The hard work and academic achievement of Moraine Park Technical College students was celebrated at the annual Student Awards Banquet on May 14 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center. Each year, faculty and staff nominate deserving students for awards: Technical Achievement, Campus Impact, Leadership & Service, Student of the Year and Student Ambassador.
At the banquet, Moraine Park recognized Steve Lindley as the College’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.
Lindley was born and raised in West Bend, Wisconsin. He earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Engineering Technology from Moraine Park Technical Institute in 1980 and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Marquette University in 1994. After graduating from Moraine Park, Lindley began his career as a numerical control programmer at Harnischfeger Corporation, now Komatsu Mining. He later advanced to roles as gear engineer and senior gear engineer. In 1997, Lindley joined the Falk Corporation—now part of Regal Rexnord Corporation—where he currently serves as a principal engineer in gear manufacturing engineering.
Student of the Year
Moraine Park presented the 2026 Student of the Year Award to Jacob Schreiber of Kiel. This award honors a student who has excelled academically, demonstrated leadership and involvement, and fully embraced the opportunities available at Moraine Park.
Schreiber graduated this May with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology. He recently accepted a full-time position at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton and plans to attend UW–Milwaukee in fall 2026 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He aspires to become a surgical physician assistant or cardiothoracic surgeon, inspired in part by his youngest brother’s experience with a life-threatening heart defect as a newborn.
“My experience at Moraine Park has definitely been transformative,” Schreiber said. “I’ve been a part of and done a lot of things that I never thought that I could, and I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person and leader.”
District Student Ambassador
The 2026-27 District Student Ambassador Award was presented to Cynthia Benzel of Fond du Lac. This award recognizes outstanding student representatives across the Wisconsin Technical College System, with recipients nominated by Moraine Park faculty and staff.
Benzel is enrolled in the Nursing program and will represent the College at various events throughout the 2026-27 academic year.
“Choosing nursing was still an arduous decision because I struggled with the doubt that I wasn’t talkative or outgoing enough to excel at the job,” Benzel said. “What ultimately reassured me was the environment of Moraine Park Technical College that promotes a safe space for students to grow. Through campus leadership roles and involvement in student organizations, I’ve been given meaningful opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone and strengthen my confidence and interpersonal skills. The technical college system has prepared me academically and supported my personal growth into a compassionate student leader.”
Technical Achievement Award
This award is presented to one-year technical diploma students who have demonstrated strong academic performance, active classroom participation and overall excellence.
Recipients:
Michael Callies, Cody Duehring, Jamison Ermer, Lucas Hartung, Christopher Jentges, Lucas Kern, Victor Machumu, Maxwell (Max) Miltimore, Eric Sajdak, Alexander (Alex) Schneider, Timothy (Tim) Schumann, Thomas Severson, Jacob (Jake) Stortz, Deonte Sutton, Rachel Winnemuller
Campus Impact Award
This award recognizes students who made a positive impact through participation in college focus groups, events or student-led projects. Academic performance, reliability and follow-through are also considered.
Recipients:
Ray Aguilar-Meza, Matthias Baars, Samantha Behnke, Cynthia Benzel, Alyson Cluppert, Kevin Cushing, Marty Demlow, Stephanie Demlow, Cody Duehring, Allyson Dusha, Samantha Eachus, Carabelle Gebhart, Brinley Gigante, Aleida Guardado, Calvin Harmsen, Tyler Hawken, Gaige Heller, Jesse Holmes, Samantha (Sammi) Hopkins, Ryan Johnson, Fisher Kotnick, Tanya Krenn, Sharon Krueger, Abi Loehrke Halfmann, Jimena Lopez, Arrah Markohn, Dean McAllister, Max Miltimore, Asminda Molina, Elizabeth Nicholls, Amber Ninneman, Roen Packard, Jessica Reinke, Bret Reuter, Mariah Ripple, Micki Scherwinski, Alex Schneider, Jacob Schreiber, Zachary (Zach) Schultz, Payton Shultis, Hayden Smith, Aaron Sohm, Connor Spaeth, William (Bill) Stavrakos, Madeline (Maddie) Treder, Bridget Wendt, Rhonda Woppert
Leadership & Service Award
This award is given to student government members who have shown a high level of commitment to Moraine Park and served as strong representatives of the student body through active participation and leadership.
Recipients:
Cynthia Benzel, Cody Duehring, Allyson Dusha, Calvin Harmsen, Tyler Hawken, Jesse Holmes, Isaac Kaiser, Abi Loehrke Halfmann, Max Miltimore, Josephine Nussbaum, Danica Picard, Alex Schneider, Jacob Schreiber, Zach Schultz, Hayden Smith