focus Fox Valley Technical College
volume 2, issue 1 • spring 2009
your future
A Healthy
Outlook FVTC’s Medical Assistant program is preparing Neng Yang for a career in one of the country’s hottest job fields.
inside: >
Multimedia-based customized training
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Hands-on learning: Engineering options abound
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FVTC’s worker
retraining earns national exposure
contents
ON THE COVER: Medical Assistant program student Neng Yang; photo by Patrick Kelly. Focus is published bi-annually for the communities of Fox Valley Technical College.
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in every issue
A Healthy Outlook The need for medical assistants is growing, and Neng Yang is training in an FVTC program that’s keeping pace with the industry. The Reinvention of Theresa Cross When Theresa Cross discovered she was about to become a single mom, she knew she needed to find a better job. She never dreamed that a class at FVTC would uncover her aptitude for accounting, and change her life forever. Controlling His Destiny When Eric Reindl discovered the Computer Control Engineering Technology program at FVTC, he figured out his future career.
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FVTC 2 Around A quick look at what’s new at FVTC.
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Focus on Workplace Training FVTC has helped Appleton-based Pierce Manufacturing succeed in today’s competitive marketplace through a mix of customized training options. Focus on the Entrepreneur An Appleton couple launches a dynamic new energy business with the help of FVTC’s E-Seed program.
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Focus on Alumni Q&A with Hilbert native Tim Franz, Chief of the Oshkosh Fire Department.
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Focus on the Foundation For four decades, FVTC and J. J. Keller & Associates have worked together to help meet the region’s workforce needs.
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Focus on Student Life Once a volunteer project, FVTC’s student-run IT Helpdesk now provides an exceptional hands-on learning experience. Also, FVTC’s Speaker Series brings inspiring and entertaining speakers, and powerful life lessons, to students and the community.
welcome FVTC is preparing me for my career through real projects and relevant experience. I have written a procedure manual for my job, created a plan to increase productivity for my current employer, and designed a baby announcement for my son. My goal is to work as a freelance writer in many areas of business communications.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR/MANAGER OF MEDIA RELATIONS Chris Jossart CUSTOM PUBLISHING SERVICES The Coghlan Group EDITOR Chris Mikko ART DIRECTOR Amy Bjellos CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chuck Benda, Phil Bolsta, Sara Gilbert, Karen Hansen, Meleah Maynard, Vicki Stavig PHOTOGRAPHY Gary Brilowski, Gary Gawinski, Dave Kaphingst, Patrick Kelly DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE MARKETING Barb Dreger
PRESIDENT Dr. Susan A. May Fox Valley Technical College 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. P.O. Box 2277 Appleton, WI 54912-2277 1-800-735-3882 TTY (hearing impaired) (920) 993-5106 www.fvtc.edu jossart@fvtc.edu (e-mail inquiries)
Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org. FVTC offers more than 200 associate degree, technical diploma and certificate programs, and instruction related to 20 apprenticeship trades, in addition to providing services to business and industry. Annually, the college serves about 50,000 people throughout its five-county district. Member of:
Welcome to the college. You’re making a great choice.
Nate Wagner FVTC Student, Technical Communications
© 2009 Fox Valley Technical College. All rights reserved. Equal Opportunity Employer/Educator.
aroundfvtc A Taste of Distinction for Culinary Arts
Jenniece VanDinter, Dinner Helpers, shares time with high school students.
Record Turnout at Youth Entrepreneur Summit Students from 14 area high schools discovered a wealth of resources from business owners, financial experts, and small business training leaders during the 3rd-Annual Youth Entrepreneur Summit at FVTC’s Appleton campus on March 11. Sponsored by the Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center, Community First Credit Union, Epiphany Law, and CESA 6, the Summit provided nearly 360 students with a variety of hands-on workshops. The workshops were designed to introduce students to the business world of agriculture, natural resources, information technology, engineering, marketing, and health sciences, among others. Students also explored the financial intricacies of opening and managing a business. In addition, current business owners from retail, financial, restaurant, service, renewable energies, and other sectors shared their experiences with the students throughout the day. For more information, visit www.venturecenterwi.biz.
The Culinary Arts and Hospitality department at FVTC earned “Exemplary Status” from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) as a result of a recent voluntary accreditation process. Less than 7% of the more than 350 accredited culinary arts programs in the United States and abroad are recognized by the ACFEFAC with this distinction. The American Culinary Federation is the largest professional organization of cooks and chefs in the world. FVTC’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality team at FVTC collectively brings more than 200 years of professional experience to the training environment, including five certified executive chefs and a certified executive pastry chef. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/culinary.
Electricity Program Energizes Homes, Futures FVTC’s Electricity program recently received a 2009 Community Partnership Award from Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity during the organization’s spring Electricity students in front of their 10th home celebration ceremony. for Greater Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. Serving as a “live lab,” students install the electrical portion of local Habitat homes. They gain real-life experience and keep costs in check for Habitat, helping the non-profit organization provide affordable housing for area families in need. Many students often volunteer their time after projects are completed as well. In December 2008, FVTC students also applied the finishing electrical configurations to its 10th home for Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity. Nearly 75 students during the past two years have provided wiring design and installation services for the organization. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/electricity.
Garden Walk Offers Chance to Revel in Nature Celebrate the rites of spring by joining FVTC Horticulture instructors Jim Beard and Roxanne Rusch, along with area plant vendors, during the 2nd-Annual Seeds of Hope Garden Walk on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Appleton campus. Take a self-guided tour of the college’s spacious grounds and view an array of colorful foliage, attend a “Wake Up Your Garden” presentation with a question and answer segment, register for door prizes, enjoy a continental breakfast, silent auction, and more. Tickets are $10 in advance and available at the Community First Credit Union branch at FVTC inside Entrance 10, or $15 at the door. Proceeds will provide emergency assistance for FVTC students. For more information, call 920-996-2983. Attend this year's Garden Walk on May 30.
