Stefanie Howard Story

Harper’s Unsung Heroes December 2025 Written by Gale Fischer 

Coming Home

“The magical thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.”

—- Wendy Wunder

A common theme around many of the Harper Unsung Hero stories centers on the strength and cohesiveness of the Harper Creek community.  The tight-knit nature of our school district often feels like an extended family. This is reflected within our student body, as current pupils walk the same halls that their parents and grandparents walked during their childhood, with many in each generation choosing to reside in our district and send their children to our schools. The family bond goes beyond our students. Many of our co-workers have found a home in our schools after growing up in surrounding communities and attending schools in Battle Creek, throughout Michigan, and from areas outside our state. While diversity among our staff exists in the variety of locations each of us has come from, there are those among us who have called Harper Creek home for much of their lives, as students, later transitioning to careers within our school district. Our administration works diligently to fill positions with qualified candidates coming in from many different zip codes, but perhaps there is no better way to fill future staffing positions than creating a sense of community that fosters a desire among our students to want to return to a career in education as an adult. Harper Creek High School principal Stefanie Howard is one of many examples of a current staff member who is also a Harper Creek alumnus. 

Stefanie reflected on her childhood. “I was born in 1990 in the Detroit area. We moved to Battle Creek when I was three years old, when my dad began a new job here. My grandpa owned a real estate company in town. My dad, David Howard, started working for my grandpa, and my mom, Brenda, worked for Office Max as a salesperson. My younger brother Kevin was born six years after we moved to Battle Creek in 1996.”  Stefanie was very active as a child and participated in a variety of activities. “I was involved in a lot of things growing up,” she explained.  “As a young child, I started playing soccer at Wattles Park Men’s Club and later for BC Fire. I was also interested in and enjoyed music while taking vocal lessons as a child.” 

Stefanie started school at Lakeview, attending Minges Brook Elementary in Kindergarten, before coming to Beadle Lake Elementary, her second year in school. “I went to Harper Creek starting in first grade and continued all the way through high school graduation in 2008,” Stefanie said. “My class was the first to go to the current high school building for all four years.”

Although education wasn’t Stefanie’s first career choice when beginning college, school was always something she enjoyed. She elaborated on her early interest in possibly someday becoming a teacher. “I always enjoyed being at school. I would play school at home. I had some wonderful teachers who influenced me. Two of my favorite elementary teachers were Mrs. Delmotte and Mrs. Willard for first and second grade.” 

Stefanie transitioned from Beadle Lake to Harper Creek Middle School in seventh grade. She reminisced about her middle school years. “I played soccer and participated in Destination Imagination, an extracurricular activity that involved real-world building. We would solve real-world problems and then perform a skit to act out each scenario. I also played basketball for one year. Student Council was another extracurricular activity that I participated in. I always liked to be involved in a variety of things. I had a good group of friends while in middle school, and have always been blessed with supportive friend groups through each stage of my life.” 

As Stefanie transitioned from eighth grade to ninth grade, she didn’t skip a beat with keeping her schedule full. “High school was great,” Stefanie shared. “I was in the Honors Choir for three years. We had a huge Honors Choir with well over 100 kids. It was very competitive to get in. I decided to try out for my sophomore year and was in Honors Choir from my sophomore through my senior year. I was also in the chorus and participated in the Follies and musicals. As the high school principal, I would like to encourage students to participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including music classes. Soccer and the National Honor Society were a few more activities that helped to fill up my time. I started my first job, working at Office Max during my junior and senior years, and continued to work there during my winter and summer breaks later as a college student.”  Stefanie also utilized her vocal skills by singing “Four Good” solo at her high school graduation. 

Stefanie had always wanted to be a teacher, but when the time came to go to college and choose a career path, teaching didn’t seem like the most practical option. She reflected on this. “I remember getting a letter from Michigan State during my senior year of high school,” Stefanie explained. “The contents of the letter stated that I was a candidate for MSU’s Broad Freshman Program for Business.” Her heart was urging her to be a teacher, but Stefanie wasn’t confident that teaching was her pathway. She decided to apply for the Broad business program. “I started my freshman year of college in the marketing program. After only two weeks of classes, I realized that marketing was not for me.” 

