Fox Valley Technical College | Focus Magazine | Fall 2014

focus

volume 7, issue 2• fall 2014

Fox Valley Technical College

your future

Advanced Mfg. Grads Matt VanWie (left) & Joey VanWie

CAREER minded

Employers need people now with the right skills

Inside: Dental grad finds success. Page 7 IT student gets hands-on training.

Page 12

Training from the top truck driving school took this grad on the road.

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welcome!

Instructors here provide students with a range of practical knowledge and skills while sharing their experiences from industry. This helps you succeed whether you’re taking one class or completing a degree program. My classes have given me confidence and prepared me for a career in hospitality.

Mercedes Marcouex Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management

contents Focus is published bi-annually for the communities of Fox Valley Technical College.

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Engineeered to Succeed Current student Dan Steiner and graduate James Koop both looked to FVTC for high-tech careers in engineering technology.

Tech Brothers Ripon natives Joey and Matt VanWie are teaming up to install and service hightech automation systems for the global paper industry.

Computer Central IT student Jessica Meshke is gaining valuable experience with computer technology while helping others along the way.

Networked to Succeed No two days are alike for IT grad Josh Breyer, thanks to FVTC.

what’s now

at Every Turn 6 Success The new Student Success Center brings achievement to students through many supportive resources.

in every issue 2

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Director of College Marketing Barb Dreger Executive Editor/Manager of Media Relations Chris Jossart Art Director Cara Jakubiec Contributing Editors Sue Anderson, Casey Britten

Around FVTC A quick look at what’s making news at FVTC.

Contributing Writers Joan Neumahr, Amy Vander Stoep

Focus on Workplace Training An innovative partnership with Walker Forge is building a model workforce for this economy.

President Dr. Susan A. May

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Focus on the Entrepreneur One entrepreneur is sketching his talents around the globe.

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Focus on High-Demand Careers For one FVTC grad, the path to a rewarding career as a dental hygienist started with training as an assistant.

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Focus on Alumni Q & A with Truck Driving grad Robin Grapa.

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Focus on the Foundation Scholarships helped two recent agribusiness grads continue family traditions.

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Focus on the Student Experience Students in FVTC’s Horticulture Technician program landscaped an eyeopening makeover for a nursing care community.

Photography Gary Brilowski, Gary Gawinski, Patrick Kelly, Adam Shea

Fox Valley Technical College

1825 N. Bluemound Dr. P.O. Box 2277 Appleton, WI 54912-2277 1-800-735-3882 TTY (hearing impaired) 920-735-2569 www.fvtc.edu jossart@fvtc.edu (email 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 15 apprenticeship trades, in addition to providing services to business and industry. The college serves about 50,000 people annually, more than any other technical college in Wisconsin.

© 2014 Fox Valley Technical College.

All rights reserved. Equal Opportunity Employer/ Educator.

around FVTC Growing # 1 FVTC’s Ag Program Named Top in State Fox Valley Technical College’s Agriculture department received the 2014 Outstanding Post-Secondary Agriculture Program award at the Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators (WAAE) professional development conference in Middleton.

The department received the distinction for establishing an innovative partnership with Case IH and Service Motor Company, its commitment to new technologies and hands-on learning labs, and producing outstanding graduate employment rates for students. In addition to the Ag-related programs

at FVTC, the Horticulture and Outdoor Power Equipment programs were part of the nomination process toward earning the award.

WAAE is the professional association for agriculture educators in Wisconsin. Members include 295 middle school, high school, technical college, and university educators. The focus of the association is to provide professional development, legislative support, and educational resources for teachers to enhance their local agriculture education programs.

Members of Fox Valley Technical College’s Agriculture department

Eight Straight For the 8th consecutive year, FVTC was voted the best Local College/University by the Post Crescent’s annual “Best of the Valley” People’s Choice Awards.

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www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

News Briefs • Mary Downs has been named executive director of the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation, Inc. and Community Relations. Previously, Downs served as system vice-president of Spine & Orthopedic Service Lines for ThedaCare.

• FVTC’s 2014 Graduate Employment Research Report cites a record 38 degree and diploma programs with 100% job placement.

