Did you know that many times, the barrier to education is financial?

A student who wants to earn their GED/HSED diploma can come to Moraine Park for free adult education instruction. However, the testing, required by the state, costs approximately $150.

The instructors in the adult education department wanted to help break this financial barrier. So, they started a scholarship through the Moraine Park Foundation in 2011. This funding helps not only with the testing fees, but students who enroll in a program at Moraine Park can also apply for a $500 scholarship to help with application fees, textbooks, or tuition. To date, 16 of those scholarships have been awarded, and one of the previous recipients recently earned their Master’s Degree!

As you begin to determine your year-end giving, know that a contribution to the Moraine Park Foundations Basic Education Fund could help change the lives of individuals right in your community.

For more information, visit morainepark.edu/foundation.

Moraine Park Technical College is celebrating over 100 students who earned their General Education Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificate during the 2019-20 school year.

Like other celebrates at the College and around the district, this year’s ceremony had to be canceled, and while celebration details are still being finalized, the College’s Basic Education department is planning to celebrate when conditions allow.

“This is a big accomplishment, and for many, it’s a stepping stone to other educational opportunities,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “It’s important that our students feel supported and valued as they work to achieve their educational goals, and that they know we are here every step of the way.”

Students who earned their GED/HSED certificate for the 2019-20 year are Austing Albright of Pickett, David Almeda of West Bend, Idaliah Appel of Beaver Dam, Dominque Balistreri of Hartford, Steven Barlow of Carlisle, Jennifer Bateman of Jackson, Alexander Baum of Beaver Dam, Steven Beckman of Kewaskum, Nathan Bermudez of West Bend, De’Shawn Bolden-Washington of Manitowoc, Jantzen Bond of Milwaukee, Veronica Borja of Theresa, Kendall Bragg of Fond du Lac, Steven Bulawa of Cedarburg, James Carlisle of Oostburg, Aaryn Carlson of Fond du Lac, Victor Carr of Colgate, Amy Ciborosky of Randolph, Thomas Cooley of Waukesha, Alaura Copeland of Waupun, Zachariah Counsell of Juneau, Caiden Crumer-Barry of West Bend, Charmane Cruz of Beaver Dam, Erin Daley of West Bend, Ronald Dexter of Horicon, Austin Drozok of West Bend, Austin Droz of Columbus, Kristine Ellenbeck of Fond du Lac, Destinee Ellenbecker of North Fond du Lac, Brandon Ellis of Milwaukee, Michelyn Estrada of Beaver Dam, Erica Feuerhammer of Fox Lake, Nathan Gibbs of Reeseville, Jacob Gill of North Fond du Lac, Cameron Guerra of Beaver Dam, Joshua Hagenstein of Jacakson, Diana Haseltine of Milwaukee, John Hennessey of Beaver Dam, Keri Henrickson of Beaver Dam, Eva Herringa of Hartford, McKenzie Holtz of Green Bay, Lori Howe of West Bend, Alexandria Hubred of Columbus, Kylie Hurkmans of Hartford, Josheph Hutchings of Mayville, Clarissa Hynes of Columbus, Joshua Jacobs of Brandon, Kayleigh Javoroski of West Bend, Mason Karoses of Dundee, Dylan Kelsey of Hartford, Tracy Kienzle of Jackson, Justin Koconis of Hartford, Caitlin Krueger of Green Lake, Mariah Lacky of Fond du Lac, Whitley Laird of Campbellsport, Abraham Lange of Fond du Lac, Cassandra Leon of Lowell, Paige Lloyd of Omro, Richard Mantz III of Fond du Lac, Tamerik Marshall of Columbus, Branden Mayer of West Bend, Danairis Melendez of West Bend, Dakota Mickel of West Bend, Scott Mielke of Rosendale, Samantha Mills of Beaver Dam, Edward Mills of West Bend, Katrina Munro of Oakfield, Amber Murphy of Fond du Lac, Adolfo Narez Orozco of Cambria, Emma Navas of Fond du Lac, Kathryn Neibauer of Horicon, Jose Ortegon of Berlin, Miguel Perez of Fond du Lac, Dylan Pocius of Juneau, Daniel Pokrzywinski of Wauwatosa, Jerome Rahn of Mayville, Devin Ramirez of Beaver Dam, Kaleb Reardon of Clyman, Molly Reuter of West Bend, Nathan Rosbeck of West Bend, Seth Rose of West Bend, Fanny Salas of Fond du Lac, Ivan Salazar of Iron Ridge, Gloria Sandberg of Hartford, Danielle Schaeffer of West Bend, Michael Schallock of West Bend, Nicoli Scheuers of Princeton, Michael Scott of West Bend, Nicholas Serrato of Beaver Dam, Kimberly Sheffield of Beaver Dam, Brian Speake of Beaver Dam, Skylar Stamper-DeQuardo of Jackson, Adrianna Stromberg of West Bend, Cody Strong of Fond du Lac, Summer Stuker of Green Lake, Melissa Thiel of West Bend, Alex Tuveson of Fond du Lac, Lorena Vannocker of Fox Lake, Zoila Volkmann of West Bend, Samantha Warren of Theresa, Trent Webster of Kewaskum, Kayla Wetzel of West Bend, Aislynn Wiedmeyer of West Bend, Hunter Winter of Fall River, Nathan York of West Bend, Kaija Yule of Oshkosh, Alejandro Zamora of Fond du Lac, and Melanie Zander of Beaver Dam.