Although marketing didn’t pique her interest, Stefanie didn’t give up on the idea of earning a business degree. She elaborated.  “I switched my major within the business school at least five times during my freshman year. Each major I chose just didn’t seem right, as I continued to search for something with a business emphasis that would align with my goals.”  Eventually, Stefanie realized that a career in the business sector was not for her. “When I went to sign up for classes my sophomore year, I didn’t like any of my options for business,” Stefanie said. “History had always been my favorite subject in high school, so I decided to switch my major to education. I majored in History and minored in English.”

Stefanie graduated from MSU in December of 2012 and came back home for a semester while she waited for her student teaching assignment to begin. “I spent the winter of 2013 substitute teaching for Harper Creek, and also worked part-time at Office Max,” Stefanie said. “I student taught during the 2013/2014 school year at Sexton High School in Lansing, taking an assignment with a U.S. History teacher and another with a World History teacher. MSU hosted a career fair in the spring of 2014, which I attended. There were representatives from schools from all across the country. I received about eight job offers, but all were out of state.”  The job market for teaching positions in Michigan was bleak at best during this time. Stefanie decided to accept a job she had been offered in Houston. She had family living there, which helped guide her decision. She packed her bags and moved to Texas in August of 2014 to teach high school social studies. 

Stefanie was introduced to working in the education sector as a teacher, but there was a part of her that felt she might want to serve in a leadership role eventually. “I have always been interested in the operations side of school,” Stefanie explained. “I started working on my first Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction through MSU while I was student teaching in 2013.” She put her graduate studies on hold when she moved to Houston, but would eventually continue. “I decided to continue with my Curriculum and Instruction Master’s program with MSU in 2018,” Stefaine said, “signing on virtually and finishing in 2019.” She waited a few years before making the decision to work on another Master's degree. “I started my second Master's in 2021,” Stefanie explained. “I had a mentor who had gone to Columbia University to get a Master's degree in Education Leadership. This sounded like something I might want to do, so I decided to apply and was accepted. It was a hybrid program. I took virtual classes during the school year and then lived in New Orleans for two summers, taking classes at Columbia’s satellite campus there.” Stefanie enjoyed being a student from elementary school through two graduate school programs. After earning her second graduate degree, she considered returning to school to pursue a law degree. She had an interest in working as a lawyer for a school district, but ultimately she decided that she didn’t want to commit to another three years of school.

Stefanie enjoyed her time teaching, but after a few years, she added a position as a school administrator to her bucket list and waited patiently for an opportunity in this area. Her opportunity finally came in August of 2023, when a principal position was available at a middle school in Houston. She applied, interviewed, was offered the job, and accepted. She was content teaching and working as a principal in Houston, but the thought of returning home, or at least closer to Michigan, was always something Stefanie reflected on. She talked about the process of returning to Battle Creek. “I had always thought about coming back to Michigan,” Stefainie explained, “but it was always about timing and the right opportunity coming my way. I had applied for a teaching job in 2019 in Chicago to get closer to Michigan, but shortly after this, my brother got a job in Austin, so I decided to stay in Texas. Eventually, my brother moved to DC in 2022, so I continued my search for jobs in Michigan.”  Stefanie would have been satisfied being a few hours from the Cereal City, but an opportunity to return to Battle Creek was on the horizon. “Last spring, several friends reached out to me, letting me know that Harper Creek was hiring a principal for the high school,” Stefanie recalled. “I decided to apply and was beyond excited to be chosen to lead the high school team.” The decade spent teaching and living in Houston was very positive, but returning to the Midwest was a welcome transition. Stefanie talked about this fork in the road. “I loved living in the big city in Houston, but I was happy to come back home. I feel blessed to be able to help the community I grew up in. I am just a few months into my role as the high school principal, and I feel great about things. The staff and kids are wonderful. The community is very supportive.” 

Stefanie inherited a great scenario in her role as high school principal, with a seasoned staff and positive structures that have already been put in place. The cupboard was full, so to speak, but she isn’t the type to just coast through. She has a vision for the immediate and long-term future. She reflected on the blessings that were already here waiting for her and what she wants her and her staff to accomplish moving forward. “Many people have asked me how it feels to be a boss for former teachers of mine. I don’t think of it this way. I’d like to think of us as a team. We all have a shared vision and a shared mission.” Stefanie leads by example but understands the importance of being a part of something bigger within her school family. “My goal as principal is for all of us to go from good to great,” she said. “I would like our high school to be one of the top high schools in the state in the next five years. One of my assignments in graduate school was to create a written blueprint with details about what my dream school would look like. I call my dream school the Joy School. I would like Harper Creek to be that school, the place where everyone wants to come every day. I see that already. I just want our staff to continue to build on that.” 