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Fox Valley Technical College
News Briefs FVTC’s Dislocated Workforce Efforts Gain National Exposure Recent economic downturns have generated a surge in retraining dislocated workers and contributed toward an overall spike in enrollment. For FVTC, meeting the needs of these workers has ushered a new level of responsiveness. The college’s impact on this workforce hasn’t gone without notice. On Sunday, January 25, a New York Times front-page article, “Bad Times Spur a Flight to Jobs Viewed as Safe,” depicted a few careers that are weathering the storm. The story noted how FVTC is helping dislocated workers retrain for new opportunities. The piece also featured a photo of students Lance Buss and Dan Geenen, a laid-off worker from an area mill, and FVTC Welding Instructor Adam Laabs. As of March 2009, in a four-month time period the college has served more than 800 dislocated workers, and is preparing to help this workforce further by employing additional courses for summer. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/lossofemployment.
A Consortium of Automotive Training Excellence Several FVTC Automotive and Diesel instructors were recently recognized for attaining 25 years of national Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. The certification exemplifies a high level of instructional commitment to automotive technology and industry trends. The quarter-century ASE instructors from FVTC pictured below are (left to right): Jim Olson, Diesel; Bill Heesaker, Automotive; Dave Lessmiller, Automotive; and Dan Poeschel, Diesel.
• Alyce Dumke was named executive director of the FVTC Foundation, Inc. and Community Relations. She brings 25 years of administration and community relations experience to the position. Most recently, she served as chief operating officer for McCarty Law LLP, and was instrumental in helping develop key initiatives in various leadership roles at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Alyce Dumke
• The FAB LAB, an innovation laboratory on the Appleton campus that provides inventors and students the tools to rapidly translate an idea into reality through product prototype or personal fabrication, received a $670,000 collaboration grant from the National Science Foundation. The primary goal of the grant is to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) abilities in undergraduate and high school students. The college received the grant in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout and Century Community and Technical College in White Bear Lake, Minn. • The National Association of Campus Activities awarded Student Life director Vicky Barke with the 2009 Patsy Morley Outstanding Programmer Award. A committee selects one recipient each year for the award, which is based on an individual’s impact as an educator, the development of student leadership skills and cocurricular programming, and creativity.
Vicky Barke
Save the Date! Annual Community Open House Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, 3-7 p.m. Appleton campus
For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/transportation. • • • • •
Visit high-tech labs and classrooms Learn how to pay for college View demonstrations of the latest technology Sample delicious treats served by FVTC culinary students Enter to win prizes and college gift certificates good for classes, seminars, books, or supplies. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/openhouse.
Visit www.fvtc.edu/e-news for e-news updates from Fox Valley Technical College! focus
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on workplace training Manufacturing Success FVTC has helped Appleton-based Pierce Manufacturing succeed in today’s competitive marketplace through a mix of customized training options. By Vicki Stavig As a leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus— everything from fire trucks and rescue trucks to a range of related equipment for customers throughout the world, Pierce Manufacturing has a strong need for specialized training for its employees. The company has turned to Fox Valley Technical College to develop and present training programs geared specifically for its employees and product line.
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The partnership has pretty much everything we need skill-wise to help us educate employees.
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Dave Herzfeldt Pierce Manufacturing
“We started partnering with Fox Valley Tech in 2002 and have trained about 500 employees through the college in everything from welding to hydraulics,” says Dave Herzfeldt, director of training for Pierce Manufacturing. “The partnership has pretty much everything we need skillwise to help us educate employees.” Herzfeldt is particularly pleased with the various learning objects FVTC offers. Learning objects are a cost-effective method of training employees on a justin-time basis. They present information in a quick, accessible, visually enhanced format through online delivery. “The objects provide an interactive, multimedia way of learning important
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topics within the workplace,” says Chad Blohowiak, media specialist at FVTC. “The content becomes accessible to all employees anytime, anyplace.” Pierce employees were looking for exactly this type of innovative training.
Options Galore
Dave Herzfeldt, Bev Kindschy, and Dan Bailey of Pierce Manufacturing.
“Building a fire truck is a unique thing,” Herzfeldt says. “For example, we have more than 70,000 options that can go on a fire truck. I talked to Fox Valley Tech about online training and they showed me what a learning object is. You dissect something, a part or a process, and put it into a module and people can learn about it right at their desktops. The college created a repository, or an online library, for us that we call Pierce University, which has 150 modules. We can burn the objects onto CDs, but keeping them all online allows us to update them easily, which is critical for our type of company.” One learning object deals with connectors. “Pierce assemblers need to know how to put connectors on wires,” says Dave Wuestenberg, key account manager for FVTC’s Business and Industry Services area. “They can go online, click on the learning object, and see how to do it.” Pierce also uses the training modules to support its North American dealers and sales representatives. “Historically, Pierce has only been able to offer product training classes for sales representatives at our annual sales meeting or at major trade shows,” says Bev Kindschy, sales systems manager for Pierce. “Today, with Pierce University, product training is available online when and where needed. This program enables us to smoothly transfer product and technical knowledge to give these sales representatives more power to succeed.” Pierce Manufacturing finds tremendous value on its relationship with FVTC. “It’s a great partnership,” Herzfeldt says. “In the next five years,
Fox Valley Technical College
we’ll take this a lot further. Fox Valley Tech is very flexible, which is important to us. The business and industry team at FVTC takes the time to learn about fire trucks, resulting in an understanding of what we’re doing and what we need.”