A Matter of Public Safety The new Public Safety Training Center (PSTC) is a premiere national facility designed to better prepare those who respond to emergencies and protect our communities. Here is a snapshot of the PSTC, scheduled to open in January as a result of a successful 2012 public referendum:

75 acres of indoor and outdoor tactical training space to enhance best practices in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services, forensic science, and wildland fire.

30 foot + ‘ant hill’ for confined space drills.

6–story burn tower for fire training and four firearms ranges for police training, including one that is 300 yards.

River City,

a simulated training village with a motel, homes, and convenience store, provides scenarios that simultaneously involve police, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel.

Mary Downs

• Three students from the Business Management and Marketing programs earned top five finishes at the Collegiate Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA) International Career Development Conference in Washington, D.C. The student team of Colin Welbes and Ryan Wolf took 3rd place in the sports and entertainment marketing competition, while fellow student Ben Hanson earned a top five finish in a role play category for restaurant and food service. Students Denni Lecus, Brittney Workentine, and Brooke Wiegman each earned a top 10 finish at the conference.

• Jared Huss, chief instructor for the AeronauticsPilot Training program, was voted one of four recipients in the Northwestern’s annual “4 Under 40” campaign, recognizing rising community leaders in the Oshkosh region who are under the age of 40.

Jared Huss

• Julie Matulle, a graduate of the Truck Driving program, won the 4th annual Mike O’Connell Memorial Trucking’s Top Rookie award. She earned the national honor out of a record pool of 55 nominations.

Julie Matulle Emergency response training and other related crisis scenarios will take place on a Boeing 727 donated by FedEx.

aircraft

train cars

present a derailment that requires Three specialized, multi-disciplinary responders.

Other areas include a spacious fire apparatus training bay, an expanded Emergency Vehicle Operator Course, a water rescue pond, and more.

News Flash!

For the freshest FVTC news, see our revamped NewsCenter at www.fvtc.edu/News.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/PSTC

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on workplace training Forging a Strong Workforce An innovative partnership between Walker Forge and Fox Valley Technical College is building a model workforce for this economy.

Rick Recktenwald in Walker Forge’s Robotics Training Lab

Partnering by the Numbers:

Here is a snapshot of Fox Valley Technical College’s impact on training Walker Forge’s workforce over the past decade:

169,000

training hours, representing

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Fox Valley Technical College is a state leader in workforce training:

and

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Walker Forge has made Fox Valley Tech a part of our culture in retaining and developing talent.

26,000 2,000+

employees

employers trained for instructional

contracts and professional development classes, representing nearly 1/5 of all Wisconsin Technical College System participants enrolled in customized training.

2012-13 data from FVTC’s annual Purpose Monitoring Report

Recktenwald believes that Walker Forge’s continuing success comes from its strategy of cross-training all employees. “With the integration of computers into every aspect of our work, it is essential for everyone to understand all aspects of the business,” he says.

According to Recktenwald, most of his company’s workplace training comes from FVTC. “Fox Valley Tech is light years ahead of other schools,” he says. “No one matches this college’s fast response in setting up new programs. An example is the new metallurgy program that started here in September.”

Walker Forge also sponsors FVTC scholarships for high school students as a way to encourage young people to go into manufacturing. “These are big hurdles and Fox Valley Tech provides a great bridge,” says Recktenwald. “When we have a need or a potential problem, we know where to go for help.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/BIS

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Rick Recktenwald

different skill sets.

TRAINING by the Numbers:

More than

As a recent Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award winner, Walker Forge builds success through exemplary partnerships. A premier producer of carbon alloy steel forgings for the energy, agriculture, transportation, railroad, and construction industries, the company relies on Fox Valley Technical College and its Business & Industry Services division to develop programs to cross-train its workforce.

President/CEO Rick Recktenwald credits FVTC with listening to his company’s needs and then providing the right training. “Walker Forge has made Fox Valley Tech a part of our culture in retaining and developing talent,” he states. “All of our designers are Computer Aided Design (CAD) graduates of the college, and for the past 15 years, virtually every maintenance department associate is either enrolled or has completed the State of Wisconsin Apprenticeship program and maintains journeyperson status.”

focus

on the entrepreneur

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The Venture Center is focused on helping you succeed.

