Happy Mother’s Day

Week in Review: A Reflection of May 6 – 12

First of all, Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms, soon-to-be moms, the Mr. Moms who take on the role as both parents, and the surrogate moms who provide the same love, support, and advice to others. I spent my Mother’s Day with my extended family. Twenty of us, including the two babies in the family, went out for brunch. When did our family get so big?

I was looking through emails in my old email account I rarely use anymore, and one of them caught my attention. It was an email from one of my friends, and in the subject line it said, “It’s Last Blast here.” It jumped out at me because when I think of the words, “Last Blast,” I think about the end-of-semester parties we have at MPTC. I opened it up and sure enough, she was talking about MPTC’s Last Blast all the way back in 2006. They had free cappuccinos, caricature drawings, massages, henna tattoos, a DJ, and a grill out. It sounded like a lot of fun. She’s a graduate from MPTC, but she was a student way before I was a student here. Who knew that a few years later I’d be going to those kinds of events? I caught up with her recently and she just got an award at her work. Congratulations, Diana!

During the last week of class, we’re having a Jeopardy day in my Team Building and Problem Solving class. I’ll be going to the bookstore for the book buyback to see if I can get some cash back on books I no longer need. Our last Web Developer Club meeting is this week, and we’re going out for dinner afterword. Saturday is graduation, and then I’m officially done with my education at MPTC. How bittersweet it is to leave a place I’ve spent so much time learning, growing, meeting people, and enjoying new experiences.

Team Project Presentation Day

Throughout the semester we have learned how to work in teams and solve complex problems for my Team Building and Problem Solving class.  We’ve done lots of ice breakers and team activities; we’ve learned about ground rules and compromising; we’ve learned how to use critical thinking; and we’ve created lots and lots of different charts to analyze data, manage time, and organize thoughts. All of this semester’s work has been preparing us for our team projects. We had the opportunity to show what we’ve learned in class last Wednesday when each team presented their problem and solution.

The other groups analyzed issues such as high gas prices and roundabout intersection accidents. For my group, we chose to tackle the issue of emergency drill efficiency.

By reading books and doing lots of activities in class, we learned that the best way to solve problems is to follow a step-by-step process and never jump to conclusions. We started with a problem statement, listed our desired goals, and created flowcharts of drill procedures.

Next, we gathered real, quantifiable data. We created surveys to gather more information. We put them into tables and we made pie and bar graphs for illustration. Looking at the data, we were able to list possible causes of why emergency drill procedures weren’t 100% successful. We grouped the data into categories by using an affinity tool. From there, we were able to use other tools to identify the true root cause. Finding the root cause is important, because if you are just fixing a symptom of the root cause, you’re not solving the real problem. You’re just patching holes.

Before we started brainstorming solutions, we came up with a list of “needs” and “wants” for our solution. After all that work, we were able to come up with solutions to address the issues and improve effectiveness of emergency drills.

Our presentation to the class went really well. I think I spoke better this time than any other presentation I’ve given. I suppose since I’ve given quite a lot of presentations at MPTC, the practice is paying off. I really enjoyed this project, because I felt it was an authentic problem, and the solutions we came up with are reasonable and implementable. I’ve also gain some valuable skills in teamwork and critical thinking, which is important in the workforce and in life in general.

The Busy Life of a Last Semester College Student

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 29 – May 5

The end of the semester is always busy, but this last semester before I graduate from MPTC has certainly been the busiest. It’s not just end-of-the-semester projects, it’s preparing for graduation, looking for employment, end of semester celebrations, and taking part in my friends’ and family’s life events.

West Bend Student Senate had their last meeting at a local restaurant. We conducted business as usual, including voting on the gift we’d like to give to the campus, and enjoyed some pizza. It was the last time we were all going to see each other as a group.

I’ve been going through my resume to make sure everything is updated. I’ve been applying for jobs in the county, some of which I’ve found through TechConnect. I may stop by the career center on campus one more time so I can have someone take a second look at my resume and portfolio. My exit portfolio has one item left and that’s the Team Building and Problem Solving project that my group has just finished but has not presented yet. I need to give recommendation forms to my previous instructors really soon, too.

My nephew was in his first play at school on Friday. He played the mayor and wore a suit and hat. It was so cute. Afterwards, we went to my brother and sister-in-law’s house for cake because it was her birthday.