Custom Fit While Pierce Manufacturing is extremely pleased with the learning objects FVTC has developed for its employees, the company also has several cooperative programs with the college. Last year, for example, Pierce was faced with a shortage of welders, so it worked with FVTC to develop and conduct a six-week welding course for its employees based on the college’s two-year welding program. For the past 15 years, new employees at Pierce also have attended a one-day Pierce Fire School at FVTC, where they learn the history of firefighting, drive trucks, lay hose lines, pump water, climb ladders, and experience how firefighters use the company’s products. Pierce’s customers also need training on how to use their products. FVTC trains the company’s dealers, who in turn train those customers.
For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/bis.
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on the entrepreneur
Building a Brighter Tomorrow An Appleton couple launches a dynamic new energy business with the help of FVTC’s E-Seed program. By Phil Bolsta Patrick and Ingrid Nahm are selfdescribed “nerds with a social conscience.” It’s a powerful combination that culminated in the launch of Appleton Solar, a provider of solar energy solutions for homes and businesses. The Appleton couple decided to leverage their technical expertise to make the world greener. Patrick had 11 years of engineering, project management, and manufacturing experience. Ingrid was a scientist and hospital laboratory technologist who left a seven-year career to become a stay-at-home mom to the couple’s three young sons. There was just one problem with their plan. “We both had the technical ability to understand solar energy and technology,” Patrick says, “but we didn’t understand the business side—the marketing, taxes, legalities, and all the other things that go into starting and planning a business.” Noticing an ad for the E-Seed entrepreneurship training program at Fox Valley Technical College’s Venture Center, the Nahms, both 33, decided it was time to scratch their entrepreneurial itch. Patrick enrolled in the course and shared the materials and information with Ingrid. “There were two aspects of the course,” he says. “One was teaching me the nuts and bolts: writing a business plan and financial planning considerations for a business.”
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Business was good the first year, and this year is looking even better.
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Patrick Nahm Appleton Solar
The second aspect may not have come from a textbook, but it was just as important. “The other part was the networking piece,” Patrick says. “During every class a different speaker came in. One night it was a lawyer, another night it was a marketing person, another night it was an accounting person.” The Nahms agree that the focus on networking skills sets FVTC apart. “You can get an MBA from a university online, but that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be successful in business,” Ingrid says. “It’s getting to talk to the people who are there in the community, and knowing you can always refer to them when you have questions. It’s all about building relationships.”
Ingrid and Patrick Nahm
The Nahms add that FVTC’s Venture Center was a valued partner in the creation of Appleton Solar. “The college doesn’t measure success by how many students go through the course, but by how successful the students are afterward,” Ingrid says. “The Venture Center and Fox Valley Tech are truly trying to help people start successful businesses.”
Doing the Right Thing The Nahms launched Appleton Solar in January 2008 to help customers convert the sun’s light into usable electricity by means of a solar electric system. The company offers two services: site assessments for solar electric systems and the design and installation of these systems. “Business was good the first year, and this year is looking to be even better,” Patrick notes. “On top of the existing rebates through Focus on Energy and local utility companies, people get an additional 30% off the cost of their system from the federal government. We expect that to dramatically improve the residential market in Wisconsin.” Starting their own business was as much about doing the right thing as it was providing for their family. “We’ve seen what’s happening to our planet and we wanted to do something that was good for the environment, for the future, and for our children,” Patrick says.
Green is Good Is this the right time for entrepreneurs with environmentally friendly offerings? Patrick and Ingrid Nahm aren’t the only entrepreneurs making green by going green. The marketplace is welcoming, even demanding, green technology and services in ways that would have been unthinkable even five years ago. “We’ve seen green businesses go from being categorized as the work of tree huggers to being completely mainstream,” notes Amy Pietsch, director of FVTC’s Venture Center. Indeed, Pietsch expects the words “green” and “mainstream” to be synonymous before long. “Within five years, I don’t think we’ll be designating things as green, organic, or healthy,” she says. “Non-green, non-sustainable, non-environmentally friendly products will be eventually phased out in the marketplace.” Of course, classifying a business as green doesn’t ensure survival. “Like any opportunity, the keys to success are smart planning and making sure that you’re solving a problem in the marketplace,” Pietsch says.
Tune in on Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. for Biz Talk on WHBY 1150 AM for expert advice on starting and growing a business. For more information on Venture Center offerings, visit www.venturecenterwi.biz.
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HEALTH
The need for medical assistants is growing, and Neng Yang is training in an FVTC program that's keeping pace with the industry. By Meleah Maynard
How do you decide on a career in an economy that’s constantly changing? That’s a question a lot of people are asking these days, and there are no simple answers. One good place to start, though, is to look hard at the job market. Regardless of the bad news we’re all hearing lately, some sectors are growing. One of the fastest is the medical assistant field. While you may not have heard this term before, if you’ve been to a doctor’s office or clinic, it’s almost certain you’ve met at least one. Medical assistants are usually the people who call your name and show you to an exam room before taking vital signs, including temperature and blood pressure. They ask about your medical history, and record your symptoms and concerns for the doctor. They also give shots; assist in minor surgery; draw blood; and run lab tests on blood, urine, and other specimens. Depending on the doctor, a medical assistant may also be the person who calls about lab results, and lets you know when a prescription has been called in. Medical assistants do many of the same things nurses do. In the last several years, the role of medical assistants has expanded to include a broader range of duties than in the past. “More procedures are being done in clinics rather than hospitals, and physicians and organizations are
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FVTC Medical Assistant Instructor Kim Gropp (left) with Neng Yang.
realizing there’s a broad spectrum of things medical assistants can do, and they’re using them more,” says Kim Gropp, an instructor and department chair with Fox Valley Technical College’s Medical Assistant program at the Oshkosh Riverside campus.