  As a Harper Creek teacher of twenty-five years, I continue to witness the cohesiveness of not just our staff, but the entire community. Spending my career as a teacher has been a blessing, and doing so at Harper Creek is an added blessing. Stefaine has had to good fortune of being exposed to the Harper Creek family as a student, with the opportunity to move out of state to gain perspective, and the fortune to come back to us. Her words of wisdom are something to reflect on. “Giving your life energy to do good and serve the community is a unique role and is important. Choose your heart.” 

Matt Bilger Story

 Making a Difference in the Classroom and on the Grid Iron                                                          

“The influence of teachers extends beyond the classroom, well into the future.”              

– F. Sionil Jose.

Childhood experiences among siblings are often similar, with these experiences varying from family to family. Although it is common for siblings to share similar stories, this is not always the case. Harper Creek High School Social Studies teacher Matt Bilger grew up with brothers and sisters, having interests revolving around the performing arts. As a child in the Bilger family, it would have seemed likely that Matt would have spent much of his free time being immersed in activities revolving around music and theater, but this was not how his childhood played out. As a young child, Matt would enjoy experiences different from those of his siblings, which would eventually lead to his future as a teacher and a coach. 

Matt shared some of his childhood history.  “I was born in Ann Arbor in 1989 and grew up in Livonia. My grandmother was a teacher with Livonia Public Schools, and my grandfather was a patrol officer for the Detroit Police Department initially, before being promoted to detective. My mom, Kathy, attended Michigan State University (MSU) to become a teacher, but eventually became a stay-at-home mom. My dad, Donald, grew up in Wisconsin. He won the National Merit Scholarship in high school, with MSU offering him a full-ride academic scholarship. My parents met while attending MSU, with Mom earning a teaching degree and Dad earning an engineering degree. They were married after finishing at MSU, and then they moved to Massachusetts to begin their lives together. Mom started teaching while in Massachusetts, and Dad worked for Bell Labs.”

Donald and Kathy spent four years in Massachusetts before coming back home to start their family. “When Mom and Dad returned to Michigan, Dad accepted a job as an engineer for Ford, working there for thirty-two years before retiring, Matt recalled. “Mom and Dad started a family with Mom staying home to raise me and my siblings. My older brother, Michael, was born in 1983, after Mom and Dad moved back to Michigan. I was born in 1989. My sister, Chrissy, was born two years after me, and my younger brother, Mark, was born four years after Chrissy. We were a Catholic family.” 

Growing up, Matt’s three siblings had much in common, but Matt didn’t share these same traits. This would lead to Matt having different interests than his brothers and sister. Matt reflected on this. “All of my siblings went to the gifted school in Livonia. I had some medical issues when I was born. I developed some hearing issues, so I wasn’t able to attend the gifted school. The schools we attended were not the only major difference between me and my siblings. They grew up with slender body types, while I was more stocky.” 

Donald’s side of the family had roots in music. “My dad was a musician, an interest he shared with his family,” Matt explained. “My uncle was first trumpet for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and also taught music at the collegiate level.” Because of the musical interests of Donald’s family, Matt’s siblings became involved in the performing arts growing up, but Matt would pick up interests in other activities. 

 Like Matt, his mom and dad were also overweight. It seemed that they didn’t want Matt to follow in their footsteps in this way. “Because of my weight, my parents pushed me to play sports,” Matt said. “I was the first in my family to participate in athletics. They signed me up for football in the third grade. There were weight restrictions to participate, so I had to drop weight every summer just to be able to play. I also participated in karate, basketball, and lacrosse throughout my elementary school years. When I started middle school, I narrowed my athletic focus to just football and wrestling.” 

Matt and his siblings eventually moved out of Livonia Public Schools to another district. “My older brother began to be bullied in high school,” Matt recalled. “After this, my grandmother insisted that we attend a Catholic school. Financially, we could not have made this work without the help of my grandmother. She had received a substantial sum of money from a wrongful death settlement as a result of a fatal accident my grandfather was involved in while vacationing in Florida after his retirement. The money she received allowed her to pay for our tuition.”