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Mick Walsh

Amy Pietsch and Mick Walsh

Drawing on Success One entrepreneur is sketching his talents around the globe thanks to training from the Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center.

When Amy Pietsch, director of the Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center, asked Mick Walsh to do a visual recording of the Pro-SeedTM Business Model Design Workshop, she opened the door to a new career.

Walsh, a well-seasoned art/creative director and illustrator, had never really done visual recording before—the process of taking notes and drawing sketches on huge charts during an actual presentation or meeting. “I did the first project for the Venture Center and loved it,” he says. “I then decided to start my own business, and with Amy’s encouragement I enrolled in the E-seedTM Express Training Series.”

E-seed helped Walsh launch his new business, SketchBIZ, LLC. “I started putting numbers together for my business plan,” he says. “One big key was the research I had to do, which resulted in finding an international organization that already does visual recording.”

Today, business is booming. Walsh has traveled all over the country for such clients as the Smithsonian Institute, Dell Computers, Molson Coors Brewing Company, and the Canadian Legal Department. “I usually get an agenda and then draw, in real time, what’s being said at the actual meeting,” he states. “With my illustrations, the clients can literally see what’s being presented or discussed.”

Walsh heartily recommends the E-seed series. “The Venture Center is focused on helping you succeed,” he says. “I still keep in touch with several of my former classmates. We’ve become cheerleaders for each other and have built a network. They are like my own PR group.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/VentureCenter

spotlight on global entrepreneurship The Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center showcased its exemplary approach to entrepreneurship during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November. “We highlighted the real impact that entrepreneur training within the Wisconsin Technical College System has on our economy,” states Amy Pietsch, director of the Venture Center.

Some of the activities during the week included: •A Small Business Job Fair •A Business Model Cup Challenge at FVTC’s Riverside campus in Oshkosh •A look at rural entrepreneurship throughout Waupaca County

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What’s NOW

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We now have one central place where students can go to get assistance.

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Dr. Patti Jorgensen

Success at Every Turn The new Student Success Center brings achievement to students through many supportive resources.

Growing Success This September marked the opening of the two-story Student Success Center (SSC) at Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus, a result of the college’s successful 2012 public referendum that passed by a two-to-one margin. The new facility is designed to provide students with easy access to all of FVTC’s academic services.

“In previous years, it was a bit challenging for students to find the individual help that they needed,” says Dr. Patti Jorgensen, vice president of student and community development. “We now have one central place where students can go to get assistance.

During the first two weeks the center was open, about 600 students connected with tutors or study groups.”

The SSC’s services include peer and faculty tutoring and other academic support, in addition to easy access to meeting rooms, computers, and an expanded library that creates a learnerfriendly setting. “Almost every student will come through here frequently during his or her academic career to use these support services,” states Jorgensen. “We have everything from stress management classes to career preparation training, and more.”

The SSC serves as an ideal environment to prepare students with skills that employers are seeking—teamwork, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, and more. These soft skills, coupled with technical knowledge, make FVTC students well-positioned for success in this economy.

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The Student Success Center’s centerpiece is the Tree of Success, a 24 ft. handcrafted tree with 57 leaves under a center skylight.

Each leaf is inscribed with a motivational word that students developed based off of what success means to them. The trunk and branches of the tree were built by students in FVTC’s Wood Manufacturing Technology program in Oshkosh.

FVTC collaborated on the project with Banker Wire, Custom Metals, Inc., Miron Construction, and Eppstein Uhen Architects.

focus

on high-demand careers

A Dental Double For one FVTC grad, the path to a rewarding career as a dental hygienist started with training as an assistant.

Katarina Auler always knew she wanted a career in the dental field. After touring Fox Valley Technical College as a student at Oshkosh West High School, she was sold. “I enrolled in Fox Valley Tech’s Dental Assistant program to get started on my dental education,” recalls the 26-year-old. “I loved it!”

After completing the program, Auler began working as a dental assistant. Shortly afterward she was accepted into FVTC’s Dental Hygienist program. “I was able to work in the field while taking classes to advance my career,” she says. “And, because I could keep my job while in school, I could pay for my classes as I took them.”

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I was able to work in the field while taking classes to advance my career.