Training for the Future Neng Yang, 21, was working as a waitress before enrolling in the college’s Medical Assistant program in August 2008. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought of going to college before this. But after graduating from Oshkosh North High School in 2006, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. So she took a job at a local restaurant and put thoughts of the future on hold. “I didn’t want to just rush into doing something and then not be committed to it,” she explains. As the years passed, she thought about school a lot. But it wasn’t until her older sister, Yer Chang, 24, starting studying to be an administrative assistant at FVTC that she finally made the decision to start training for a career herself. “It was really motivating for me to see her go back to school,” Yang recalls. “I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Hey, she’s doing something with her life and I need to do that, too.’”
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Spotlight on Waupaca FVTC has several campuses and regional centers, but Waupaca was chosen as the site for the new Medical Assistant program because of the growing need for medical assistants in rural areas, says Lori Weisse, instructor and chair of Waupaca’s Medical Assistant program. The Waupaca program’s popularity has attracted a wide variety of students, ranging in age from 20 to 50, who come from many different backgrounds. Some were in a business field and wanted to change jobs. Others are displaced workers looking to move into a career that appears more stable in today’s economy. One student recently returned from a meeting at a local workforce development center, where she learned there were about 350 open medical assistant positions in the area, stretching between Green Bay and Fond du Lac. “I’m not surprised there are that many openings,” says Weisse. “A lot of places are figuring out that medical assistants can do most of the same things nurses do, so there’s a lot of room for growth.”
Though she’d always thought of doing something in the medical field, Yang didn’t know what. After learning more about medical assistants, she talked with her sister, Yer, and they decided to pursue the Medical Assistant degree. “We’re doing everything together,” says Yang. “We take classes, and help each other out. It’s good to have her there.” One thing Yang likes about the one-year, technical diploma program is that Gropp, her instructor, is a Certified Medical Assistant. “She tells us stories about what she’s experienced and that’s helpful,” says Yang, who recalls an anecdote in which Gropp took a patient’s blood pressure and realized that something was wrong. “She reported it to the doctor and she was correct— something was wrong. If she hadn’t known her stuff, no one may have noticed it.”
Growing to Meet the Need FVTC launched its Medical Assistant program in Oshkosh in 2002 because the nursing shortage at that time had increased the need for trained medical personnel. “Medical professionals were contacting us to say that they needed medical assistants to be readily available,” says Gropp. By the second year, the program reached its capacity of 24 students, with more waiting to get in. Within a few years, the number of students hoping to enroll has only increased. To help meet the need, the college started a second program at its new
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FVTC’s Medical Assistant program has opened up new career possibilities for Neng Yang.
Waupaca Regional Center in August. “We’re already seeing great interest in our Waupaca program,” says Zoe Cujak, associate dean of FVTC’s Business, Health, and Service division. Twelve students are currently enrolled there, and recruitment efforts have led to the approval of more students who are ready to enter the program. “What’s nice about having both locations is that they’re set up so Oshkosh students start in January, and Waupaca students start in August,” says Cujak. “That way, if a student needs to repeat a class, he or she can usually go to the other campus to do so without having to wait until it’s offered again.”
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Another innovative way FVTC is addressing the influx of students entering health care-related ...organizations are training programs is through Ready Groups. The realizing there’s a college no longer maintains a list of students waiting to get into a program. Rather, the Ready broad spectrum of Group process enables students to take necessary general education, science, and elective courses. things medical “Instead of students putting their name on a assistants can do, waiting list to start taking any coursework, they now can take general education courses in high-demand and they’re using programs like this,” Cujak notes. “Then they have a them more. better chance of getting into core classes.” Cujak also points to another unique aspect of FVTC’s Medical Assistant program: the use of Kim Gropp, human patient simulators. Often used to train FVTC instructor other types of medical workers such as paramedics and nurses, the simulators are essentially high-tech mannequins. Most are remarkably sophisticated. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/health.
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einvention R The
When Theresa Cross discovered she was about to become a single mom, she knew she needed to find a better job. She never dreamed that a class at FVTC would uncover her aptitude for accounting, and change her life forever.
of Theresa
Cross
By Chuck Benda Growing up, Theresa Cross was always on the move, and a little bit of a maverick. “My family is pretty nontraditional,” she says. “My mom and I were on our own and we moved around a lot. In my younger years, it seemed like I went to a different school every year.” Theresa moved to Kaukauna when she was in high school. “I struggled right away,” she recalls. “It seemed like I had to spend most of my time and energy trying to fit in—and I just wanted to learn. It was such a waste, and I ended up quitting.” Although Cross quit high school, she wasn’t about to quit learning. Her mom hired a student from Lawrence University in Appleton to tutor her in math. Theresa bought General Educational Development (GED) preparation books for other subjects she needed to master to earn her GED credential and complete the work herself. After completing her GED studies, Cross decided to “see the world.” She went to Louisiana to meet her father. She spent time following the fusion jam band Phish around the country from concert to concert. Her nomadic lifestyle limited her career opportunities, so she grabbed what work she could—for the most part tending bar or working as a waitress.
