Adam Ries Story

  Contentment in Your Community

“Contentment is the foundation of true happiness. It is accepting and embracing the present moment as it is.”

—Jeremiah Say

There are some educators destined to mentor our youth, catching the teaching bug prior to becoming adults. Childhood experiences, including a love for learning, drawing on the influence of one or many teachers, or just a feeling of comfort and contentment in a school setting, pave the way for a career in our schools. Because of these experiences, there are some in our profession who were confident in wanting to become a teacher long before graduating from high school. This month’s Harper Unsung Hero, Adam Ries, has fond childhood school memories, with many of his teachers having a positive influence on him, but he didn’t realize that he wanted to be a teacher until midway through his college career. “I was undeclared for my first few years of college,” Adam recalled. “I thought I might want to do something related to business, but was still undecided. I spent my first two years completing prerequisite classes, taking some history classes, some criminal justice classes, and a German class. At the end of my sophomore year, I had to declare a major, so after reflecting, I decided on education. As a teenager, I had done some coaching of elementary-aged kids for wrestling. I enjoyed being a mentor for these kids, so I decided to pursue teaching.”

Adam’s childhood was typical of a child growing up in a small town in the 1980s and 1990s. “I was born in Kalamazoo in 1977, the youngest of two children of Judy and Daniel Ries,” Adam explained. “My older brother Bradley and I grew up in Allegan and lived in a suburban neighborhood full of kids. There was a vacant lot near our house where all the kids interacted together playing sports, making forts, exploring in the woods, and making ramps for our bikes.”  Interacting with his friends every day as they created their own entertainment consumed much of Adam’s time as a child, but he was also involved in many organized activities. “I participated in scouting for much of my childhood,” he said.  “I was also involved in athletics and theatre. My dad videotaped every one of my games starting when I was in middle school and continuing when I was in high school.”

A family business created many positive memories for Adam, while allowing him to enjoy his first experience working and making money. “My mom’s family operated a fruit farm near Dowagiac, and eventually they opened a restaurant specializing in donuts and cider,” Adam noted.  “I worked there during my summers.”

Adam started his school career, attending his neighborhood elementary school. “I went to Dawson Elementary,” Adam said. “It was three blocks from my house, so I was able to walk to and from school every day. I went there starting in Kindergarten all the way through 6th grade.” Adam enjoyed school. In some ways, it was like an extended family for him. “I had a very positive school experience all around,” he added. “My teachers were fantastic, and the community was great. I attended a gifted and talented program before the school day began at the elementary level. I was involved in writing contests and spelling bees while at Dawson Elementary.” 

One of Michigan’s biggest and most iconic county fairs took place a stone’s throw away from Adam’s house. “The Allegan County Fair has always occurred during one of the first weeks of the school year,” Adam noted. “The fairgrounds were a few blocks away from my house. During fair week, many of our school’s students would go directly from school to the fair. I enjoyed watching some of the fair’s biggest events through the years, including professional wrestler Sergeant Slaughter and the demolition derby.” 

Athletics emerged as a big part of Adam’s life at a young age and continued through middle school and high school. His coaches and teammates were a huge part of the extended family that made up his community. “By the time I got to middle school, I narrowed sports down to three: football, wrestling, and track,” Adam recalled. “Before this, I had played tennis, soccer, and baseball. I had very good relationships with my coaches. Most of them were also teachers in the district. Many of these coaches were also family friends. I still talk to some of these coaches today. They were mentors beyond the classroom and playing field.” The role that Adam’s dad filled for Allegan Community School’s athletics added to the feel of family that Adam sensed while growing up. “Because my dad was the videographer for our football team,” Adam explained, “the coaches would come over to our house after the games to look at film.”

Athletics played a significant role in his childhood journey, providing friendships and opportunities to grow and develop. He also found success through sports. “I was a captain for our football team and voted All-Conference my junior and senior years,” Adam said. “The team aspect of football was something that I enjoyed. I was an All-State wrestler my senior year. I was decent in all sports but was probably best at wrestling. I participated in the pole vault in track and was All-County for this event for my last two years.” 

Adam participated in other extracurricular activities outside of athletics, including drama and the National Honor Society. He also stayed busy when not in school.  “I was in a garage band in high school playing alternative rock,” Adam noted. “Eventually, we were the warm-up band for the varsity high school basketball games. We also played at a local coffee place and at the talent show. I played bass guitar. We continued playing for a few years after high school. We recorded and made an album in the band room a few years after graduating from high school.”

Adam worked at his family’s farm and restaurant near Dowagiac but earned money in other ways as well. “When I was in high school, I would mow yards to make money. I worked at a Christmas tree farm during the summers, trimming Christmas trees, and also worked at a sub shop on weekends,”  he explained. “The summer before going to college, I worked in a local factory. I worked many hours that summer, and the factory was very hot.” 

Adam graduated from Allegan High School in 1996 and started at MSU in the fall. “I enjoyed the college experience. It was a huge change, but I made new friends and was very social,” Adam noted. “I had season tickets for football and hockey and attended several basketball games. I worked for DTN in college, a rental property company, working in the office and showing apartments. I earned my BA in education in 2001, majoring in history and minoring in Spanish.”

