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College Communications, Student Life

Moraine Park’s 2021-22 Student Ambassador: Amanda Kollmorgan

Student Ambassador Amanda Kollmorgan

Amanda Kollmorgan, of Fond du Lac, was selected as the 2021-22 Moraine Park Technical College district student ambassador.

Kollmorgan, an active-duty communications security manager for the Army, came to Moraine Park to finish the college degree she started at a four-year university.

“I began my college journey in 2010, right after my deployment to Iraq,” Kollmorgan said. “I didn’t transition well and felt like another face in the crowd. I was not only looking for a great education but also a personalized experience and a place I belonged. I immediately found that at Moraine Park.”

Kollmorgan’s role in the Army prepared her for the Leadership Development program, and she was able to take her classroom knowledge and implement it into her work life. She graduated with her associate degree in Leadership Development in spring 2021 and is now pursuing her accounting, technical education, and training degrees concurrently.

“All of these programs align with my current and future goals,” she said. “In my retirement, I hope to own a bakery. The skills I’m learning in leadership and business will help prepare me for that big-picture goal.”

Kollmorgan is also active on the Fond du Lac campus, where she is a member of the student government, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Student Veteran Association (SVA), and Phi Theta Kappa.

“For more than 14 years my entire identity has been the Army,” Kollmorgan said. “I love being a soldier, but I was also looking to be part of something more. Moraine Park not only made me feel like a welcomed part of their family, but being here has ignited passions and goals that I did not know existed before. I am excited for my future and the opportunities it holds.”

Kollmorgan recently made the decision to end her active-duty service and will remain with the National Guard until her retirement in five years. She made this decision so she could be home with her family and focus on building both her educational and career portfolio. Kollmorgan also accepted an adjunct position with the College’s Economic and Workforce Development department to be a Learning for Independence (LFI) instructor.
 
“I am beyond grateful for all the support I’ve received at the College,” Kollmorgan said. “Specifically, from my instructor, Mary Vogl-Rauscher, who provided continuous guidance and mentorship throughout my career and educational transformations.”

To be eligible for the District Student Ambassador distinction, students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member at the College and give a presentation to a selection committee. There were three students in the final consideration for this role.

As the selected 2021-22 District Student Ambassador, Kollmorgan will 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.

“Being named the District Student Ambassador is a huge honor,” Kollmorgan said. “I look forward to advocating for my classmates and sharing the many benefits of Moraine Park and a technical college education.

November 16, 2021by Kristina Haensgen
Student Life

Haley’s Advice for Managing Stress

Haley

Hello Moraine Park friends!

Has school been stressing you out? Yea, me too!

When I am stressed, I tend to shut down and find comfort food. Everyone deals with times of stress differently, but I wanted to share some options that have worked for me recently.

  • Take a bath with Epsom salt. Don’t have a bathtub? You can sprinkle Epsom salt in the bottom of your shower- it will create a soothing steam!
  • Go for a walk. Increasing your endorphins may help you feel less tense and increase your mood overall.
  • Play or spend time with your pet. My dog bring my life joy!
  • Take a break from what your doing. We all have busy lives and long to-do lists but stepping away for a moment to refuel can be beneficial.
  • Make cookies or your treat of choice. Yes, I make cookies when I am stressed. 🙂 The process of making them, and the satisfaction of enjoying one, makes it a great (and delicious) stress relief for me.
  • Reach out to family or friends. Let the ones you love help you!

Have a great semester MPTC- hope to see you on campus this semester!

January 29, 2021by Haley VanRaden - Moraine Park District Student Ambassador
Achievement, Student Services & Support

Guiding Students, Building Community, Changing Lives

Aurelio

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.

May 11, 2019by Kristina Haensgen
Achievement, Student Life

Lights-Camera-Action!

aurelio, student ambassador

Lights- Camera-Action!

On Thursday, October 4, Moraine Park student Aurelio Rosas was interviewed by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), as a part of their Student Ambassador campaign.

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October 25, 2018by Kristina Haensgen
Achievement

Moraine Park Students Recognized!

Two girls posing at awards banquet

The hard work and academic achievement of Moraine Park Technical College students was recognized during the College’s annual Student Awards Banquet held at The Golf Club at Camelot in Lomira on May 11, 2018.

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May 25, 2018by Kristina Haensgen
Achievement

Finding the Pathway to Success

Graduate with family

Aurelio Rosas celebrates his May, 2017 graduation with family.

Aurelio Rosas knew it was time for a change and found great value in Moraine Park Technical College’s Medical Assistant program. “I enrolled in Moraine Park Technical College’s medical programs because I could obtain an affordable and valuable education in a short amount of time. Also, the hands-on learning and the one-to-one interaction with my instructors at Moraine Park was very important and appealing to me. You get to know the instructor and the instructor gets to know you rather than a four-year college where you are with 40-plus students, which can make it difficult to get the instructor’s attention or help.”

Continue reading

May 20, 2018by Bobbi Fields
Achievement, Student Life

Meet Christine: Our 2017-18 District Student Ambassador!

Moraine Park female District Student Ambassador Christine

Christine Gil is our Moraine Park’s 2017-18 District Student Ambassador!

The role of the Ambassador is 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.

All that said, you may have two burning questions remaining: The first being “What is the meaning of life?” And the second being “Who exactly is Christine Gil and why is she a perfect fit for Student Ambassador?”

Both good questions, for sure. We’ll work on the first one and get back to you. In the meantime, here are answers to the second quandary, in Christine’s own words: Continue reading

June 8, 2017by Andrew Pantzlaff
Achievement, Student Services & Support

Meet Maddie – Our District Student Ambassador!

student ambassador madison johannes stands by window

Madison (Maddie) Johannes is our Moraine Park’s 2016-17 District Student Ambassador!

The role of the Ambassador is 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.

All that said, you may have two burning questions remaining: Continue reading

October 5, 2016by Andrew Pantzlaff

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