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And then one day when Cross was 26, everything changed. “I found out I was pregnant,” she says. “I knew I had to reevaluate my lifestyle and future.” Thinking she might build on her work experience, she signed up for a business math class at Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus. She did so well that her instructor, David Nunenkamp, took notice. “He told me I had the brain of an accountant,” Cross recalls. “And he told me I might find job opportunities and great pay in accounting.” A little encouragement was all she needed. She enrolled in FVTC’s associate degree Accounting program and began taking classes.
Support Network Extraordinaire While returning to school seemed like a good idea, Cross soon discovered how difficult it was to go to school, work, and care for her daughter, Ava, all at the same time. “The first semester, I only signed up for eight credits, but it was about all I could handle,” she recalls. “I’d go to school all day, come home to take care of Ava, and try to get my homework done too.” Still, she found creative ways to meet the demands of her schedule. For example, she read her accounting homework to her daughter in place of bedtime stories. “The only thing that mattered to Ava was that I made it sound like a story,” she recalls, laughing. Despite the challenges, Cross fell in love with accounting. She went to school year-round and thrived in the classroom, maintaining a 3.5+ grade point average throughout her time at FVTC. “Theresa caught on quickly,” says Dr. Verne Bryers, chair of FVTC’s Accounting department and Cross’ instructor for several classes. “Our classes are more hands-on than most four-year programs,” Bryers adds. “And group work is essential. Theresa soon developed a real knack for the team approach.” Cross credits her success to the extraordinary support she received both in and out of school. From her mom and her stepdad, to Ava’s
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Demand
HIGH
Even during uncertain economic conditions, the accounting field remains steady.
Theresa Cross is amazed that she earned a great job with an associate degree in Accounting. Dawn Johanknecht isn’t. “Accounting firms like ours are hiring more and more graduates with two-year degrees,” says Johanknecht, a CPA and principal with Suby, Von Haden & Associates. “We’ve had so much success with them; we often joke about wanting to clone them.” FVTC Accounting program graduates possess the right mix of skills, according to Johanknecht. “The curriculum at FVTC, with its emphasis on computers and technology and the use of integrated accounting software, gives students exactly the kind of preparation we’re looking for,” she says. “There are many jobs for people with associate degrees,” adds Dr. Verne Bryers, chair of FVTC’s Accounting department. “With everything going on in the economy these days, there’s an even greater need for accountants to ensure compliance with regulations.” Whatever the cause, recent research supports the contentions of Johanknecht and Bryers. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the overall demand for accountants and auditors will grow by almost 18% between 2006 and 2016; more than 225,000 new accountants and auditor positions will need to be filled. What’s more, according to a recent survey of more than 3,500 working accountants conducted by Payscale.com, accountants with associate degrees were earning almost as much ($40,448) per year as accountants with bachelor’s degrees ($42,463). The survey did not provide information about how long respondents had been in the workplace. father and his family, to friends and neighbors, she never lacked for people willing to help. And that includes almost everyone she came in contact with at FVTC—from her instructors to the people in the financial aid office, to her fellow students. “I can’t think of anyone who wasn’t supportive,” she says. Nunenkamp was one of several FVTC instructors who provided recommendations and helped Cross apply for scholarships. While at FVTC, she was awarded three scholarships and received a number of federal Pell Grants. In the end, she was able to pay for almost her entire education through various forms of financial aid. Quite often, the support Cross received from the people at FVTC went well beyond the call of duty. Carole Schroeder, an instructional aide in the accounting lab, helped Cross with her homework and even assisted her in finding a part-time job. “She became a close friend,” says Cross. Cross graduated from FVTC in December 2008. In all, it took her three years to complete the Accounting program. By comparison, it took almost no time at all to find the kind of job she’d been hoping for.
Dream Job Shortly after graduation, Cross began—and ended—her job search. At the Career Fair on the Fox, a public job fair sponsored through FVTC’s Student Employment Services and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, she met Dawn Johanknecht, a certified public accountant
Fox Valley Technical College
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I never imagined that with an associate degree I could start out with such a great job and such a nice salary.
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Theresa Cross and Dawn Johanknecht
and a principal with Suby, Von Haden & Associates, a Madison-based accounting firm with offices around the Midwest. “I was very impressed with her right away,” says Johanknecht. “Her enthusiasm and ability to communicate, along with the way she presented herself, convinced me to ask her back for a full interview the next day.” On January 5, Cross accepted a position as an associate accountant in the firm’s Neenah office. In addition to a full range of accounting services for businesses and individuals, Suby offers wealth management and information technology consulting. “Theresa is working on bookkeeping, payroll processing, preparing tax returns, and more,” says Johanknecht, who adds that Cross is off to a good start. Although the pace of her new job gets frantic at times, things aren’t all that much different than when she was going to school. Except now she has a regular paycheck, health
FVTC offers a two-year Accounting degree and a one-year Accounting Assistant technical diploma. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/business.
insurance, and other benefits—and a job that is exceeding her expectations. Cross, who will turn 30 in April, also has a fiancé, Kyle, who has been very supportive of all the new dimensions in her life. “I never imagined that with an associate degree I could start out with such a great job and such a nice salary,” she says. “And it’s pretty cool, too, that there’s a place like FVTC, where what matters most is your determination.”
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Controlling his
Destiny
By Sara Gilbert
When Eric Reindl discovered the Computer Control Engineering Technology program at FVTC, he figured out his future career.
Eric Reindl (left) and FVTC instructor Walt Hedges
When Eric Reindl was a kid, he taught his mom how to turn on her computer and helped her learn how to use it. It always came easy to him and was something he enjoyed doing. But it wasn’t something he wanted to turn into a career when he graduated from high school in 2003. Instead, he took a job installing gutters. A friend’s father hired him to work at his gutter-installation business. It worked out well. Reindl loved being outside in the summer and appreciated the opportunity to stay active all day.