Adam searched for a teaching position immediately upon finishing at MSU, but the job market was not favorable. “After graduating from MSU, I had a few job interviews, but did not receive any job offers,” he said. “I stayed in Lansing the next year and worked at Best Buy in Okemos. I also substitute taught some in the Lansing area.” Adam would get his first teaching opportunity in the fall of 2003, making a few stops along the way before coming to Harper Creek. “The next year, I was hired to teach history and Spanish for Decatur Public Schools in 2003,” Adam explained. “It was a fill-in for a teacher; he was called to duty as a Reserve Marine. I was there for one year. It was a great first assignment. I enjoyed teaching and immersed myself in the extended school community by attending all of the sports teams' competitions.” 

The teacher Adam was filling in for at Decatur returned the following year, and Adam searched again for a teaching job. “I was offered a job in Climax the next year, in 2004, teaching middle school and high school Spanish and history,” Adam said. “I coached junior high track, junior high wrestling, high school cross-country, and helped with high school wrestling. I really enjoyed coaching track the most.” Adam found himself hunting for a teaching position again in 2007, when layoffs at Climax left him without a job. In the fall of 2007, he accepted a part-time job with Portage Middle School teaching 8th grade Spanish and coaching middle school football and wrestling. Although it wasn’t ideal, teaching part-time, he gained more experience. Fortunately, he was able to find a full-time teaching job the next year. “In the fall of 2008, I started working at Bellevue, teaching both middle school and high school Spanish, history, and geography,” Adam noted. “I also taught Bronco Broadcast Media and coached varsity and junior high wrestling while I was there. I was also a class advisor. I had been living in Portage and moved to Battle Creek when I started teaching at Bellevue.” 

Teaching for Bellevue provided Adam with the most stability he had experienced up to that point as an independent adult, and he remained there for more than ten years. “I met my wife Brittany while teaching at Bellevue,” said Adam. “She was coaching volleyball at the time and was later hired as an elementary teacher. Brittany and I were married in 2011.” Brittany went on to add a special education endorsement to her teaching certificate and eventually moved on from Bellevue, making the transition from general education to special education. “In 2018, Brittany was offered a job teaching special education for Harper Creek Middle School,” Adam added. “After Brittany came to Harper Creek, I also wanted to come to Harper Creek.” Adam continued teaching for Bellevue for another three years, waiting for an opportunity to come to Harper Creek. “In 2021, Harper Creek posted a job for 7th-grade Social Studies,” explained Adam. “I applied, interviewed, and was offered the job, which I accepted. I taught this for three years and have taught 8th-grade U.S. History for the past two years. This year I am teaching 8th-grade US History and 7th-grade Ancient Civilizations.”

Adam has extended his role with Harper Creek beyond the classroom as well, coaching middle school track for the past five years and also event managing the middle school wrestling meets. The experience that Adam has gained in all the districts he has taught for has been valuable, but it is here at Harper Creek where he has found a permanent home. He shared his thoughts on his Harper Creek experience. “Teaching at Harper Creek feels more like the district and community that I grew up in than any district I have worked in. The staff that I work with is phenomenal. We have an upbeat, positive environment. It feels like we all share the same goal in wanting what is best for kids.” Adam is thankful for the opportunity to have a positive impact on our youth and doesn’t take the responsibility of his job lightly. “I want to bring something to the table as a coach and teacher, and I feel that I do this,” he shared. “I don’t want to just exist. For me personally, I never want to feel that I have let anyone down. I like to be prepared and organized as a teacher.”

Adam remains committed to being there for his students and athletes but also maintains an active, busy life outside of school. “Brittany and I have two daughters: Ira, who is a 6th grader at the middle school, and Hattie, who is in 3rd grade at Beadle Lake,” Adam said. “Outside of school, we like to travel. We also like to explore new restaurants. Brittany and our kids are obsessed with Disney. I am constantly working around the yard. I also like to bike a lot and just keep in shape. Ira and Hattie are involved in theater and other activities, so this keeps all of us busy.” 

Adam’s goals help to guide what he does each day in the classroom and also how he lives his life day to day. “I feel it is important to be present in your interactions with others,” he explained. “Being attentive to my everyday interactions and the phase of life I am currently in is something that I strive for.” 

The Best Part of My Day

Just Another Runner’s Perspective October 2026 Written By Gale Fischer

The Best Part of My Day

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

—Helen Keller

9/18/2026: Sunny skies, a nip in the air, and heavy dew covering the grass at Grand Woods Park in Lansing, Michigan, gave a feel of early autumn. Today was Kellogg Community College’s (KCC) third cross-country meet of the 2026 campaign, and conditions were aligned for some breakout performances for the Bruin runners. Our ladies started the day's excitement with many great individual achievements and steady improvements from their last race. The men followed it up with several impressive individual finish times, including the team’s top runner for the day, Jonah, smashing his previous 8K PR by thirty-nine seconds. The smile on Jonah’s face as I took an action photo of him near the midway point of the race told the story of how his day would play out. The reasons why I choose to coach are many, but perhaps the photo of Jonah with a smile plastered on his face mid-race provides the best explanation. The rewards that come from coaching are always bountiful. These rewards can come without individual or team success, but there is no doubt that days like the one that our runners had at Grand Woods Park are the frosting on the cake of the blessings that come from coaching.