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Katarina Auler Today, Auler works as a dental hygienist for Bellevue Family Dentistry near Green Bay—three days a week as a hygienist and two days as a dental assistant. “Taking both programs was a great career path for me,” she says. “I get to do it all.”

As a dental hygienist, Auler gets to know her patients. She finds it especially rewarding when they come back for return visits and she sees their improvements. “I feel I am making a small difference in their lives,” she says. “As a hygienist, I can talk to them about overall health matters, as well as their oral health.”

Auler still keeps in professional contact with her FVTC dental instructors. “The instructors are all professional hygienists themselves, and they encourage you to do your best,” she states. “To this day, I feel they are standing by my side. I still email them when I have questions. I’m happy as a dental hygienist, and they certainly played a major role in helping me get here.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/HealthScience

Katarina Auler

92%

job placement for graduates of both FVTC’s Dental Assistant & Dental Hygienist programs over the past two years.

FVTC’s Graduate Employment Research Reports, 2013 & 2014

$53,000

average annual salary for graduates of FVTC’s Dental Hygienist program six months after graduation.

FVTC’s Graduate Employment Research Report, 2013

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d e e c c u S o t d e r e e n i Eng looked mes Koop both Ja te a u d ra g d teiner an logy.

Student Dan S eering techno in g n e in rs e h-tech care to FVTC for hig

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I’ve always felt that being treated like an adult was a much better option for me than going to a frat party.

- Dan Steiner

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Student Dan Steiner, with instructor Steve Saindon

Dan Steiner was, in many ways, destined to become an Electrical Engineering Technology student. The 20-yearold Appleton native inherited his father’s love for problem-solving, math, and mechanical work. After graduating from Appleton North High School, he confidently chose Fox Valley Technical College as the next logical step in reaching his career goals.

“I love all my classes, from learning basic circuits and measurements to using formulas to predict what would happen when you switched on the power,” says Steiner.

Steiner, who will graduate this fall, is taking advantage of FVTC’s transfer agreement with the Milwaukee School of Engineering. “I not only got accepted, but I received a scholarship too,” he says.

Steiner finds that the diverse student body at FVTC offers a great learning environment. “Everyone in my classes has a lot of life experience, and they treat you with respect,” he says. “I now have friends who are much older than me because we share common interests. I’ve always felt that being treated like an adult was a much better option for me than going to a frat party.”

Steiner also believes in the FVTC approach to teaching. “The instructors know what they’re talking about and give you the advantage of their experience,” he says.

“Unlike traditional schools where you do textbook learning, at Fox Valley Tech you spend the majority of your time building things, doing experiments, and learning how to troubleshoot.”

• • • View video: www.fvtc.edu/EET14

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96%

job placement during the past three years for FVTC graduates of the Electrical Engineering Technology program.

Like many people, James Koop enrolled in a four-year college right after high school, but he soon realized it wasn’t for him. “I lacked motivation and after dropping out, I drifted for a few years,” he recalls. “I returned home and did the smart thing: I enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College.”

Koop first earned an associate degree at FVTC in Culinary Arts. The Appleton native loved the hands-on approach to learning and soon found a great job as a chef. However, married with a baby on the way, he needed more family-friendly hours. He once again turned to FVTC, enrolling in the Electronic Engineering Technology program. “This program was my second love,” he says. “I landed a really great entry-level job.”

Today, the 30-year-old Koop is a technician with Ducommun, a global provider of manufacturing and engineering services for the aerospace, defense, industrial, and medical markets. He is responsible for working on circuit card solutions for the medical industry. “Ducommun hired me before I graduated. I wake up every morning and am happy to go to work,” he says. “The people are great, the work is challenging, and I am never bored.”

Eventually Koop hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering. For now, he’s busy enough keeping up with his three-year-old daughter and family life.

“I wish I had gone to Fox Valley Tech right out of high school,” he says. “The teachers are great, and they all have real experience in their fields. Best of all, there are lots of career opportunities in this industry.”

FVTC Graduate Employment Research Reports, 2012, 2013, 2014

256

full-time job openings in the New North region for careers in engineering-related fields.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report & Wisconsin TechConnect

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Engineering

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Ducommun hired me before I graduated.