On Sunday I went to a bridal shower for my friend whom I’ve known since high school. I’m one of the bridesmaids. I was asked to be the photographer of the event. It was a nice day so we got a great shot of us all outside. My other friend, who is one of the other bridesmaids, is getting married this summer, too. They are both getting married almost exactly one month apart. My sister is expecting, so she’ll be having a baby shower in July.

Needless to say, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. The calendar is my friend; it keeps me organized and let’s me know where I need to be and why. The job search is going to consume a lot time as well. So, I’m going to stay organized and optimistic, make sure I get enough sleep and eat right, and enjoy this exciting time of my life.

Preparing for Graduation and Wrapping Up Meetings

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 22 – 28

I picked up my cap and gown from the bookstore this past week, and I found out I get to wear a high honors cord to the ceremony. My parents are planning to attend the commencement ceremony to watch me walk across the stage. One of my friends is also graduating. We’re planning to have some sort of celebration afterword, but we haven’t decided what we want to do or where we want to go.

Our last official Student Senate meeting was this past week. We used one of the ideas I learned during a conference to get more students to attend senate meetings. We had half a dozen new people show up! From what I hear, they may start doing the same thing at the other campuses and will most likely be using the idea on the West Bend campus next year. I’m so glad I attended that educational session during the conference so I could pass on useful information. I’ll be meeting with the people on the West Bend Student Senate one more time when we go out to lunch.

The team project I’m working on for my Team Building and Problem Solving class is wrapping up soon. We are currently putting together our paper and presentation for May 8. We can really see how much work we’ve put into the project now that we’re assembling all the pieces together. I’m really proud of it.

There is one more meeting for the Web Developer Club before the end of the semester. It’ll be my last meeting and last day as secretary for the club. I’m going to really miss being a part of the group, but I will definitely be in contact with many of the members after I graduate. They won’t be my classmates any longer, but they will still be my colleagues.

My Final Last Blast

Door prizes including sports equipment, movies, and more

A few minutes before our end-of-the-year party began, I walked up and down the halls handing out Cracker Jacks boxes and letting people know that we were going to have entertainment, free food, and door prize drawings.

This semester’s Last Blast theme was sports, so we decorated the cafeteria with sports-related items. Many of our door prizes had to do with sports as well. People got one ticket for coming to the event and a second ticket for wearing their sports gear. To keep with the theme, we had hamburgers and brats for lunch.

Pendants to show we care

On one of the tables we set up a station to design pendants. You could make a pendant for a child in the hospital, a person in a nursing home, or for the troops. It’s a little something to give them to let them know that we are thinking about them and we care. I really liked this activity.

Our entertainment for the afternoon was a ventriloquist named James Wedgewood who pulled people from the audience up on stage to participate. Some of my friends were part of the show.

Amanda participates on stage

After the show, we had the drawing for door prizes. There was so much awesome stuff! There was sports equipment, DVD players, MP3 players, Moraine Park gear, and a large TV. I won a basketball and an MPTC t-shirt.

Bonnie taking photos

The fun wasn’t over yet. We also had our last BINGO event of the semester later that day. I actually won the last BINGO game, which was blackout! I got two Brewers tickets and a Brewers t-shirt.

Before I end this blog post I would like to take a moment to recognize Bonnie, an active West Bend Student Senate member. She is an outstanding leader who has volunteered a lot of her time to organizing and running events like this throughout the year. She does an amazing job paying attention to detail and making sure that our events are successful and fun. Thank you, Bonnie!

Getting My Portfolio Together

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 15 – 21

Creating a portfolio is a great way to show employers what you can do rather than just telling them. I spent my weekend getting my portfolio together, because I will be graduating in less than a month from MPTC. My exit assessment requires me to gather projects from my classes I took for the Office Assistant program.

I’ve chosen to make my portfolio viewable online. I’m using a CMS (content management system) to build the website. In one of my classes, we learned how to upload and embed content, such as documents, PowerPoint presentations, and video, so whoever is viewing my website doesn’t need to download the files. They don’t even have to go to a different page. It’s so convenient and efficient!

Because I did a good job of keeping my files for past classes organized, it wasn’t difficult finding previous projects to include in my portfolio. It’s interesting looking at all the things I have learned. The samples of my work really show the variety of what I can do. My sample works include Word documents, Access databases, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations, all of which are staple programs for many businesses. I’m including customer service and business records system plans. I have sample work that shows I can edit and post video, create a podcast, write a blog, and write and design an eBook.