Making the move to a Catholic school provided a boost for Matt as an athlete. He reflected on his four years of high school. “I enrolled at Detroit Catholic Central High School as a freshman. Detroit Catholic has always had a strong athletic presence, including a notable football program. By the time I arrived, they had won three consecutive state championships. I made varsity in my junior year and started as a senior.” Detroit Catholic played in a very competitive conference, the Detroit Catholic League. “There were three athletes from the Detroit Catholic League Conference my senior year who eventually played in the NFL, including one of my teammates, Mike Martin, Geoffrey Pope, who played for University of Detroit Jesuit High School, and Grant Mason, who played for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s,”  Matt said. “In addition, many of my teammates went on to play college football. The high level of coaching and training helped me to excel as a center for our offensive line.” College scouts were always coming in to observe many of Detroit Catholic’s football players, which helped to provide Matt with exposure for prospective college coaches. “During my senior year, many Division 3 schools in the area were recruiting me. I chose Albion College because it offered me the most academic scholarships. They also had the best program for teaching out of the other schools that were recruiting me. I graduated from Catholic Central in 2007 and began to transition from high school to college.”

Matt’s experience as a student athlete for Albion College would pave the way for him as a teacher and a coach. Matt reflected on his time at Albion. “Growing up, I wanted to follow in either my grandfather’s footsteps as a police officer or my mom’s and grandmother’s footsteps as a teacher. Being recruited to play football for Albion helped to guide my career choice. I made up my mind to be a teacher because Albion had a great teaching program.” Playing football and the curriculum he was exposed to at Albion prepared Matt to teach and coach, but there were other opportunities during this time as well that influenced him. “While at Albion, I started coaching young athletes at Lifetime Fitness in Canton, Michigan, during my winter and summer breaks,” Matt explained. “They had a youth program with sports camps that I helped with. This experience made me realize that I was good at coaching kids.”  Seeing that mentoring youth was something that seemed to come naturally for Matt helped to fuel his passion for coaching and teaching. Playing football had been a huge part of Matt’s life thus far, but his time as a competitive athlete would soon end. He was happy to extend his football career with Albion College, but it was also time to plan for his future beyond being an athlete. “I wanted to coach high school athletics and teach at the secondary level,” Matt explained. “I pursued coursework to obtain a secondary physical education and history teaching certificate. My professors at Albion College really helped me prepare to be a teacher. I was blessed with experiences to hone my classroom management skills.” 

Matt was small compared to most linemen he would play with and against at the college level. He talked about his college football career. “I was undersized as a lineman for Albion College. My coaches and trainers immediately put me on a diet and weight training program. When I started at Ablion, I weighed 235 pounds, and by the time I left, I topped the scales at 285 pounds. Dustin Beurer came on board in my junior year as the offensive line coach. He was a great teacher of schemes. I started playing special teams as a junior, and then as a senior, I was the starting center. My senior year, we finished with a five and five record, good enough for a second-place finish in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).” Matt graduated from Albion College in 2011 with his teaching degree and many experiences to help him make a difference in the classroom and on the playing field.

Matt began working for Harper Creek, January 2012, after graduating from Albion in December. By this time, he was very familiar with Harper Creek. “I came to Harper Creek to student teach under Dave VanGeison and Greg Pastor in the middle school during the fall semester of 2011,” Matt recalled. “At the time, I had never heard of Harper Creek and knew nothing about the district.” Although Matt wasn’t sure what to expect, it turned out to be a great fit for him. “I also helped coach the JV football team with Chad Dishaw, and then I would help out on Friday nights with the varsity team. It was a great year to coach at Harper Creek. There were three D1 college players on that team, including  Kelby Latta, who went to Central Michigan to play football, Josh Bass, who played for Western Michigan, and Casey Carson, who played at Western Michigan. Our team made a deep and memorable run in the playoffs. This was my first experience coaching football. I fell in love with it. The players and coaches were amazing.” Matt also met his future wife, Nicole Rial, a 2006 Harper Creek graduate, while student teaching at the middle school. Nicole was a para-professional at the middle school at the time and also did some coaching for Harper Creek. The two of them hit it off and started dating during Matt’s semester of student teaching.

