Tech is Rewarding—
Whether guiding adults toward a high school credential, preparing students for college coursework or teaching inside the Fond du Lac County Jail, Kathy Mueller built a career centered on opening doors. As she retires from Moraine Park Technical College after 35 years, her impact will continue through the thousands of students whose lives she has touched and the scholarships she helped create.
Mueller’s Moraine Park story began in 1991 as an instructor in the College’s Public Safety Telecommunicator program, one of the first programs of its kind in the country. She spent more than 10 years teaching in the program before transitioning into adult education, which soon became her life’s work.
For the past 24 years, Mueller has served students through adult education, watching the department evolve from the Learning Center into today’s Student Success Center. During that time, its mission expanded significantly. Today, the center graduates hundreds of GED and high school equivalency diploma students each year while serving as Moraine Park’s primary resource for college preparation in reading, writing and math.
Some of Mueller’s proudest work has taken place inside the Fond du Lac County Jail, where she has spent the past several years helping incarcerated students earn their high school credentials and prepare for life after release.
“The students are why I stayed,” Mueller said. “Their excitement becomes your excitement. Sometimes all they need is someone who believes they can succeed.”
She remembers one student whose determination inspired an entire team of Moraine Park employees to help him navigate admissions, financial aid and advising while he was still incarcerated. Mueller said the experience reinforced her belief that every student deserves someone willing to invest in their future.
That same belief inspired her commitment to giving back.
Following the disbandment of the Moraine Park Federation of Teachers, union members chose to invest their remaining funds in an endowed scholarship through the Moraine Park Foundation.
The endowment originally funded two scholarships each year for students with financial need. Thanks to continued growth, it now supports four scholarships annually. Mueller became the scholarship’s primary liaison, helping ensure the endowment continues supporting students for generations.
She also personally contributes each year to an Adult Education scholarship fund that helps GED graduates continue into college while assisting students who cannot afford expenses such as diploma fees.
“I’ve always believed that if we can remove one more barrier, that’s one more student who has a chance
to succeed and write the next chapter of their story,” she said.
For Mueller, giving extends beyond scholarships. She credits her colleagues for creating a workplace built on encouragement, celebration and shared purpose throughout her career.
“We’ve always supported one another,” she said. “Moraine Park really feels like family.”
As retirement begins, Mueller is looking forward to spending more time at her cottage up north, fishing, traveling to Alaska and enjoying the freedom of an unscheduled day. But after 35 years of changing lives, she knows exactly what she will miss most.
“The students made the job fun,” she said. “Watching them overcome challenges, graduate and change their lives—that’s what makes this work so meaningful.”
Learn how the Moraine Park Foundation’s work changes the lives of students in our district communities.