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But eventually, the physical labor and lack of opportunities started to wear him out. “It was taking a toll on my body, for one thing, and I didn’t really think I had that great of a future installing gutters,” he admits. Now Reindl’s future is looking much better. The Green Bay native is about two semesters shy of earning an associate degree in Computer Control Engineering Technology (CCET) from Fox Valley Technical College. He’s already been checking out job listings and feels confident that he’ll be able to find work in the growing field when he graduates. Craig Hemken, an instructor in the program, has high hopes for Reindl and all of the other students enrolled in the CCET program as well. Hemken helped launch the program at FVTC about five years ago. He talked to local industry representatives and discovered that they could use employees with both electronic and computer hardware skills, as well as programming and software knowledge. “That hybrid mix of skills was something they were looking for,” says Hemken. “More and more processes are becoming automated. There is a need for people who have both electronic and computer skills.”
Fox Valley Technical College
Controlling the Environment Computer control engineering technology is the use of computers to control real-time applications. It integrates electronics, software, computer systems, and control systems to create innovative solutions for industrial dilemmas, and is used in many different settings, from manufacturing companies to hospitals and other health-care providers. It was the combination of electronic circuitry and computer programming that appealed to Reindl when he started investigating new career options. He had considered opting for a basic networking degree, but he knew that eventually he wanted to go beyond that with his skills. When he heard about computer control engineering, he was intrigued. “It deals with networking, which I like, but also with fixing circuitry and troubleshooting,” he says. “It sounded like something I would enjoy.” Once he had settled on a new career path, however, the challenge became finding a place to pursue it. Because CCET is still a relatively new field, degree programs can be hard to find. FVTC offers the only program of its kind within the Wisconsin Technical College System. That was ideal for Reindl, who lives in Green Bay but works in Appleton. “When I found out the program was at FVTC, that was perfect,” he says. “I go to school early in the morning, go to work, and then most days return to school again in the evening.” Add homework to that schedule and Reindl’s life is quite hectic. His wife, Jessie, is one of the reasons he started the program in the first place. When they got married in 2006, Reindl realized that it would be hard to support a wife and children with the money he was making installing gutters. He didn’t have any opportunities for advancement, unless he wanted to own a business of his own. “I wasn’t ready for that,” he says. “I just wanted to make enough money for my family.”
Meeting the Challenge Although FVTC’s 70-credit CCET program is designed to be completed in two years, Reindl knew when he enrolled that it would take him a bit longer to finish. He’s been taking classes on a part-time basis so he can also fit in almost 30 hours of work per week. Many other students have taken advantage of that option, Hemken says. “A lot of students have to work,” he notes. “We want this program to be flexible enough for them as well.” The program is challenging, which is another reason that Reindl is grateful for the opportunity to tackle the courses at his own pace. The first half of the program is devoted to mastering the electronics portion of the equations, basically learning how electricity works. The second half focuses on the computer control components. He started those related classes last semester. Reindl has always enjoyed math and science, and working with numbers comes fairly easily for him. This frame of mind has helped prepare him for an engineering technology career. “He’s a very logical person,” says FVTC Electronic Technology Instructor Walt Hedges. “He’s very systematic in the way he solves problems.” Reindl appreciates the problem-solving practice he’s already learned. Working with circuits that have hundreds or possibly even thousands of resistors can be tricky, he admits, but he’s beginning to understand the process of troubleshooting problems. “There are a lot of different components to put together and figure out,” he says. “There’s a good deal of problem solving that you have to do.”
Engineering a Flexible Future The next problem for Reindl to solve is where to work once he’s done with the CCET program. With his degree, he’ll be ready for work in a variety of situations. His goal is to find a job as a control system engineer, possibly in a health care setting. FVTC offers a specialized biomedical controls course that he’d like to take, if time allows. He could also look for a similar position at a nearby manufacturing company, or work as a software engineer or instrumentation technician. Of course, he’s already got the perfect position in mind. He’d love to be able to take a job at a hospital in Green Bay, where his wife works as a medical assistant. He’s seen job listings in the classifieds for that particular site and is hopeful that something will be available when he’s finished with his degree. “It would be really nice to have some actual structure to my day,” he says.
Engineering technology alumnus Katy Dawson
Engineering at FVTC As FVTC alumnus Katy Dawson knows, graduates of the college's Computer Control Engineering Technology (CCET) program can choose from a wide variety of career opportunities. Dawson, who recently graduated from the college, has a rewarding new job in the engineering field. In addition to the two-year CCET program, the college has other engineering programs available: • Applied Engineering Technology, which is designed to prepare technicians to enter an evolving work environment by providing a solid background in general manufacturing areas. • Electrical Engineering Technology, which provides students with the skills they need to work as technicians in the electronics industry or to continue their education in a bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. • Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology, which prepares graduates to work in the areas of networking, program development, and application of digital-based electronic systems.
For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/engtech.
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on alumni
Q&A with Hilbert native Tim Franz, Chief of the Oshkosh Fire Department. Oshkosh Fire Chief Tim Franz
By Phil Bolsta
When did you attend FVTC? I attended from 1981 through 1983 and earned my associate degree in the Fire Protection Technician program. I enrolled again in 1985 to receive paramedic training.
Why did you choose FVTC? I wanted to be a firefighter/paramedic since I was an early teen. My influencers were my father, who was chief of the volunteer fire department in Hilbert, and my brother, who was also a volunteer firefighter. When FVTC coordinated a live fire training session, my brother invited me along to observe. He introduced me to David McFadden, who was the coordinator of the fire program at the time. After my discussions with Mr. McFadden, I was convinced that FVTC was the place I needed to go to start a career as a firefighter.