- James Koop

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James Koop

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I was debt-free from my Fox Valley Tech days within one year of working here.

- Joey VanWie

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Fox Valley Tech gave me the skills I needed for this great career.

- Matt VanWie

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www.fvtc.edu Fox FoxValley ValleyTechnical TechnicalCollege College www.fvtc.edu

TECH Joey VanWie entered the manufacturing field in 2011 after he graduated from Fox Valley Technical College with an associate degree in Automated Manufacturing Systems Technology. “I tried a four-year school, which I didn’t like, and then did odd jobs,” says the 31-year old. “I saw robotics at work and then discovered that Fox Valley Tech had a related program and the tuition was reasonable,” he says.

As a service technician for Tissue Excellence Center in Appleton, a Tissue Machinery Company from Italy that provides training, service, and parts for packaging machines in North America, Joey handles installations and troubleshooting. “This equipment is half the size of a school bus and it wraps individual rolls into different configurations of packages,” he says.

Joey has worked at paper companies across the continent.

“I’m on the road about 70-80% of the time,” he says. “It gets hectic, but the extra pay is great. I was debt-free from my Fox Valley Tech days within one year of working here.”

Matt VanWie, 29, came to FVTC on the advice of his older brother, Joey. “I heard him talk about what he was doing there,” says Matt. “I was living in South Carolina and decided to move back.”

Matt enrolled in FVTC’s Electro-Mechanical Technology program. “Fox Valley Tech made it very easy for me to return to school,” states Matt. “My original plan was to get an associate degree and then a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

That’s when Joey recommended me for a job at Tissue Excellence Center.”

Like his brother, Matt travels across the country as a service technician handling everything from original installations to updates and troubleshooting. “Fox Valley Tech gave me the skills I needed for this great career,” he says.

brothers Ripon natives Joey and Matt VanWie are teaming up to install and service high-tech automation systems for the global paper industry.

100%

job placement for graduates of both the Automated Manufacturing Systems and Electro-Mechanical Technology programs.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

$43,700

average annual salary for graduates of both the Automated Manufacturing Systems and Electro-Mechanical Technology programs.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Automation

• • • View video: www.fvtc.edu/AMS14

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Going to Fox Valley Tech makes computer technology easy to understand.

- Jessica Meshke

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Computer Central IT student Jessica Meshke is gaining valuable experience with computer technology while helping others along the way.

Saginaw, Michigan, native Jessica Meshke loves working in the field of Information Technology (IT). “Computers used to look really complicated to me,” she says. “Going to Fox Valley Tech makes computer technology easy to understand.”

Meshke took her first PC classes at a nearby university but was frustrated by the lack of hands-on learning. Seeking a more student-friendly learning environment, she moved to Appleton and enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s Help Desk Support Specialist program. “You get to learn how computers work, not just read about them in an owner’s manual,” she says.

After completing that program, Meshke enrolled in FVTC’s Computer Support Specialist program. “I’m now learning about the bigger picture—things like architecture, networking, and security,” she says. “This broadens what I can do for both individuals and businesses.”

Meshke keeps busy working at the on-campus Student Help Desk and serving as vice president of the college’s Association of Information Technology Professionals. “We’re trying to bring technology to others,” she explains. “We work with students from other departments, like in business and nursing for example, to help them advance their careers by becoming more proficient in computer applications.”

Meshke wants to open her own computer support company in the near future. “I want to show others that computer technology can be a lot of fun,” she adds. “The more comfortable you get with it, the better off you will be, whether it’s for personal or professional use.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/NetworkComputerSupport

335

full-time job postings in one year for computer support specialists in the New North region.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

• • • View video: www.fvtc.edu/IT14

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www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

$45,500

average annual salary after five years in the workforce as a computer support specialist.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

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I took classes at Fox Valley Tech while I was a senior in high school and really liked them.

- Josh Breyer

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Networked to Succeed No two days are alike for IT grad Josh Breyer, thanks to Fox Valley Technical College.

A lifelong technology enthusiast, Hortonville native Josh Breyer has always been interested in how computer systems work. “I wanted a tech college rather than a four-year school to help me launch my career faster,” he says. “I took classes at Fox Valley Tech while I was a senior in high school and really liked them.”

