holds a medical billing specialist certificate, technical diplomas in medical assistance and medical office specialist, and is working towards his medical office management associate’s degree. His overall goal is to become a registered nurse (RN).

“I enjoy working in my community,” Aurelio said. “I have the God-given gift of speaking Spanish, and it makes me feel good knowing that I can help with translations if need be. Overall, I just like caring for people, regardless of who are they are, and I hope to continue to do so for years to come.”

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