My personal running journey began just before the turn of the century. The emotional high of finishing my first marathon a year after beginning this journey changed my life forever. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, a few years later I took notice of what running could do for me physically and for my peace of mind. As a teenager, I had lost my father at the age of forty-two to a massive heart attack. I first tried running at the age of twenty-nine because of the desire to challenge myself mentally and physically, not because of what had happened to my father, but in time my father became one of my motivations to continue a running routine. As my running journey began to play out through my thirties and I crept closer to the age of my father when he passed away, I took reassurance in knowing that running would decrease the odds of me experiencing a similar fate. 

Running made and continues to make my heart strong, but the rewards I have reaped from my sport go beyond avoiding a major health catastrophe. Eventually I began to experience success at the marathon distance, filling my soul with confidence that positively rippled through all aspects of my life. Now, nearly twenty years after my marathon PR, the fast times have faded, and another marathon finish seems well out of reach. At times, this has been a tough pill to swallow, but coaching has helped to fill this void. The thrills experienced from coaching runners may be different from the thrills that I experienced as a competitive runner, but both equally fill my heart with positive vibes. 

In many ways, I can relate to the athletes that I coach because of the miles I have logged through the years, but there are also nuances of our shared sport that are a part of my athletes’ running journeys that I have never had the opportunity to experience. Having not competed as a high school or collegiate runner, I have never been a part of a team of runners. I have competed just as the runners that I coach have and understand the commitment, hard work, and patience required to tap my potential as a runner, but I have only competed for myself as an individual, not as part of a team. Although I have never tasted what it is like to be part of a cross-country team as a runner, coaching has opened the door for me to understand, on some level, the positive feeling that comes from being a part of a team.

I first started coaching in 2014 when my daughter joined her school’s cross-country team. Her coach knew that I was a serious runner and wanted to tap into my experience and knowledge. He asked me to join his coaching staff. I was reluctant initially. The idea of mentoring teenagers intimidated me. I didn’t know if I could relate to them. After much coaxing, I agreed to help out. It didn’t take me long to realize that I could indeed relate to these teenagers through running. Coaching quickly shifted from something that I was uncomfortable with to something that was the best part of my day. Before this, I never imagined that running could provide me with blessings beyond racing and logging my daily miles. As it turned out, coaching could offer me another unexpected element of my sport. 

I continued coaching high school cross-country for a few years after my daughter graduated and eventually made the transition to the junior college level. I have found that, like anything in life, there are frustrations that come with coaching, but it still remains the best part of my day after all of these years. Seeing the excitement of one of my runners reach a milestone, set a PR, or eclipse a goal is a source of great satisfaction, but this kind of experience would seem empty without the day-to-day experiences of coaching, including the coach/athlete interactions, the relationships developed with my athletes, watching my athletes build relationships with one another, and seeing the same joy that running has given me in my athletes. 

As we approach the home stretch of the 2026 cross-country season, high hopes abound among our team in what we can accomplish in the remainder of the regular season and into the postseason. This year’s squads are stacked with the highest level of collective potential and a higher level of commitment to the process than any of the KCC teams I have been a part of in the past four years. Our coaching staff, consisting of three other coaches, understands that this group is special and can make history for their school by season’s end. We are all very excited about the remainder of the season.

My passion for my sport is what has kept me running as part of my routine for the past thirty years. Sharing this passion with the athletes that I coach is what I enjoy most about being a coach.  I desire for my athletes to grow and develop as human beings because of running, and reach their potential individually and as a team. I also hope that in my role as a coach, I can help to promote our sport by helping our athletes find their own passion for running. Nothing would please me more than seeing these young runners continue running after their time as a student-athlete has passed. 

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

Running Without Fear

Just Another Runner’s Perspective By: Gale Fischer September 2012

 

 

Running Without Fear

 

“We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”

--Bush

 

September 11, 2001, 6:00 PM: Two running friends joined me at Lakeview High School’s football field for our running group’s weekly track workout.  We chatted about the day’s events as we waited to see if others in our group would join us.  We were not sure what kind of participation we would have that evening after the day's events.  The sun radiated its warm, comfortable glow on us and there wasn’t a trace of cloud cover in the sky.  The weather seemed typical for a late-summer day in West Michigan, with temperatures steady near 80 degrees, but this was not in any way a typical day.

 

I was just a few weeks into a new teaching job. Establishing a new working routine was not the smoothest of transitions.  My daily run turned into a coping mechanism those first few weeks as I sorted through the skills and preparation needed to get through each day.  As I made the short drive to my elementary school building this Tuesday morning, it was a bit of dejavu as I prepared myself mentally for another day of teaching.  In just a few short hours, a senseless and cowardly act of terrorism would create a huge turning point for our nation, changing our world forever.

 

There is a stigma of events such as 9/11, which leave a lasting impression on our minds and souls.  Similar events such as the death of JFK and Elvis Presley and the attack on Pearl Harbor carve a permanent page in our memory, with most individuals recalling where they were and what they were doing when they first heard news of these events.  Because of the generation that I am a member of, I have no recollection of Pearl Harbor or the assassination of JFK, so it is difficult for me to compare 9/11 to these events.  It is, however, the most significant event that I have witnessed in my lifetime, stopping the world in its tracks briefly and changing the course of history. 

