Chris Crowell Story

Just Another Runner’s Story May 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

A Life Shaped by Running

“Home is the comfiest place to be.”

—Winnie the Pooh

Many among us consider running to be an integral part of life. It may not be the top priority but its importance is undeniable. It can be the catalyst for a healthy lifestyle but beyond this running provides the perfect balance to keep stress at a low level and joy a dominant presence. Work, family, and other commitments are important, and a constant presence, with running providing respite for many of life’s obligations. Running can offer a natural transition for alone time and reflection but also bless one with a social group of like-minded peers. If looking for a mode to explore the community, running can give glimpses of your surroundings that can be seen in a way, unlike other methods of exploring. The geography of Southwest Michigan offers runners a variety, with nature trails, rural paths, city sidewalks, small town streets, and country roads. The geography of Kalamazoo and its surrounding area, the change in scenery with the four seasons, and the positivity of the running community make Southwest Michigan an ideal location for being a runner. This month’s featured runner, Chris Crowell, has been blessed to enjoy the bounty of being a runner residing in Kalamazoo beginning with his first experience in running as a young child. Running has been present in his life as a resident of Kalamazoo, as a high school and collegiate student-athlete, as a non-competitive runner, and in his career.  

Chris has enjoyed an active lifestyle for as long as he can remember. “My mom was a gym teacher so we were very physically active as a family. My first memory of organized sports was playing baseball in elementary school. Soon I started playing basketball and football.”  The area of Kalamazoo that Chris and his siblings grew up in offered them another unique form of exercise. “We grew up in the Winchell neighborhood. My siblings and I spent many hours ice skating on Wood’s Lake in the winter.”

Running became Chris’ sport of choice upon transitioning out of elementary school. “When I started middle school my sports focus turned to  cross country and track, but I continued to play basketball during the winter.” Chris may not have started organized running until junior high but he has a unique story of how running sparked his competitive drive as a youngster. “My first running experience was in third grade. When I attended elementary school we walked home every day at noon, ate lunch, and returned to school for the afternoon. We lived four blocks from school. I became competitive with myself and would look at the clock when I left school, run home, and do the same when I returned to school after lunch. I would keep track of my time and try to go faster each day. It was always my goal to complete the commute in under three minutes.” 

When Chris started high school he gave up basketball and fully committed to running as a student athlete. “After my freshman cross-country season, my coach, Don Lukens, sat down and talked to me. He told me that I could play basketball and run and be good at both or I could focus on running and become a great cross-county athlete.” The thought of excelling as a runner intrigued Chris. “I asked Coach Lukens what I could do to become a great cross-country runner. He told me that I needed to run every day, year-round. I gave up basketball and began running year-round.” 

Running every day helped Chris to become a competitive and successful high school runner, but not giving his body a break was a risk. “I sustained running year-round for three years but eventually developed an overuse injury. I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the summer leading up to my senior cross-country season. I had to have surgery and missed my entire senior cross-country season.” Missing out on his final season of high school cross-country was a tough pill for Chris to swallow. “My junior year I had our team’s fastest time, fifteen minutes and three seconds, so I was looking for big things my senior year. Missing my final year of high school cross-country was difficult. I felt that I was letting my team down. I had finished a great summer of training and was anticipating an epic final season.”

Despite having to take off from running due to a stress fracture, tuning in to cross-country and track proved to be fruitful for Chris. “It was a wise decision. Our coach was focused on building championship teams and supporting every kid who came out.” The running culture that existed at Loy Norrix helped to support ongoing success in terms of championships and high numbers of kids coming out to run. “Coach Lukens helped us set mileage goals. Every summer from June 1st through September 1st we had a thousand-mile club for our team. This was an average of about eleven miles a day. We could earn a shirt for doing this and we all were proud to wear this shirt. It seemed like everyone wanted to be on our team. We had around thirty boys run for us each of my seasons.” 