I won’t be able to completely finish my portfolio site until I finish the team project for my Team Building and Problem Solving class. Until then, I’m going to make sure all my documents are in order and I write good descriptions of each sample. I’m looking forward to showing future interviewers what I can do for them by sharing my work.

Implementing New Ideas

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 8 – 14

Wear your sports jersey on April 23

Last week Thursday was my opportunity to share some new ideas and give my entertainment recommendations from the 2013 NACA conference to the rest of the West Bend Student Senate.

I shared three ideas I learned from the educational sessions at the conference. One of them was a student senate recruitment suggestion. The members really liked the idea. One member took that idea and altered it so we could use it this semester. I’m so happy that we don’t have to wait until next semester to start implementing new ideas.

My suggestions of possible entertainment acts to bring to campus sparked a discussion, and another good idea from one of the members emerged. Instead of spending a lot of money on one or two events, we thought we should look for local speakers and entertainment acts. MPTC is very good about working with the community, so why wouldn’t student life do the same when it comes to planning entertainment and educational events? There are plenty of great options in Southeastern Wisconsin. Is there anybody located in our area you’d like to speak or perform on campus?

The last thing I had to share with Student Senate was the college swag I brought back from the school swap.  There were a few types of items we’d like to give away in the future including a magnet with event dates. What kind of freebees, like T-shirts, would you like Student Senate to give away?

There isn’t much time left for campus activities since we have only about a month left until the end of the semester. Our Last Blast event is Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Come down to the cafeteria at 11 a.m. for a free lunch (with student ID) and watch Comedy Ventriloquist James Wedgewood. We’ll be giving away awesome door prizes. If you’re on campus later that day, play bingo at 4:30 p.m. for a chance to win more prizes. All the events for the day will be in the MPTC West Bend Cafeteria.

Don’t forget to wear your sports jersey because this Last Blast is sports themed!

NACA 2013 Part 4

Dinner with Daryl

MPTC Student Senate with Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell

On the last night of the 2013 NACA Northern Plains Regional Conference, the MPTC Student Senate members sat down to dinner with one of the showcasing speakers. His name is Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell. You may have seen him in movies such as 10 Things I hate About You playing Mr. Morgan or in the 1990 movie, House Party. In 2001, he was in a motorcycle accident leaving him paralyzed.  I like when the performers and speakers at conferences sit at the tables with the students, because it gives us a chance to learn a little more about them.

Early that day, I went to the two last educational sessions. The first one was about collaboration. Student Senates and other clubs on campuses sometimes work with each other to host an event that’s mutually beneficial. There are different stages of working together from networking, coordinating, cooperating, and collaborating, to integrating. It can be difficult working with others when you are sharing space, resources, and responsibilities. But, it can be a great experience as well!

The last educational session I attended was about planning and creating promotional videos for campus events. The presenters explained a timeline to follow so the video gets completed in time to advertise the event. We were then broken down into groups and given an event to promote. There wasn’t time to make an actual video, but we did brainstorm what we could do and shared it with the rest of the groups.

The CAMP crowd

Saturday was also the last day to watch showcases and visit the entertainment booths to get more information about acts we’d like to bring to MPTC. As a group, we all went together this time so we could find out which acts we all liked.

Lisa, Sam, me, Alex, Bob, Becca, Amanda and Joey

Because people had homework and other responsibilities to get back to, we left really early Sunday morning so we could be back in Wisconsin at a decent time. I had a paper to finish writing for my Computer Essentials class. I also wanted to consolidate all the notes I had taken during the conference and go through my collection of promotional items from the swap so I could share that information with the rest of the West Bend Student Senate members during the next meeting. I came back with some great ideas I was looking forward to sharing and hopefully implementing as soon as possible.

I highly recommend joining Student Senate and attending these kinds of conferences. When else in your life will you get this kind of opportunity to learn, be entertained, and bound with your schoolmates in just five days?


Incase you missed it, check out the rest of my NACA experience:
Read NACA 2013 Part 1: Crossing the Boarder
Read NACA 2013 Part 2: The Conference Kicks Off
Read NACA 2013 Part 3: The Great School Swap