 

Most individuals who are old enough to remember the events of 9/11 have experienced the changes that have had a profound impact on our world.  For those who were born after this significant day and for those not old enough to remember, these changes are simply part of their lives, and they know no differently.  Technology has taken on a new niche since 9/11 that would leave us helpless if it were not here now.  I often wonder how much the attacks on our home turf that day influenced these changes in our technology. Have these advances occurred as a result of the need for our intelligence to monitor and collect data to prevent future attacks?  We are able to communicate with others, share and access information, all with a click of a button on electronic devices without being restricted to a wire hookup coming from a wall.  There have been improvements in the medical field as well since 9/11, in particular prosthetics, as soldiers are coming home having lost limbs. These improvements have spilled over into our society in general, as civilians also benefit from these medical breakthroughs. Other obvious changes have impacted the procedures and policies for traveling nationally and internationally. Our economy has also taken a direct hit because of what happened on September 11, 2001. The running community has felt an impact since 9/11, with increases in the number of runners and the number of marathons, as well as races of other distances.  It seems as if individuals’ ideas about money, health, and bucket lists have been molded by the events of that September day, making running a viable, affordable, and healthy hobby.  Good or bad, these changes that were set into motion eleven years ago are here to stay.

 

An array of emotions poured through my body in the hours preceding the attacks.  Those emotions included fear, anger, sadness, numbness, uncertainty, and denial, as it felt like the images I was witnessing on television were more like watching a movie than viewing actual events unfold. I had planned on meeting up with my running buddies for the 6 PM track workout when the day began, but this became an afterthought when news of the attacks was first brought to my attention. As my workday ended, I knew that a run with some of my friends was just what I needed. As I drove to the track that afternoon, my feelings of uncertainty were introduced again as each gas station I drove by displayed spikes in price, doubling the prices that were on display eight hours earlier. 

 

Adam Sherk and Jim Lawrence were there waiting when I arrived at the track.  There were only three of us, but we were well represented in terms of age group and pace. Adam, who was twenty-seven years old, had run a 2:57 marathon in 2000 and would run a 2:43 a few weeks later in Chicago. Jim Lawrence had run a 4:27 marathon in 1999 at the age of 49.  I had clocked a 3:50 marathon in 2000 at the age of 31. We waited about five minutes and decided to begin our warm-up.  The conversations that take place during a run can vary in topic and length, but obviously the topic this day centered on the collapse of the WTC and the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.

 

There are those individuals who have a direct connection to 9/11, having known someone personally whose life was taken as a direct result of the attacks. The impact on the lives of these individuals is very profound. I do feel that what the terrorists did that day took a small part of the lives of every US citizen, whether or not the life of a friend or family member was taken from them. Our freedom and way of life took a hit. 

 

Adam, Jim, and I were able to talk through the events of the day because of our running routine. The running schedule for all three of us that day differed because of our ability levels and pace goals, but none of that mattered. We opted out of our workout agendas and spent the next forty-five minutes running at a conversational pace as we shared our thoughts of this historic day. We talked about the emotions we were dealing with, who was responsible, and what the immediate and long-term future might look like because of the catastrophic events of the day. The conversation and time spent running didn’t take away the shock that the three of us and the rest of the nation were dealing with, but the forty-five minutes on the track that day left me feeling a little calmer as I drove home that evening. The terrorists who crashed three planes into the WTC, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania took something away from all of us that day, but they didn’t take away our daily routine.  Adam, Jim, I, and many other individuals went for a run that day and in the days to follow, showing the terrorists that they had not defeated us. 

 

Although our world was rocked that day, eleven years later there is a sense of normalcy.  In the days, weeks, months, and years that have followed, a daily running routine has helped many to deal with the results of 9/11. For many, running was a routine that they had already established. For others, running was a routine that they decided to begin because of the impact 9/11 had on their lives. 

 

Life is precious, and running is one of many ways to enjoy it. If you happen to go for a daily run on September 11, 2012, take a few quiet minutes to give thanks for the freedom to enjoy this great sport, a freedom that the terrorists did not take from us that historic day.

 

It is impossible to remember each and every run since I first laced up my running shoes back in October of 1997. There are particular memories associated with some of those runs that allow me to recall specific details. Just as I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard of the attacks on September 11, 2001, I will always remember the run that I shared with Adam and Jim later that afternoon.

 

 

KEEP RUNNING!!

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

 

Kaylah Eddy Story

 Four Generations of Beavers

“A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens.”

—-Yehuda Berg

There are many among our staff who are former students and graduates of Harper Creek Community Schools. Some of these staff members also have children of their own who are former or current students in our buildings. This month’s Harper Unsung Hero, Kaylah Eddy, is a third-generation graduate of our district. Her family has extended this one more generation, with one of her own children beginning his first year of school with Harper Creek just a few weeks ago. “My mom and dad, Amy (Moore) and Brian Babcock, graduated from Harper Creek, and my son Felix is now a fourth-generation student in Developmental Kindergarten at Beadle Lake,” Kaylah said. “My husband, Steven, also graduated from Harper.” Kaylah’s paternal grandparents, Nancy (Krogh) and John Babcock, graduated from Harper Creek, as did her maternal grandmother Eileen (Rombaugh) Casebeer.

Kaylah is one of four siblings who have graduated from Harper Creek or are still current students. “I was born in 1997, the oldest of four,” she explained. “My sister Grace is currently an interventionist at the Middle School. My youngest sister Gwendolyn just graduated from Harper Creek last year, and our little brother Owen, who is in eighth grade, was one of my students when he was in sixth grade. It was very special having him in my class.”  Kaylah’s grandparents played an important role in her life as she grew up. “My grandparents and great-grandparents helped to raise me,” Kaylah noted. “They all lived close to us, and I spent a significant amount of time with them. It seemed that I tagged along with them everywhere.” 

