Moraine Park Technical College held its annual General Education Development (GED) and High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) graduation ceremony on May 26. There were 96 GED/HSED graduates for the 2021-22 school year. 

Jebichi Yator of Fox Lake and Gretta Hanna of Columbus served as this year’s student speakers. 

“I want to thank my teachers at Moraine Park for their support, patience and guidance,” Yator said. “Completing my GED and enrolling in Moraine Park’s Nursing program will change my life and my children’s lives, too. I can’t wait to start changing lives myself by becoming a nurse.” 

The GED/HSED students had to pass all five subject portions of the nationally recognized GED tests: Reasoning through Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Mathematical Reasoning and Civics. GED students must also complete Career Awareness training. Students obtaining an HSED are required to complete both Employability Skills and Health Literacy training. 

“Congratulations to all of our 2022 GED/HSED graduates,” Pete Snyder, Moraine Park’s associate dean of adult education, said. “Our graduates worked full-time jobs, cared for children, and supported their parents–all while coming to school. These accomplishments are special, and they earned the right to be here tonight.” 

For more information about Moraine Park’s GED/HSED classes, visit morainepark.edu/GED. 

Our ELL GED class is up and running at the West Bend campus! In our ELL GED class, students are given the option of preparing for and taking the GED tests in English or in Spanish. All five GED tests are offered in both languages.

“I want to get my GED because I want a better job and it’s good for me personally,” said Apolinar, an ELL GED student on the West Bend campus.

Preparing For the GED Tests

As with our regular GED program, students choose an area of study to focus on first. The five GED tests consist of Civics, Social Studies, Science, Math, and Reading through Language Arts. Students choose a topic that they would like to study first. We work through the different units, focus on areas of need, work on test-taking skills, and take practice tests to prepare for the GED. There is a bilingual instructor on the West Bend Campus two nights a week to provide support for students in both English and Spanish. MPTC has study materials available in English and Spanish in the SSC at all three of our campuses. Books and study materials are able to be checked out from the Moraine Park Campus libraries as well. Many of our students choose to study on their own at home in addition to here on campus in order to move through the material more quickly. 

Benefits of Spanish Language Materials

Having the GED test and test prep available in Spanish is a helpful tool for our Spanish-speaking students. By having the content in one’s native language, students are able to show their knowledge base without having to face a language barrier. “I want to take the test in Spanish so I can understand everything. My first language is Spanish and I can understand [the material] better,” Marlene, an ELL GED student. Students are often able to read faster in their native language and with all of the GED tests having time constraints, offering the tests in one’s native language helps in this area as well. 

The SSC on all three campuses helps support our ELL GED students. Spanish language instruction is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. on the West Bend campus. If you or someone you know is interested in taking the GED in English or in Spanish, please have them contact our ELL Program Support Specialist Tony Rodriguez at 262-306-5302 or arodriquez@morainepark.edu.

This spring semester, Moraine Park’s Adult Education department started a new partnership with Hartford Union High School. Annette Meihack, a Moraine Park Adult Education Instructor, is spearheading this new partnership as part of our 5.09 program.

The 5.09 program offers classes to students to help them earn their GED and HSED credentials. It is different from the traditional GED test as the program is competency-based. Students are able to earn a high school credential without having to take the official tests. It is for students who have test anxiety or call another language their home language. Often, students with a different home language have to translate back and forth and the time factor is an issue.

The goal of our partnership with Hartford is to help students graduate after encountering some difficulties due to the Covid–19 pandemic. For example, some students struggled with remote learning. Some students were sick and fell behind in their classes. We want to help these students graduate on time.

Currently, there are five students from Hartford Union High School participating in the program. Students are bussed to the Moraine Park West Bend campus to work with our 5.09 instructor, Annette Meihack, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We hope that the program and partnership continue to grow and have great success throughout this semester and beyond.

“We want all of these students to earn a credential, work well in society, and obtain good jobs and skills,” said Meihack.

If you or someone you know is interested in earning their GED or HSED credentials, you can contact Moraine Park Technical College at 920-924-6393 or https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/ged-and-adult-education/ged-hsed/.

Justine’s mom wanted her to earn a diploma- she was Justine’s biggest supporter and best friend.

Justine was working toward earning her HSED in the 5.09 program, an option from the state of Wisconsin that allows a student to earn a high school diploma without taking the timed tests. Instead, students work through each competency in the curriculum at their own pace. There are no deadlines or due dates.

Justine was not in good health. She experienced many health concerns and underwent a surgery during the pandemic that did not work. It was very frustrating to have to go through doctor visits and surgery without a support system and then to receive no relief from her pain felt overwhelming. There were extra hoops to jump through because of COVID. Family had to drop her and leave.

Justine worked in a medical health facility and lost her job during the pandemic. Everything was so much harder without an income. Trying to find a job in pandemic circumstances was very difficult.

Her mom had been sick for awhile and passed away as the fall semester was beginning. She was worried she would not be able to finish her goal of earning her diploma. Then her stepdad passed away unexpectedly, too! Justine was devastated! How would she go on without her mom? She was the one that supported Justine the most. It seemed like an impossibility. She was thrown into a world of estates and moving her family’s belonging while mourning her losses. It was difficult to mourn her family properly with social gathering restrictions and everyone so fearful of being in groups.

But Justine came to class whenever she could even if she wasn’t feeling well. She was also a role model to other students. She was kind to them and helped them with their problems and even their homework. They looked up to her. She kept trudging forward, motivated by the knowledge her mother wanted her to take this step. She was doing it in her mother’s memory, no matter how difficult it was.

Justine graduated last month. When her instructor told her she was done, she was incredulous. She couldn’t believe she had made her dream come true. She had been trudging for so long she lost site of where she was on the journey. It was bittersweet without her mom. She couldn’t share in person the joy of her achievement but she knew she honored her mother by graduating.

Next Thursday, Justine will attend her graduation ceremony. Her children and her boyfriend, Mike, will be watching the event live-streamed. Just like during the rest of her journey, she will walk the last bit by herself. But everyone who loves Justine will be watching and celebrating her success with her, including her mom! She is a graduation speaker at this year’s ceremony. She will dedicate her speech to her mom, telling her mom, “This one’s for you!”

If you, or someone you know, is interested in this alternative to earning a GED or HSED, visit morainepark.edu/ged-hsed/ for more information.

Happy spring, and congratulations to all students receiving a GED or HSED this year. On May 27, we’ll be celebrating all the graduates from this year and last, so look for your invitation and join us on the 27^th!

Each year, students work hard to complete their GED/HSED requirements, and every student comes with a story of how they came to Moraine Park Technical College. Many also have a clear plan for what they want to do next, whether it’s to get a great job or pursue further education. One such student is Ariel Baute, who chose a different path.

Ariel came to MPTC last fall, with a determination to earn his HSED and move on to his next goal of joining the army. He did just that, earning his HSED in January, but Ariel will miss the graduation ceremony because he is currently doing his basic training in Georgia. His plan is to continue with advanced training to become a member of 19 Delta Airborne, where he’ll be a Cavalry scout and paratrooper.

Ariel hasn’t chosen the easiest path, but we’re sure he will approach it with the same grit and determination he did his HSED. We wish him every success in his service to the country. Thank you, Ariel!

For more information about the GED program or this year’s graduation ceremony, call Ann at 920-924-6393.

Photo: Ariel Baute of Fond du Lac, with Deb Schuh, Fdl Instructor