The GED/HSED students had to pass all four subject portions of the nationally recognized GED tests to receive their diploma. They also had to meet requirements in employability, digital literacy, health, and civics. Moraine Park’s GED/HSED instruction is available year-round and is one of the many services at the College that is offered for free to the community. For more information about Moraine Park’s GED/HSED classes, visit morainepark.edu/GED.

Moraine Park Technical College held its 27th annual GED/HSED graduation ceremony on May 30. For the 2018-19 school year, 126 students received their General Education Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificates.

Rebecca Carreon of Fond du Lac, Natasha Peters of Ripon, Sandra Pfund of Slinger, and Betty Zimdars of West Bend served as student speakers.

Carreon and Peters, sisters and twins, spoke together on the struggles of life and how important it was to both of them to complete the journey together.

“I tried multiple times to finish my HSED on my own but never followed through with it because I never thought I could do it,” Peters said. “The support of family, friends, the teachers at the Student Success Center, and my sister gave me the courage and push I needed to finish.”

Both Carreon and Peters plan to continue their education at Moraine Park this fall, with an overall goal to earn their college degree.

“I have always wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse, and I finally feel like that isn’t just a dream anymore,” Carreon said. “Now I can make it a reality! We plan on starting school here at Moraine Park Technical College in the upcoming year.  After all the support we had to finish our HSED here, we can only imagine the support we will get once in our programs!”

Pfund shared her story of deciding to complete her high school diploma with the support of her friend and fellow GED student, Zimdars.

“We have maintained our friendship and motivated each other along the way,” Pfund said. “My success has been helped with a special friendship and someone to hold me accountable. Nothing is impossible, no matter what age you are. Our journey was not an easy one, but our friendship helped immensely.”

Pfund and Zimdars have decided to continue their educational journey together as Moraine Park college students.

Abby McGeehen of Berlin and Zimdars were each the recipients of $500 student scholarships.  These scholarships are awarded to GED/HSED graduates who are continuing their education at Moraine Park.

The GED/HSED students had to pass all four subject portions of the nationally recognized GED tests to receive their diploma. They also had to meet requirements in employability, digital literacy, health, and civics. Moraine Park’s GED/HSED instruction is available year-round and is one of the many services at the College that is offered for free to the community.

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

View all of the photos from the GED/HSED graduation at https://www.flickr.com/gp/148240170@N03/Y00FC2.

Moraine Park Technical College held its 26th annual GED/HSED graduation ceremony on June 7. For the 2017-18 school year, 141 students received their General Education Development (GED) and High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificates.

Continue reading

Moraine Park Technical College held its 25th Annual GED/HSED Graduation Ceremony on June 1. For the 2016-17 school year, 109 students received their General Education Development (GED) and High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificates.

Two of these individuals served as student speakers at the graduation event -– Danielle Patzan of North Fond du Lac and Lisa Stoffel of West Bend -– and each reflected on vastly different journeys that led them to this point. Continue reading

We hosted our 2017 GED / HSED graduation ceremony on June 1 at Moraine Park Technical College.

We’re so proud of all the hard work each of these individuals has put in to accomplish this goal! 

Here’s a look back at this year’s ceremony … and if you’d like to be next, we’d love to help! For more information about our GED program, click here. Continue reading

Matthew Stegall lacked focus and risked not graduating from high school. Fortunately, he successfully earned his high school diploma through an alternative program in which students combined four hours of GED test prep with part-time employment. The following years were relatively productive, but the path was unclear. He worked and took classes at another institution, but he had not found his niche.

It was time for a change. Continue reading

Sarai Picazo-Cruz has a champion’s heart with big dreams, though it may take some time to realize that given her gentle and quiet demeanor.  Continue reading

We hosted our GED / HSED graduation ceremony on June 16 at Moraine Park Technical College. On this special night filled with emotion, 21 men and women were honored.

We’re so proud of all the hard work each of these individuals has put in to accomplish this goal!  Continue reading