Kaylah wasn’t a child who was comfortable sitting in front of a screen. “We would spend many of our summer months with my grandparents, who had a cabin in Frankfort, Michigan,” she explained. “I wasn’t one of those kids who played video games. I spent time outdoors, and I also enjoyed sewing and doing crafts.”

Kaylah had her first experience with school early on but not in a traditional preschool setting. “My mom started taking classes at MSU to become a nurse when I was three years old,” Kaylah recalled. “We moved to campus and lived in student housing. I would go to my classes with her. I remember bringing a notebook to class and pretending to be a student. When I turned five, my mom quit classes, and we came back to Battle Creek because my parents wanted me to go to school at Harper Creek. She went on to finish her degree at Western Michigan.”

Although the college classroom experience is a little different than a Kindergarten classroom, going to classes with her mom might have helped Kaylah prepare and practice for a structured setting. “I started at Wattles Park in 2002,” she said. “I remember going there in Kindergarten and knowing right away that I wanted to be a teacher. Mr. Eckert was one of my most influential teachers. He made me fall in love with science and teaching. I loved the Mackinac Island Field trip that he and the other fourth- grade teachers organized. Ms. Jenkins taught science on a cart and was a big influence on my love for science. She pushed into my first-grade classroom. I remember an experiment she led. We dipped white flowers into different dye colors as the flowers transformed to different colors. I also had her as a science and math teacher in fifth grade.” 

It seemed Kaylah loved everything about school. She just couldn’t get enough of it. “Outside of school, I was always playing school with my cousins,” Kaylah explained. “I pretended to be the teacher and also pretended to be the principal.” Kaylah gained her first experience working with children by helping out at home as the older sibling. “I started babysitting my sister Grace when she was an infant,” Kaylah said. “I remember teaching her how to read. Babysitting didn’t seem like a chore to me. I enjoyed doing it.” 

As an elementary student, science was Kaylah’s favorite subject. She would quickly develop a second passion as she entered middle school. “I joined the band in middle school, which is something I enjoyed immediately,” she shared. “I played clarinet in middle school. I continued with band through high school and into college. In high school, I played bass clarinet for concert band and was also the drum major for two years. I met my future husband, Steven, in marching band. We eventually started dating in high school.” Kaylah was also involved in athletics in middle school, joining the tennis team and continuing with this through high school. Her elementary school teachers helped to fuel her passion for a future career as a teacher, with many of her middle school teachers continuing to encourage her interest in education. “Many of my middle school teachers played a very influential role in my childhood, including Andrea Fronsmon, my sixth-grade math teacher, and Dave Carl, my seventh-grade science teacher,” Kaylah explained. “Friendships that I made in high school were also a part of what fostered my love for school. I met my best friend for life, Miranda Schaffer, in middle school. We are still great friends.” 

Band and science continued to be a big focus for Kaylah during her four years of high school. “I went to the math and science center my freshman and sophomore years,” Kaylah added. “I had to make a tough choice going into my junior year. I decided not to go to the math and science center the last two years of high school because it conflicted with the band schedule. Band was very important to me. At that time, I still knew that I wanted to be a teacher and thought maybe I would be a band instructor.” Kaylah’s high school band teacher was an important mentor for her. “Jared Cavis, my band director, was my most influential high school teacher,” she said. “He allowed me to intern with him while I was still a high school student. I helped with the middle school band. I was able to conduct at their concerts. I was also involved in the high school honors choir.”

Kaylah graduated from Harper Creek in 2015 and enrolled at Western Michigan to pursue a teaching degree and continue with her band career. “I was in the marching band for two years at Western Michigan,” Kaylah noted. “Steven was two years ahead of me in school and was already a student at Western. He was also a member of the marching band. It was great to be able to share this experience at the collegiate level with him.” Western Michigan compiled an undefeated football season in Kaylah’s sophomore year, earning a berth in the Cotton Bowl. Kaylah, Steven, and the rest of the marching band followed the football team to the Cotton Bowl to show their talents on national television.

Kaylah gained more experience working with children during her time as a college student. “I started working at the Air Zoo in the education department while at Western,” She said. “I also worked at a daycare center in Kalamazoo.” She also became a bride while in college. “Steven and I married in 2018,” Kaylah shared. ”He earned a degree in BioChemistry from Western Michigan and currently works at Zoetis in Kalamazoo. I graduated from Western in 2020 with an elementary education degree and an integrated math and science endorsement. I was unable to attend graduation because of COVID.”