Matt finished his student teaching and extended his stay at Harper Creek. He reflected on this chapter in his life. “I began substitute teaching for Harper Creek in January 2012 and also coached middle school wrestling in the winter and Varsity lacrosse in the spring. Eventually, I became the head Varsity lacrosse coach and head middle school wrestling coach. I went back to school to obtain my social studies certification, taking classes at Western Michigan, KCC, and Albion College.” After a semester working as a substitute teacher, Matt came back to Harper Creek in the fall of 2012 as a para professional in the middle school, while continuing to help coach the football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams.  He continued working as a para-professional and coach at Harper Creek for two years before transitioning to his first teaching position. “ I accepted a job offer with Pennfield in the fall of 2014  as a sixth-grade social studies teacher,”  Matt said.  “I also joined the football coaching staff at Pennfield as the Varsity offensive line coach and defensive backs coach, and eventually transitioned to defensive coordinator for the JV team, while also helping out with the Varsity team on Friday nights in the press box. During this time, we mounted one of the school's two playoff runs since joining the I-8 conference.” Matt also took over the lacrosse team as head coach for Pennfield during his time there. 

Matt and Nicole were married in 2015. Matt was settling into his life as a husband and his career as a teacher. He had established a comfortable routine, but a change was on the horizon. Harper Creek posted a position for a US History teacher during the summer of 2017. Matt was torn between staying at Pennfield and going back to Harper Creek. “In the summer of 2017, a freshman US History teaching job became available at Harper Creek,” Matt explained. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come back to Harper. I was happy at Pennfield and was on the fence. My wife was a Harper graduate, and we knew that our kids would go to school at Harper Creek someday. Ultimately, I decided to go to Harper to teach US History. I stepped back into coaching immediately and was on the Varsity football staff helping Dennis Stansbury with the offensive and defensive line. I was also the JV head lacrosse coach. The following year, I became the defensive coordinator for the Varsity lacrosse team.” 

Since joining Harper Creek as a full-time teacher and coach, Matt has taken on a variety of roles. “During my time at Harper Creek, I have taught US History, Civics and Economics, Senior Social Studies, Personal Finance, and AP Government,” Matt recalled. “Currently, I am the District Curriculum Council (DCC) chair for the Social Studies department. I was also the power-lifting coach for two years. I also teach Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), which deals with teaching kids the nuances of the business world.” 

Matt has found a career that he is truly passionate about and one that offers him a great amount of fulfillment. He summarized how working with our students and athletes has created contentment for him. “I love teaching and am proud of what I have accomplished.  Last year, I was named our high school’s teacher of the year, which I consider quite an honor and am thankful for. I have mentored several student teachers. I feel that helping to guide future teachers and offer them experience is very important. Each group of kids brings a different experience. I enjoy interacting with the kids. They bring so much energy each day. I have found that kids really do want to learn. After fifteen years of teaching, I have realized that we have kids in our schools who need love and care. If you want kids to succeed as a teacher or coach, you have to care for them.” 

Matt has become a part of the Harper Creek community as a staff member and also with his family, enhancing this connection on a personal level as well. He talked about his family dynamics and the ties to Harper Creek. “Our first child, Landry, was born in 2017. She is in third grade at Beadle Lake. Our second child, Colson, was born in 2019. He is in first grade at Beadle Lake. Nicole spent two years as a para-professional for the middle school before accepting a job as a medical social worker. She worked in the medical field for six years and now works as a social worker for the ISD. She has still found a way to be connected to Harper Creek on a professional level. She is the women’s head Varsity track coach for Harper Creek. She has also helped with cross country. Before helping out with the cross-country team, Nicole coached volleyball for Harper Creek for many years. We both love coaching, but it does require quite a commitment. There was one point in our relationship where both of us were coaching for three seasons.”  

The teaching profession can certainly dish out moments of frustration and anxiety, but hopefully, for those who have made a lifetime career out of it, those distractions can be taken in stride. At times, it may be difficult to see through the clutter of each day, but the moments of joy that come from teaching outweigh the moments of struggle. To be able to come into work each day to something that rewards the soul is a blessing. Matt has been and continues to be a recipient of this blessing. It seems that teaching and coaching have been and continue to be a source of contentment for him. 

Wyatt Smart Story

 Modern Medicine

“Health is the greatest of human blessings.”

