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Moraine Park Technical College Blog - Imagine What's Next
Health Careers & Wellness, Veterans

A Journey of Healing

Donald Shono, of Rubicon, found Moraine Park after serving in the United States Air Force Security Forces for six years. In 2011, he decided to end his active-duty service after experiencing a decline in his mental health.

Shono served in the 2nd Air Force Security Forces Squadron and had one deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served his last year with the Barksdale Air Force Base Honor Guard.

“The Security Forces Squadron was not my first choice, but it gave me the opportunity to join within a month of enlisting, and I didn’t want to wait,” Shono said. “I had an interest in law enforcement at the time, so it was not a difficult choice.”

Security Forces is an Air Force Special Forces unit that provides base security, law enforcement and an infantry force; the Base Honor Guard conducts ceremonial events such as local veteran funeral services and base award ceremonies.

“I joined the service because I felt I needed to do something more with my life that was bigger than myself and something I felt truly mattered, but eventually, my mental health needed to become a priority,” he said.

When he returned home, Shono began researching ways to heal his mind and body. In 2013, he started working as a massage therapist at a spa in Slinger, WI. He worked there for three years before moving to Spotsylvania, VA, where he continued his career for five years.

During the pandemic, Shono moved home to be closer to family. Since he was already working in a health and wellness career, he decided to use his time at home to further his education.

Shono enrolled in Moraine Park’s Health and Wellness program and attended his first semester classes on the West Bend Campus in fall 2021.

“I chose Moraine Park because it was one of the only schools that offered the path to health and wellness I was looking for,” Shono said. “I am really happy with my experience so far and cannot wait to see what the future has in store.”

After receiving his associate degree, he plans to become certified as a health coach and personal trainer to expand his career opportunities.

My time in the military was really stressful and took a big toll on me mentally,” Shono said “I am pursuing health and wellness because I want to heal myself and help others do the same.”

Shono is involved in the West Bend Health and Wellness Club. Outside of school, he enjoys staying active, hiking and spending time with his family.

“Looking back on my time in the service–it is not all good memories,” Shono said. “I am really grateful to Moraine Park for opening me up to a new way of thinking and caring for myself.”

Read more stories like Donald’s in our Spring 2022 NEXT Magazine.

June 28, 2022by Emilie Wilson
Community Engagement, Health Careers & Wellness, Service Learning

Community Connections in Mental Health

40+ Nursing students in Julie Lepianka and Ashley Gilson’s Mental Health and Community Concepts courses recently completed their community advocacy projects as part of our Spring, 2022 service-learning opportunities.

Julie said, “Everyone has their own story. Each of us has a bigger purpose on this earth to share our story. Thank you for being vulnerable in your sharing! It was a privilege to teach all of you in this important community mental health learning. Best of luck in your final semester!”

mental health nursing project
Back Row (L to R): Kenzie Gagan, Amy Hager, Lizzy Galliart, Alaina Iring, Alyssa Quevy, Kenzie Sweet, Brittany Smith, Jill Boetcher, Instructor Julie Lepianka. Middle Row (L to R): Antonia Perry, Stephanie Meyers, Kaitlyn Wollner, Sarah Pettinger, Jessica Butters, Trinity Jank, Carly Holzem, Jessica Hurley, Ashley Lindert. Front Row: Benjamin Raupp. Not Pictured: Cari Arndt, Megan Quertermous 

Students spent over 200 hours researching and collaborating with community partners in Fond du Lac, Washington, and Dodge Counties to learn more about substance abuse, foster families, gun violence, elderly depression, bullying, human trafficking, poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, and more. Students formulated detailed plans to address how a nurse can help a community identify and address these issues, providing education, awareness, advocacy and resources. Students gathered data to help determine strengths and weaknesses in their own communities. Project presentations were held in May. Ashley said, “My students did a phenomenal job assessing their surrounding communities for health concerns and building advocacy plans that we, as nurses, have the power to implement within their communities. These students were drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, and to help…..and they did just that!“

Congratulations on all of this great work on important mental health issues in our MPTC community!

mental health nursing project
Christine Rand
mental health nursing project
Julia Lopez
mental health nursing project
Alisha Ritger
mental health nursing project
Lexi Adkins
mental health nursing project
Nichole Carlson
mental health nursing project
Olivia Sharp
mental health nursing project
Payton Alford
mental health nursing project
Julia Lopez
mental health nursing project
Stephanie Rose
mental health nursing project
Ethan Voss
mental health nursing project
Jericho Vore
mental health nursing project
Nora Roxbury
mental health nursing project
Amanda Bigsby
Lauren Ladwig
Karen Langlois
Courtney Phillips
Genevieve Kunz
June 7, 2022by Anne Lemke
Community Engagement

Moraine Park and Fond du Lac County Work Together

Fond du Lac Campus

The Fond du Lac County Department of Community Programs office will be utilizing Moraine Park Technical College’s district office, at 235 N. National Ave. in Fond du Lac, to continue to provide mental health services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Previously, their offices were located in a nursing home facility, however, with the COVID-19 outbreak requiring enhanced restrictions on guests entering the facility, the Department of Community Programs needed to find a new location.

The Department of Community Programs provides a wide range of mental health services to Fond du Lac County, including Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA), crisis intervention, and prevention/education.

The move is scheduled to happen on Wednesday, April 1.

“This extraordinary opportunity will allow us to continue to provide mental health services to the residents of Fond du Lac County.”- Erin Gerred, Fond du Lac County director of administration.

morainepark.edu

fdlco.wi.gov/departments/departments-a-e/community-programs

March 31, 2020by Kristina Haensgen
Community Engagement, Health Careers & Wellness, Service Learning

Learning more about our Communities

Nursing student mental health project

Nursing students in Instructor Michele Mengert’s Mental Health and Community Concepts course recently completed their community advocacy projects as part of our Spring, 2019 service learning opportunities. Michele said, “students are purposefully working to learn community oriented nursing. We want to target prevention as a priority. Nurses need to understand how to advocate for specific populations of people and have knowledge of the resource programs in your community that you can partner with to help your patients.”

This semester 17 students spent over 80 hours researching and collaborating with community partners to learn more about planned parenthood, poverty, women & infants, suicide, domestic violence, opioid abuse, water quality, and more. Students formulated detailed advocacy plans to address how a nurse could help a community identify and address these issues, providing education, awareness, advocacy and resources. Students gathered data to help determine strengths and weaknesses in their own communities. Project presentations were held on May 17.

Congratulations on all of this great work on important community issues!

  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health projec
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
  • Nursing student mental health project
June 15, 2019by Anne Lemke

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