Welcome Back Students!

I always know fall is approaching when our hallways and classrooms fill back up with students. It has been an exciting couple of weeks at Moraine Park as our staff and students prepared for the new semester. I had the opportunity to attend Summer Welcome Day, where I got to meet many of our new students and talk with members of our student organizations. The Amazing Race is always a fun part of the day, as students complete challenges that help them navigate around the campus and become familiar with all of the different services offered.

 

 

I was also excited to find a seat at the Welcome Back Lunch this week featuring entertainment by Nick Pike. The cafeteria was full, but I soon saw why some seats were left open in the front row. Nick, a comedic juggler, had a couple of stunts that required help from the audience. He pulled students out of the crowd to help him get onto a unicycle and walk across glass while blindfolded and juggling axes! Thank you Student Senate for sponsoring such a fun activity!

As the semester continues, I plan to be out and about visiting with students and meeting those new to MPTC. If you see me in the hallways, please don’t hesitate to say hello and let me know how your semester is going!

Summer Event Recap

The month of August has been filled with many exciting events to get us all back in the swing of things before the start of the fall semester.

The first thing I want to share with you are a few highlights from Tech Knowledge College (TKC). This annual summer workshop gives students entering sixth through eighth grade the opportunity to explore career options offered at Moraine Park. This year we had nearly 200 students participate in 20 different sessions. The sessions ranged from culinary creations to welding projects. Below are just a few of my favorite photos from the event!

In the intro to party planning class, students hosted Mexican and Italian-themed parties with food and decoration to match. They even sported festive mustaches for the occasion.

 

Welding students learned the art of welding from Moraine Park Instructor Larry Clark. During the three-day event students worked to weld pieces of metal together to create a lawn sculpture.

Another one of my favorite August events is Summer Welcome Day because it means students are coming back soon! This year’s event featured a new twist with an Amazing Race theme. To help new and returning students learn more about the College we hosted our very first Amazing Moraine Park Race.

Like the popular TV show, The Amazing Race, students had to work together with their teams using clues to find locations and complete challenges around their campus. The challenges helped students meet new people while they learned about the College and resources available to them once school starts.

 

 

Although the race activities were very exciting, my favorite part of the event was getting the chance to walk around each table to meet new students. Thank you to all the students who participated in the event! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I look forward to seeing you all in a few short weeks!