—Hippocrates

Through the aging process, we as adults deal with various ailments that are common among our peers. Treatments that have come with technology and modern medicine allow us to continue living our lives with minimal disruption. Changes in routine may be required, but with these adjustments, we are often able to continue with our normal work and activity routine. Although children normally do not have to navigate each day with health concerns, they are not immune. Harper Creek junior Wyatt Smart has lived with Type 1 diabetes for the past four years. His diagnosis initially jolted his family with a wave of emotions, including fear and uncertainty. Although he and his parents face each day with a bit more caution than they may have before his diagnosis, technology in the medical arena, combined with healthy choices, has allowed Wyatt to continue life as a normal teen with some interventions in place to monitor his condition and help provide his body with what is needed to face the rigors of teenage life.

Wyatt’s life experiences are similar to those of many of his peers. He talked about some of his childhood history. “I was born July 4, 2008, in Indianapolis. One of my earliest childhood memories is of my grandpa teaching me how to fish. Fishing with my dad and my grandpa has provided some of my fondest memories. I still do some fishing on my grandparents’ lake over by Adrian, Michigan.” Wyatt is the oldest of two children for his parents, Craig and Rhonda Smart. His brother Conner, a Harper Creek freshman,  is three years younger than him. Rhonda is a teacher at Wattles Park Elementary, and Craig teaches at the Doris Klausen Center. 

Other than his mom being a teacher in elementary school, his memories of being a student at Wattles Park are similar to those of many children during their elementary school years. “It was nice to be able to go to school with Mom each morning and come home at night with her. I wanted Mom to be my teacher when I was in second grade, but she didn’t think that was a good idea. I always enjoyed hanging out with my friends on the tire swings at recess. I am still good friends with some of my friends from Wattles Park. Ryland Pastor has been one of my best friends since Kindergarten. We are both in the marching band and the jazz band.”

Making the jump from elementary school to Middle School for Wyatt meant waking up an hour earlier each day and not being in the same building as his mom. He reflected on this transition. “Moving on to middle school was a little weird at first. It took time to get used to knowing other students who weren’t at Wattles with me. In time, I made new friends.” Playing in the band would become one of Wyatt’s favorite activities starting in Middle School.  “I started band in 5th grade. My class was the last group that had band in 5th grade. Now it starts in the 6th grade. I started playing just the trumpet, but now I am learning the bass guitar. I’m hoping that by the time I am a senior, I can start playing bass guitar for some songs for our jazz band concerts.” Band has provided balance in Wyatt’s life. He talked about what being in the band means to him. “I like band. I love playing the trumpet. Much of the music we play is amazing. Because of band, I have a great group of friends. I see myself continuing to play the trumpet and guitar after high school, and I may try to join a jazz band when I go off to college.” 

Wyatt began playing hockey when he was eight years old, an activity he continues to enjoy today. He shared some details about playing hockey. “I started with the Battle Creek Bruins,  playing for them until I was eleven years old. When I turned twelve, I began playing for the Broncos in Kalamazoo. Later, I played with a team in Lansing for three years when I was thirteen. Now I play for the Battle Creek Bruins again.” Hockey has turned into a passion for Wyatt. “I love the game of hockey,” he said. “Skating is something that I enjoy very much. The game of hockey is a fun environment to be in.” The thrill of competition and being an athlete despite being diabetic has given a new meaning to the game for Wyatt, but like most sports, it is more than an athletic competition. “I have made many friends through hockey, and it's always fun hanging out with them on the ice. It does take up a lot of time, but it is always worth it. During the season, I probably spend ten hours per week on hockey. One thing that does get difficult with hockey is that it takes away time that I could be spending with my non-hockey friends.” 

 

Hockey has always been Wyatt’s primary sport, but he also participated in swimming in 7th grade. It was then that he began noticing some physical changes. “ I started getting bad cramps,” Wyatt said. “We thought they were for swimming. The muscle cramps were getting worse. My leg would cramp up so bad that I couldn’t move my foot. I started getting tired, I was always dehydrated even though I was drinking plenty of water, and I started losing weight.” Craig and Rhonda finally decided it was time to go see the doctor. “The doctor said that the symptoms I was experiencing were from my going through puberty. The doctor suggested that I drink a protein shake after every practice. I did this for a while, but I continued to lose weight nonetheless. We went back to the doctor two more times. After the third time, a blood test was ordered, which confirmed that I had type 1 diabetes.” 