Kaylah found a teaching job immediately, just as our world was in shutdown mode from the pandemic. “I started teaching eighth grade science at Gull Lake in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic,” Kaylah noted.  “We started fully online but eventually moved to a hybrid format. I was happy at Gull Lake and never really felt the urge to come back home to teach for Harper Creek. Eventually, I realized I missed the community that I grew up in at Harper Creek.” Harper Creek posted a teaching position for the fall of 2022 that piqued Kaylah’s interest. “When a sixth -grade science position at Harper Creek Middle School opened up, I realized that I wanted to come back to teach here,” Kayla said. “This will be my fifth year at Harper Creek, and I am shifting into a new position this year, teaching fifth- and sixth-grade science. I will also have my first opportunity to work with a student teacher in my classroom this year. ”

Kaylah has been blessed to be teaching science, a subject area that she loves very much. She has also been able to be a part of her second passion. “I helped with band camp here at Harper Creek while I was in college,” she noted. “I remained a part of this for three years altogether.” Kaylah was all in for returning to Harper Creek as a teacher, but there was a bit of a speed bump with this transition. “It was difficult at first to establish myself as a teacher at the school I attended as a child,” Kaylah admitted. “I was teamed up with Amy Smith, who was my former eighth-grade science teacher. Working with Amy has helped with this transition.” During her time as a Harper Creek teacher, Kaylah has also been involved with extracurricular activities, coaching for the past two years and organizing sixth grade camp for the past three years. Being a part of Harper Creek as a student, community member, and now as a teacher, she appreciates what the district represents and strives to make the school experience meaningful for her students. “I feel that all students need to be seen as part of the classroom community,” Kaylah said. “Education should be rooted in equity. Learning should be fun. Play is still appropriate in middle school. The thing I love most about Harper Creek is the community. I appreciate how our community shows up for our people.” 

Kaylah keeps busy outside of school as a young mom and with other interests. “Felix, our oldest son, was born in 2021, and Margot, our youngest, was born in 2024,” she noted. “They both help to keep life outside of school busy. My biggest hobby outside of school is quilting. My great-grandmother taught me how to do this.” 

The Harper Creek community has a way of making everyone feel like a member of a collective family. This feeling of cohesiveness seems to start with our school district, reaching out to all in the surrounding neighborhoods. Families like Kaylah’s, with multiple generations coming back to live and raise their children and having them educated in our schools, are a great illustration of the strength in our community.

It May be Different but it Still Feels the Same

Just Another Runner’s Perspective September 2026 By Gale Fischer

It May Be Different, But It Still Feels The Same

“Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running.”

—Julie Isphording

Life is an ongoing cycle of moving forward. Changes are continuous, but there are also constants in life. We all move through different seasons of life, including toddler, school-age, teenage, young adult, middle age, and elderly. Each stage brings with it shifts in social interests, daily routines, individual preferences, and personal attitudes. Even with these changes, there remains consistency in our lives spanning a long period of time. Through the ebbs and flows of life, we all experience change while also walking a path of routine.

Running is a metaphor for life in many ways. Patterns that are noticeable in our sport are similar to the patterns we experience in all areas of our lives. In many ways, running can offer us a mixture of sensory input. In fact, variety is part of what keeps running fresh and exciting, and an activity that many choose to engage in for multiple decades. 

Living in the Midwest and experiencing running through the variation of each of the four seasons can add excitement when running might begin to feel monotonous. Enjoying the comfortable temperatures of spring and fall is always something to appreciate as a runner, but the heat of the summer and the winter cold can help to break one out of a running rut or keep the running rut from ever occurring. Each season bestows its own variety of beauty for the runner, from the breathtaking lush green colors of spring and summer, to the stunning orange and yellow hues of fall, and the pristine white canopy of winter.

Running variety can also occur in different types of workouts. Long, slow runs, fast-paced track workouts, easy recovery runs, and mid-distance tempo runs all create different sensations. The experiences of running diverse terrain, such as around a track, on a wooded trail, along a hilly country road, and through a busy city neighborhood, can each provide a different type of sensory excitement. The phases that each of us goes through in our running journey provide changes in what running can offer. The fast runner may one day slog through each run as the accumulated miles over the years alter what the body is capable of, or the speedy high school sprinter may one day transition to a middle-aged ultra runner running many more miles at a slower pace.

My personal running journey has spanned almost three decades. Through those years, my running has gone through many adjustments. I started running solo for more than a year, but eventually I found the running community. Since then, there have been periods of time in which the bulk of my miles has been with others and other periods of time when running alone has dominated my weekly mileage. Running solo can offer a different set of inputs than running with others. I have also adjusted the volume of miles I run. For many years, my running was uninterrupted, but for the last ten to fifteen years, injury has decreased the consistency of how often I can run. When I started running, I wasn’t so much concerned with pace. Eventually, speed became a part of my running, and I went through a period of time where competing in races dominated my focus. Eventually, my speed decreased, and so did the desire to compete. As different as each phase of my running has been, and with the variety I have intentionally targeted through the years of running, there are elements of my sport that are common to each and every run I have logged over the last thirty years. I will always feel grateful for the excitement of my running prime and the rush that came with it. Although three-hour marathons, eighteen-minute 5ks, and twenty-mile Saturday morning long runs may seem like running experiences from another lifetime, the mental rush that comes from every run remains a common feeling. 

For me, when running, there is always a sense of balance in how my mental, physical, and emotional realms work together in harmony, no matter the pace, distance, or sensory stimulus of where and when I run. The physical effects of running, including a raised heart rate, heavier breathing, and perspiration soaking my skin, seem to sync my mind and body. Running always seems to create an emotional high while also calming my nerves and giving me peace of mind. Running always gives me a sense of appreciation while enhancing all aspects of my life. No matter how much I struggle during a run, running continually brings me joy, and the sense of accomplishment is always there when the run is complete. Running always boosts my mood. There are many ways in which each run provides a unique memory or experience while also providing the same stable, familiar input. Whatever this experience happens to be, life is better with each run. 