What does a typical work week look like? It’s a little different now than when I started as a firefighter, because those were 24-hour shifts. I now work daytime hours Monday through Friday, but evening events such as city council meetings can extend my days. I also respond to major problems and emergencies on nights and weekends. I occasionally fill in for battalion chiefs when they’re on vacation; that’s a 24-hour shift while I’m also serving in my capacity as fire chief.
What are your responsibilities as fire chief? It’s a broad range, everything from personnel and budgeting to planning and developing the policies for the department. I also meet with the public regularly and serve as the incident commander at major city emergencies.
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Each day is different; there is no set schedule, which is one of the things I like about the job.
How did you come to be fire chief? When I graduated from FVTC, I didn’t have the intention of being a fire chief one day. But as I worked my way up through the ranks of the department, my interest in this career and in fire service just grew stronger. Early on, I began collecting ideas on how I thought things could be done better, and I hoped someday to be in a position where I could make those changes happen. After graduating from FVTC I continued my education at the University of Cincinnati and at the National Fire Academy. My career continued to evolve. I was honored to be named fire chief in June 2000.
What challenges do you face on your job? Like everyone else in the government, we’re dealing with fiscal issues. In the business world the demand for services may be down, but the demand for our services is increasing. But with tax revenues going down or being held flat because of state levy limits, it’s getting more difficult to fund those services. The increased demand is largely due to demographic reasons, primarily related to emergency medical services because our population is growing and aging while health care is changing.
What do you do in your leisure time? I spend a lot of time with my family. My wife, Jennifer, and I have three daughters who are 20, 17, and 14. I also like working in my workshop and gardening. In the summer, I’m on a pit crew for a stock car racing team with my cousins at Wisconsin International Raceway.
Fox Valley Technical College
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I was convinced that FVTC was the place I needed to go to start a career as a firefighter.
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Tim Franz
Fire Protection Career Training at FVTC The 434 students enrolled in FVTC’s Fire Protection Technician program receive state-of-the-art training at one of the Midwest's premier fire training facilities, located in Neenah. Under the leadership of department chair Jeremy Hansen, the program covers fire prevention, fire inspections, fire investigations, fire truck operation, fire protection systems, building construction, and more. It also deals extensively with the handling of hazardous materials and offers instruction on different modes of technical rescue, including rope, confined space, and trench rescue. Graduates typically find career opportunities throughout Wisconsin and the nation. “We are very highly regarded as a technical college that gets our students ready for their jobs,” Hansen says. “Most of our students are hired within 12 months of graduation, and they can expect a long career as a firefighter.”
For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/firetrainingcenter.
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on the Foundation
Old Friends, Strong Ties For four decades, FVTC and J. J. Keller & Associates have worked together to help meet the region’s workforce needs. By Vicki Stavig Neenah-based J. J. Keller & Associates has long been committed to helping ensure the economic vitality of northeastern Wisconsin. Such a commitment is evident in the $20 million in contributions the J. J. Keller Foundation has made to organizations in the area. Over the years, Fox Valley Technical College has been one of many beneficiaries of the J. J. Keller Foundation’s generosity. “We place great value on Fox Valley Technical College,” says Jim Keller, vice president and treasurer of the J. J. Keller Foundation, which was founded in 1991. “We’ve been supporting the college for the last 40 years. It’s a great partnership, and it has stood the Jim Keller test of time.” J. J. Keller & Associates produces 6,000 safety and regulatory compliance products and services for 400,000 clients throughout the world, and has been a substantial supporter of FVTC’s Truck Driving program. “Our largest market is the transportation and truck driving market,
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We place great value on Fox Valley Technical College. We’ve been supporting the college for the last 40 years.
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Jim Keller
and FVTC has one of the finest truck driving programs in the country,” Keller says. “It’s a big piece of the community.” In 2004, a $500,000 contribution from the John J. & Ethel D. Keller Donor-Advised Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region was the lead gift for a community-wide campaign that generated $2.1 million for scholarships and special projects at FVTC. In recognition of this major lead gift and the Keller’s longtime support of the college, FVTC’s transportation center was renamed the J. J. Keller Transportation Center in November 2004. Today it houses the college’s Truck Driving, Diesel, and Automotive programs. “I’m convinced that our program would not be in the position it’s in without the assistance of the J. J. Keller Foundation,” says Rob Behnke, a program advisor and instructor in FVTC’s Truck Driving program. That program currently includes 48 semi-trucks and trailers, as well as five Class “B” commercial vehicles, according to Deborah Heath, FVTC’s dean of Transportation and Construction Technologies. Thanks to a $400,000 gift in 1999 from the J. J. Keller Foundation, students practice driving those trucks on the J. J. Keller Driving Range, a one-mile, closed driving course. Over the years, the J. J. Keller Foundation has also supported truck driving scholarships, the FVTC Truck Driving Staff Professional Growth Fund, and curriculum adaptation for students for whom English is a second language. The organization also donated a truck-driving simulator to FVTC and routinely provides the college’s Transportation department with books, videotapes, and other training materials. The partnership doesn’t stop there. The college has also received donations from the J. J. Keller Foundation for its Parent/Child Center at the Appleton campus, and Fire Training Center in
From left, J. J. Keller Foundation Board members Mary Murvine, Bob Keller, Marne Keller-Krikava, and Brian Keller.
Neenah. In addition, the J. J. Keller Foundation contributes to an annual scholarship for Culinary Arts students. “We help FVTC and they help us,” Keller says. “The college helps us with associate training and trains people for employment, and we hire them and keep them in the Valley. We’re sort of like first cousins.”