Breyer enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s Network Specialist program right after graduation. “Since I’d already completed six classes, I was able to take fewer courses per semester, earn dual credits, and work full time,” he says.

Today, the 24-year-old Breyer is an IT specialist for Performa, Inc., a planning, architecture and engineering design and consulting firm in nearby De Pere. “I’m the sole IT person at Performa,” he says. “I do everything from maintaining hardware and software to monitoring and configuring server equipment.”

Performa just completed a major expansion to its facilities, and Breyer was in charge of relocating the entire IT infrastructure. “I worked with vendors and contractors to strategically relocate computers, networks, and servers,” he says. “I had to make sure that everything related to computers worked for all the departments and the entire company.”

188

full-time job listings for careers in the New North region in the IT-networking field.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

$56,000

average annual salary for graduates of FVTC’s Network Specialist program five years after graduation.

2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

Breyer feels he made the right choice in schools. “At Performa, I am always analyzing new technology and learning how to implement it,” he says. “Fox Valley Tech really helped prepare me by encouraging continual learning and problem solving.”

Breyer is doing well in his personal life as well as in his career. Recently married, he and his wife just purchased a new home.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/NetworkComputerSupport

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Robin Grapa

on alumni

Q & A with Truck Driving Grad Robin Grapa The 35-year-old Phillips, Wisconsin, native is seeing the country while enjoying a great career with V&S Midwest Carriers.

What first brought you to Fox Valley Technical College?

A few years ago my husband, Adam, and I started talking about driving truck over the road as a team. He already had his CDL, and I decided to search training options on Google. Fox Valley Technical College came up in my search, and I remembered seeing its trucks at the Appleton campus while driving along Highway 41. The college is basically in my backyard, and the web search revealed that it is one of the top truck driving schools in the nation.

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I graduated from Fox Valley Tech on a Friday and started working the following Monday.

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Robin Grapa

How did FVTC impact you?

I think about my experience in learning how to drive a semitruck at Fox Valley Tech every day. Applying what still seems like a million details and hands-on knowledge all come together to focus on safety. There is a lot of responsibility that goes into this career, and Fox Valley Tech’s instructors do a great job of taking what feels overwhelming and making it all understandable.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/TruckDriving

What do you enjoy most about your career?

As a team driver I get to work and share experiences on the road with my husband every day. My office has windows and the scenery changes by the second. I always look forward to driving through the salt flats and the mountains, along with seeing prairies and foothills.

This career is also about hard work. At the end of a busy delivery day, I reflect on all that was accomplished, and that can include driving through busy traffic in a tight downtown area or a really tough backing situation.

What advice can you give others about selecting a college today?

Explore all of your options carefully and go with what is the best fit for not only a career, but your happiness as well.

Don’t write off truck driving as part of your options! It’s a fun career and there are many jobs available with flexible routes.

If you’re looking for something with quick job placement, I graduated from Fox Valley Tech on a Friday and started working the following Monday.

Nominate an Outstanding Alumni Fox Valley Technical College is seeking nominations for its 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award. The annual award recognizes an FVTC alumnus who has demonstrated the value of technical education through career advancement, community service, personal and educational growth, career success, and support of the Wisconsin Technical College System.

The nomination deadline is noon (CST) on March 2, 2015.

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www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

Nomination guidelines: www.fvtc.edu/Alumni

focus

on the foundation

A Foundation Family Scholarships from the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation helped two recent agri-business grads continue family traditions.

Kaitlyn Tesch, a 20-year old Oconto Falls native, received both the Heartland Women for Agriculture and Fox Valley Technical College Foundation scholarships. A fifthgeneration dairy farmer, Tesch always knew she wanted to study agriculture. “I was just going to take one semester at Fox Valley Tech, but I enjoyed it so much that I stayed and earned my degree,” she says. “I learned a lot about dairy, livestock, agronomy, and the business side of agriculture.”

Tesch is currently working at the regional Justin Schwahn and Kaitlyn Tesch.

United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, connecting local farmers and producers to related agriculture support programs. She is also completing her bachelor’s degree online with The time is now to think fvtc another school. “Though I worked full time while going to Fox Valley Tech, the scholarship helped me stay out of debt and it boosted my confidence,” she says.