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

Lindsey Heil Story

Harper’s Unsung Heroes August 2026 Written by Gale Fischer

Teaching Our Littles

“Kindergarten is a magical place where dreams begin to grow.”

As teachers, we all have a similar passion for what we do, but our skill sets and comfort zones can be quite different. Some teachers are adaptable in terms of being comfortable teaching any subject across all levels, but many of us develop specific preferences about what areas we would like to teach. A veteran middle school teacher may thrive on the challenges of working with students entering the teenage years, while others among us might feel a bit panicked at the idea of lasting a day in that particular setting. That same middle school teacher who feels right at home working with students going through some of life’s most dramatic physical and emotional changes might feel ill-equipped to work in a lower elementary setting. One such role in our schools that takes a special kind of mindset is that of a Kindergarten teacher. As challenging as teaching Kindergarten may seem, many Kindergarten teachers have no interest in teaching anything else. Wattles Park Kindergarten teacher Lindsey Heil never pictured herself teaching in an early childhood setting while searching for her first teaching job almost twenty years ago. Having spent her entire career teaching our youngest students, she can’t imagine teaching anything else.

Lindsey was raised in the Cereal City.  She shared her childhood history. “I was born in Kalamazoo in 1984,” she said. “My family moved to Battle Creek when I was two years old. My parents, Jack and Sue Burkle, still live in my childhood home on Goguac Lake. I have an older brother, Joel, and an older sister, Kristyn. Both still live in the Battle Creek area with their families.”  Lindsey reflected on some of her many positive childhood memories. “We spent a lot of time on Goguac Lake, and also spent time during the summers in Grand Haven and Muskegon,” Lindsey noted. “I enjoyed staying with my grandparents often, who lived in Grand Rapids. Every spring break we went to Orlando, Florida.” 

Lindsey’s dad was the primary breadwinner of the family, but her mom also went to work as Lindsey transitioned from elementary school to middle school. “My dad worked at Yellow Freight in Kalamazoo as a terminal manager while Mom was a stay-at-home mom through my 6th grade year before she started working at Macy's unloading trucks in the morning,” she recalled. “She has also taken care of the flowers every summer for 25 years for the Battle Creek Country Club. She also loves gardening at home.” 

School was something that Lindsey enjoyed immediately, and it has been a great source of contentment for her ever since. “I went to Minges Brook Elementary for my Kindergarten through 5th-grade years,” Lindsey explained. “I rode the bus sometimes, but often my parents let me ride my bike to school. This made me feel independent, and I loved being able to do this. I loved school right from the start. I was on the student council in elementary school. It was after my 4th grade year that I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. My 4th grade teacher, Shelley Erickson, made learning so much fun. She is now retired, but I am still in contact with her. One project that she had us do that I remember was making a model haunted house for Halloween. I do remember getting in trouble one time for not participating in a game in gym class because I didn’t like it. Our librarian, Mrs. Katz, would go out for our lunch recess and organize relay races. This helped to fuel my love for sports. I enjoyed sports from an early age. Sports were a big part of our family. My dad loved watching sports, and my older brother played ice hockey.”

Lindsey appreciated the academics and learning that was a part of school, but she also enjoyed the social part of it with the friendships made. There is one early friendship that is as strong as it has ever been. “I met my best friend, Brenda Beck/Dolbee, in Kindergarten,” Lindsey said. “We remain close today even though she lives in Florida. I would spend time with her family at their cottage in Baldwin when we were kids. Brenda comes home from Florida for a month each summer. I go to visit her for spring break every year. We also spend a week each summer with our kids at the cottage in Baldwin.”

Lindsey moved on from Minges Elementary after her fifth-grade year. “At that time, Lakeview had one building just for 6th grade housed at Territorial School,” Lindsey said. “I loved 6th grade. I had a great group of teachers. This is where I met my next group of friends that I was close with all through high school. Our school was close to McDonald's, so sometimes our teachers would treat us to McDonald's for lunch. I also remember the fire department coming over to help us with the egg drop. We would wrap our egg with certain materials and drop it from the fire truck ladder.” 

Middle school brought with it many positive experiences for Lindsey. “Our middle school was for 7th and 8th grade,” she noted. “I remember the teachers letting us help with the scan tron machine. I took home economics class and learned how to cook and balance a checkbook. Sports became a big focus. I had played travel soccer and volleyball before this, as well as t-ball, softball, gymnastics, and floor hockey. In middle school, I focused on basketball, volleyball, and soccer.” 

Lindsey remained involved in many things when she moved on to high school. “I continued to play basketball, volleyball, and soccer,” she said. “I was a four-year varsity soccer player. I participated in many of the extracurricular activities, including building floats for homecoming and being involved in many of the clubs. I started cadet teaching my senior year. I went back to Mrs. Erickson’s room to teach. By this time, she had transitioned from 4th grade to 2nd grade. This sealed the deal for me in wanting to be an elementary teacher. What I remember most about cadet teaching is building relationships with the students.” Lindsey gave up volleyball her junior year so that she could work part time. “I started working at Old Navy,” she noted. “I continued working for Old Navy part time for the next twelve years.” 