Take Your Best Shot for Students in Need FVTC Foundation 2009 Golf Outings Join us and our event sponsor, Community First Credit Union, for two incredible golf outings: Wednesday, July 15, at Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course in Oshkosh; and Wednesday, August 5, at Crystal Springs in Seymour. Our 2009 fundraising goal is $150,000 to support the increased needs of students in today’s challenging economy. Many sponsorship opportunities are available. To learn more, visit www.fvtc.edu/golfouting or call Alyce Dumke at (920) 735-5695.
Help our students become Futuremakers!
For more information on giving that works, visit www.fvtc.edu/foundation.
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spring 2009
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on student life By Karen Hansen
Help at Hand Once a volunteer project, FVTC’s student-run IT Helpdesk now provides an exceptional hands-on learning experience. A few years ago, Beth Calder lost her job in the automotive industry and found herself “sick of going from $10 jobs to $10 jobs.” After considering her options, she decided to return to school, and chose Fox Valley Technical College. “It was close to home, and I could get a hands-on education,” Calder says, adding that IT was at the top of her list. “I have always enjoyed working with computers, and was told that I was good with them, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I took five skills tests that tell you what career path to take. IT networking was in the top two on all five.” So she took the plunge and began working toward an associate degree in the IT Network Specialist program. It was a big challenge—Calder is married with children. Still, she was so motivated to pursue the challenge that she took on an ambitious volunteer project during the Fall 2007 semester: launching and
operating FVTC’s Student IT Helpdesk. The project addressed two needs: providing additional assistance for students experiencing computer problems, and creating a convenient, hands-on work experience for IT students. She was joined on the project by fellow student Jon Smith, a pairing that turned out to be ideal. “He tended to handle more of the technical side of the project,” says Calder. “I primarily handled the administrative side.” The pair had to contend with a host of challenges, including finding a physical space on campus, determining what services to provide, recruiting volunteers to staff the Helpdesk, and more. But they persevered and opened the service during the Spring 2008 semester. Today, it addresses a range of common problems, including slowrunning computers, viruses, network connection issues, and basic maintenance. The services are free and the word has spread. In addition, working at the Student Helpdesk is now integrated into the Help Desk Concepts and Customer Service Skills for Help Desk Professionals courses. “Some students have sent us thank you notes,” Calder says. “They were
Survivors and Heroes Among Them FVTC’s Speaker Series brings inspiring and entertaining speakers, and powerful life lessons, to students and the community. Even the most successful programs can use a bit of tweaking. For Fox Valley Technical College’s Speaker Series, established in the late 1980s, that has meant giving students and faculty more influence in selecting speakers who enhance course content and student life. After surveying students about topics that interest them, the college’s Student Life staff and Student Activities Committee identify 10 to 15 high-level speakers annually. The student body narrows the list via surveys, and faculty members consult about tying the
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Paul Rusesabagina (center) interacts with students.
speakers’ subjects to their coursework. The Spring 2009 lineup is typical. Drummer, producer, and songwriter Phil Varone shared his story of drug addiction, in hopes of keeping today’s youth out of those traps. Teri Jendusa Nicolai, who related her harrowing ordeal of spousal abuse on ABC’s 20/20, discussed domestic abuse warning signs.
Fox Valley Technical College
glad there was a place to go that would not charge a ton of money to fix something they might not otherwise be able to afford.” For Calder, who is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree online, the experience will fuel her future. “It confirmed that I want to be in a network of computers and people,” she says. “I learned that I can take an idea, put it together with resources, implement it, and problemsolve. There are obstacles, and you have to determine how to get around them.”
Beth Calder
For more information on the IT programs at FVTC, visit www.fvtc.edu/IT.
The college also welcomed Henry Boone in 2008, the real-life figure played by Denzel Washington in the movie Remember the Titans. When Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda, spoke in January, among the thousand people packed into FVTC’s Appleton campus commons was Henry Golde. A Holocaust survivor, Golde’s own annual Speaker Series appearance fills to capacity. For all sessions, attendance is free and student fees fund the speakers.
View a video clip of Rusesabagina's inspiring story at www.fvtc.edu/hotelrwanda. For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/speakerseries.
Students in National Twelve FVTC students representing the AgriBusiness/Science Technology, Agriculture/Outdoor Power Equipment, and Farm Operation programs earned national awards in March at the 2009 Post-Secondary Agriculture Student Conference in Hershey, PA.
Spotlight
Individual winners: Jake Eickstedt—1st Place, Career Planning: Power, Structural & Technical Systems; 4th Place, Employment Interview: Agriculture Equipment Jesse Backhaus—2nd Place, Career Planning: Power, Structural & Technical Systems Michelle Wozniak—3rd Place, Prepared Speaking Brad Birzer—4th Place, Fertilizer & Agriculture Chemicals Stephanie Meinnert—6th Place, Career Progress: Agribusiness Management & Marketing Systems (non-retail) Jose Chacon—7th Place, Forestry & Natural Resources
Team winners: College Bowl—4th Place, Adam Kolb, Eric Redeker, Jake Eickstedt, Jose Chacon, and Michelle Wozniak Dairy Contest Team Event—7th Place, Jessica Van Gheem, Adam Kolb, Michelle Wozniak, Bruce Reese Crop Specialist Team Event—15th Place, Eric Redeker, Brandon Voss, and Zachary Voss
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Jake Eickstedt, first-place national winner at the Post-Secondary Agriculture Student Conference
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Follow grad Ryan Guthrie's work as a global robotics expert by visiting www.fvtc.edu/ryan