Now that Wyatt finally had a diagnosis, his life would change. He would have to live with diabetes for the rest of his life, but the diagnosis brought with it a plan of treatment to help him live his life as normally as possible. Wyatt described what things have been put in place to keep his condition manageable. “After being diagnosed, I started eating more snacks between meals to keep my blood sugar stable. I also cut out a lot of carbs and ate more protein.” In a short time, Wyatt has learned much about diabetes. He has become his own advocate and has seized the opportunity to educate others. “Carbs will raise blood sugar,” he explained. “For individuals with diabetes, the pancreas stops working, and therefore the body doesn’t have insulin. Insulin helps to break down carbs into energy, so without insulin, carbs are not beneficial. Without the insulin, carbs are not broken down and they are absorbed into the body as sugar.” Wyatt went on to describe the symptoms he was experiencing prior to his diagnosis and treatment. “Because I was not getting the nutrients I needed, my body was taking my fat stores for energy. This is why I was losing weight. I also felt tired all the time and didn’t have energy because my body couldn’t utilize the energy from the food I was eating. My body needs insulin to survive, so I have to take it several times a day. I also take vitamin D daily because diabetics tend to have low vitamin D levels.” The amount of insulin that Wyatt takes day to day is dependent on his blood sugar level. “For the most part, if I eat like I am supposed to eat and use insulin when needed, I am able to function as a teenager and an athlete and have enough energy to get through the day. I am connected to an insulin pump most of the day. I take it off when I play hockey. I wear a device on my arm that reads my blood sugar level and alerts my pump to give me insulin when needed. Normal blood sugar level is 80-100. If my blood sugar gets too high, my pump will start giving my body insulin.” For Wyatt, staying healthy and out of a dangerous situation requires more than a device reading his blood sugar and a pump providing insulin for his body. “If my blood sugar goes below 70, I need to eat something right away. Even though the device alerts my monitor, I can usually tell if my sugar level is too high or too low. I will usually cramp up, become tired, or have a headache because of being dehydrated when I am high. I will feel shaky and weak when I am low. It’s not the pancreas that is compromised; it's the body's immune system, which is compromised, because diabetes is an autoimmune disease.” 

It is critical for Wyatt and his parents to understand the nuances of diabetes and to recognize when his blood sugar reaches unsafe levels and what to do when this happens. It is also important for Wyatt’s teachers and coaches to have some basic knowledge of his diagnosis and treatment plan. Dealing with diabetes on a personal level and learning about its side effects, and managing it have taught Wyatt the importance of implementing a healthy lifestyle. Wyatt explained why being educated about a disease is important for not just the person with the disease but also those who interact with these individuals. “I feel that teachers should know what students in their classrooms have serious health concerns, be made aware of symptoms and how to handle specific situations, and provide substitute teachers with some basic information about this on their lesson plans.”

Diabetes has no doubt changed Wyatt’s life. It has also done the same for his family. Wyatt elaborated on the role his parents have played in his life as a diabetic. “Having both parents as teachers and being in the buildings that they teach in has been great. When my dad was teaching at the high school, it was extra reassuring for me as a diabetic. Also, my dad has changed his eating habits because of my diabetes, because the way a diabetic eats is really the healthier way all people should eat.”

Although dealing with a childhood disease may equip kids with traits such as determination and smarter decision-making, no parent wants their child to go through the trials of a health scare. Rhonda shared her reflections on the impact of being a parent with a diabetic child has had on her. “When Wyatt was first diagnosed, there was a lot of worry. I was concerned about how diabetes would impact the rest of his life. It was exhausting physically, emotionally, and financially. Initially, insurance wouldn’t pay for his monitor. I regularly have to fight for insurance to cover his diabetic supplies. Before Wyatt had the monitor, I would set my alarm at 2 AM every night to check his blood sugar. When insurance finally paid for the technology, it made things a little easier. His monitor will automatically alert me through an app on my phone when his blood sugar is off. We have learned a lot, and so things are easier because we know how to deal with them better. Not long after Wyatt’s diagnosis, our entire family attended a two-day training at Bronson to learn as much as we could about diabetes and how to manage it.  I have become an advocate for people to understand other people who have diabetes or other serious illnesses.”

Seeing anyone deal with a major illness is not easy. Witnessing it with a child adds a layer of difficulty to this. Modern medicine has made it much easier for normal life to continue with adjustments. Wyatt’s persistence in becoming educated about his disease has served him well and will continue to benefit him for the rest of his life. His willingness to be an advocate for and teach others willing to listen will help those currently dealing with diabetes and future diabetics.