The Heston Allen Scholarship winner, 21-year-old Justin Schwahn, hopes to eventually oversee his family’s 90-cow dairy farm. The Reedsville area high school students attend FVTC each year. native spent last year as a volunteer state officer for the National FFA If you plan to attend FVTC in fall 2015, apply for a scholarship today!

Organization, traveling throughout the state educating consumers The scholarship helped and agriculture professionals. me stay out of debt He is currently working full time high school scholarships available, and it boosted my on the family farm. “I call myself $500-$1,000 each. a manager,” he says. “I train confidence.

Scholarships can be based on need, merit, program, employees, manage the herd’s or even just where you live!

Kaitlyn Tesch reproductive dairy activity, and help with financial records.”

Application Deadline: February 28, 2015.

Both Schwahn and Tesch believe that FVTC gave them the support and education they needed, as well as the confidence to reach their goals.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Scholarships “The scholarship brought me out of my shell,” says Schwahn. “I never would have believed that I’d be doing what I am today without help from the Foundation and Ag department.”

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Instructor Jim Beard talks with students in the Horticulture Technician program

e c n e i r e p x e t n de u t s e h t n us o

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This program gives me the knowledge and freedom to make someone else’s life better.

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Mason Boucher Horticulture Student

Grounded in Learning Students in Fox Valley Technical College’s Horticulture Technician program landscaped an eye-opening makeover for a nursing care community.

Brewster Village, located right next door to Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus, offers short-term rehabilitation, long-term nursing home services, and more. Thanks to the help of students in FVTC’s Horticulture Technician program, the village now offers something else—a special outdoor ambiance for its residents.

As a project management learning experience with hands-on activities, students helped design, plant, and maintain the facility’s grounds as part of a large-scale makeover. “We maintain the village’s annual and perennial flower beds, trees and shrubs, and pot vegetables that individual residents can grow in the facility’s courtyards,” states Jim Beard, FVTC’s landscape architect and horticulture program instructor.

The partnership between FVTC and Brewster Village began four years ago and provides FVTC students with realworld, professional experience. “Once

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they start working on a project, we guide them to plant what’s needed to make their vision a reality,” says Beard.

“We plant about 8,000 to 10,000 plants there every year. It’s no small job, but students learn the value of providing something beautiful that others can enjoy.”

Horticulture student Mason Boucher is currently volunteering at Brewster Village as well. In addition to grounds-keeping, he and other students are responding to additional needs to help the residents enjoy a better quality of life. “The residents asked for a butterfly garden, so we planted a variety of flowers such as milkweed, daisies, and cornflowers to attract butterflies,” says the 20-year-old Shawano native. “If there’s something I can do to make someone’s life or stay there better, it makes me happy.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Horticulture

www.fvtc.edu Fox FoxValley ValleyTechnical TechnicalCollege College www.fvtc.edu

Miles of Makeovers The efforts of the Horticulture program students at Fox Valley Technical College are seen throughout the region: • Design, construction, and landscape work for a 9/11 Memorial in Greenville.

• Garden installation at Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca.

• Retaining wall and walkway construction at Neenah YMCA. • Veterans Memorial implementation for White City Park in Kaukauna.

• Courtyard garden redesign and landscaping at Edison Elementary in Appleton.

• Landscape work for Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh.

• Construction of Green Roof Rest Station on FVTC’s Appleton campus—a gold-award winning project from the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association.

But don't just take our word for it.

Hear what employers are telling us: e to “FVTC grads com d with the job prepare urse appropriate co ities and work, lab activ ence.” clinical experi

oup nity Medical Gr

Karla Repta, Affi

onths, “In the past 18 m rly 100 we’ve hired nea graduates.

Fox Valley Tech ibly They’re incred well-prepared.” tional, Inc. hneider Na

Sc Mike Norder,

ral FVTC “I’ve hired seve st few years, grads in the pa me to us because they co d to work in so well-prepare this industry.” erns chmark Patt

, Ri Kendal Bielke

ing right out “Students com don’t realize of high school ies the the opportunit industry manufacturing really has.” liance Laundry

Al Anna Ewerdt,

Learn more: focus fall 2014 17 www.fvtc.edu/FastForward

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