Lindsey was ready to go to college to earn her teaching degree after finishing high school.  “I graduated from Lakeview High School in 2002 and started at Western Michigan the following year, living in the dorms with a friend from high school,” Lindsey said. “I enjoyed the college experience. It was a great way to transition to being an adult and being partially independent. I did my internship in 2007 at Verona in first grade with Ana Antes, so I came back to live at home. I graduated from Western in May of 2007. I also nannied for a family in Battle Creek starting in 2003 and continued this during the summers of my first few years of teaching.” 

Lindsey landed a job out of state after graduating from Western to start her teaching career. “The job market for teachers was not good in Michigan at the time I graduated from Western,”  Lindsey recalled. “I randomly applied to teaching jobs in North Carolina. I was hired to teach kindergarten at West Clayton Elementary. Originally, I was hired to teach 2nd grade, but a few days before moving to North Carolina, I was told that the 2nd grade position was not available, but that I could teach kindergarten if I wanted.” This change became a defining moment for Lindsey. She had never imagined she would teach kindergarten and was somewhat nervous about this. It quickly became obvious that being a kindergarten teacher suited her well. “This change was difficult to accept, and I wasn’t sure that I still wanted to go, but ultimately I went there,” she admitted. “My parents packed me up in a U-Haul, and initially I did an extended stay in a hotel. Eventually I found an apartment.”  

The thought of moving so far away from home may have been a source of anxiety for Lindsey early on, but she quickly found comfort, and North Carolina felt like home. “I loved everything about working at West Clayton,” she said. “There were many veteran teachers on the Kindergarten team that I learned from. This was a large school. We had ten Kindergarten classrooms. The class sizes were capped at 18 with one para in each room. I remained at West Clayton for five years. I fell in love with North Carolina.” Lindsey would have been content to stay in North Carolina, but she was blessed with the birth of Colton in September of 2011, which left her rethinking what she wanted moving forward. “I decided that I wanted to be closer to family after Colton was born,” Lindsey shared. “I moved back to Battle Creek after the 2011/2012 school year. I was fortunate enough to find a teaching job. I started teaching Young Fives at Endeavor Charter Academy, and remained in the Young Fives room for two years before moving to  Kindergarten. I loved my experience at Endeavor. I worked with many great teachers and made many friends there.”

Working at Endeavor provided an opportunity for Lindsey to learn and grow as a teacher, establish contacts among her peers, and make some great friendships, but she decided to come to Harper Creek when an opportunity became available after five years with Endeavor. “Wattles Park teacher Rhonda Smart’s son Wyatt was a student in my class at Endeavor,” Lindsey recalled. “Rhonda recruited me to come join the team at Wattles Park. Wattles needed a Kindergarten teacher going into the 2017/2018 school year. I decided to apply, was called in for an interview, and was then offered the job. It seemed like a great opportunity, so I accepted the job.”

Lindsey has continued as an early childhood teacher and will begin her ninth year at Wattles Park. “I have taught Kindergarten here for all eight years, with the exception of teaching Developmental Kindergarten the first year Harper Creek implemented this program,” Lindsey said. “I look forward to another year of kindergarten this year.” Like all of the schools that Lindsey has taught in, her experience with Harper Creek has been a positive one. “I have enjoyed my experience at Harper Creek and want to work here until I retire,” Lindsey noted. “I love the Kindergarten team that I work with. The staff is great, the students are great, and the families are great. I like to make learning fun, and I feel that I am able to do that here.” 

Teaching Kindergarten has many challenges, but Lindsey manages to create a positive learning environment for her students every day. “I strive to make learning fun for my students,” she explained. “I like to do a lot of hands-on learning activities for my students. Kids need to be kids and learn through play and experiences. My favorite part of being a teacher is watching kids smile, learn, and build independence.” 

Lindsey went back to college a few years ago to earn a graduate degree. “Going back to school to get a Master’s degree was something I had considered in the past, but I didn’t feel like I could afford it,” Lindsey said. “I found out about Grow Your Own Grant (GYOG) when it first started, but I really didn’t consider applying for it. After talking to some co-workers who had started GYOG, it sounded like a good idea. I started in the summer of 2024. I hadn’t gone to school in 17 years, so it was a shock getting back into being a student. There were some tears, but I had some support from co-workers.” Lindsey chose the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) track. “The things that I have learned about teaching non-English speakers in my college classes are things that apply to all students, especially in Kindergarten,” she explained. “I graduated last May. Financially, it has been a bonus, saving me about $ 28,000 on tuition and books. It has really been a gift. Earning an MA gave me a close to $10000 pay raise as well. I am thankful to have had the opportunity.”

Outside of school, Lindsey stays very busy. “I like to spend time with friends and family,” Lindsey said. “Colton is a freshman at Harper Creek. He and I like to go to sporting events and travel. We travel to all his sports tournaments. Many of our excursions are centered around Colton wanting to go to every major league ballpark to see a game. So far, he has been to nine stadiums. Colton is playing tennis this fall, which is a new sport for him.” Lindsey also works part-time at a local wedding venue, Dreamfield Acres, during the summers and on weekends during the school year. 

Teaching at any level requires a certain level of patience, an ability to multitask, and the temperament to go off script when things don’t go as planned. It takes a special person to be a teacher, with Kindergarten teachers having a unique skill set and a passion for children starting their school journey. Lindsey and her team of Kindergarten teachers continue to lay the groundwork to prepare our students for thirteen years of school and beyond.