The daily practices, cross-country meets, and team championships helped to create life-long memories, but team bonding also occurred before each season began. “Our team would go to Wellston, Michigan for three weeks each summer to train on the wooded trails. The area was beautiful for running. We would run, eat, sleep, and hang out together. It was so much fun.”

The miles logged and the hard work that Chris put in helped him achieve many accomplishments as a cross-country runner, individually and as part of a team. “Some high school cross-country accomplishments included conference champion and regional champion, with a high school PR of fifteen minutes and three seconds in my junior year. I went out too fast at the state meet as a junior and led after two miles but faded after that, finishing forty-first. Our team took third place as a team.” 

It seems that as a high school athlete, cross-country was more of a love for Chris than track, but he was also able to leave his mark on the oval. “I recovered from my stress fracture and surgery, and trained more for strength and speed and less for distance for my senior track season. I came into track strong. I was able to run a four-minute and nineteen-second mile and break our school’s two-mile record at that time with a time of nine minutes and twenty-one seconds. I ran the two-mile at the state meet my senior season, finishing ninth.”  Typically these times would have been the fastest in the area but there was an elite runner at a cross-town rival. “At this time there was a competitor at Portage Northern who was All-American. He ran a four-minute, eight-second mile, and a nine-minute, two-second two mile. I was second for a conference and regional that year for those two events.”

Despite missing out on his senior season of cross country, Chris was able to make an impression on some college coaches. “My senior year some smaller colleges started recruiting me. It came down to Central Michigan and Western Michigan. It seemed that Chris was destined to remain in Kalamazoo for his collegiate running career and beyond. “I committed to WMU, starting there in 1978. We had an extremely strong and deep team for both cross country and track. I didn’t run varsity until I was a junior and senior. We won the MAC championship for cross-country and track my freshman year. Our coach, Jack Shaw, was a really strong coach and recruiter.”   

Chris’ teammates consisted of some elite runners. Although he was a tier two runner on his team he feels fortunate to have been a part of these teams. “I was a good runner but not a top-tier runner like most of my teammates. It was an unbelievable experience running with these guys. They were a positive influence on me, teaching me about dedication, resilience, and focus as a runner. I am still in contact with many of these guys.”  Under the guidance of his college coaches and teammates, Chris was able to improve as a runner with a PR of fourteen minutes, forty-five seconds for the 5K, and thirty-one minutes, seven seconds for the 10K.

After graduating from WMU Chris was at a crossroads. His plans were not set in stone but he knew that running would still be a part of his life. He had planned to continue with school after earning his undergraduate degree from WMU but Chris decided that he needed some time to catch his breath.  “I had studied biomedical science and chemistry with the thought of going to medical school. After graduating from Western I decided that I needed a break from school. My thinking was that I would eventually go back to medical school. I started working at a running store in Kalamazoo called the Athlete’s Shop and continued there after graduation in 1982.” 

The owner of the Athlete’s Shop was nearing retirement which gave Chris a chance to think about his future. “Bruce Johson, the manager, and I became good friends. We decided that we wanted to purchase the store together. Neither of us had any business experience and we couldn’t afford the price so we had to walk away.” Chris’ future was now in a state of limbo. “Bruce and I loved Kalamazoo and the running culture. We continued to pursue our dream of owning a running store. We had no money, no loan, and no employees. Family and friends helped to provide the money and the manpower to get a business up and running. We opened Gazelle Sports in December of 1985.”

Chris and Bruce had the vision but couldn’t have pulled it off without some help. “One of my core values to this day is the sense of community which was founded because of how the community stepped up to help us. We worked hard at trying to build a company about building friendships and relationships with customers. We wanted to give back to the community and promote people building healthy lifestyles. This was part of our process.”

Chris and Bruce did an outstanding job of opening up to the community and building these relationships but they didn’t have the business sense for financial expansion. They eventually found help in this area. “In 1990 we hired Jean Sequite. She had some business and financial background and this is what helped us grow financially. We opened a store in Grand Rapids at this time with Ken Sung running it. He was a visionary in terms of product and innovation. He completed our leadership team which allowed us to grow.”

As a business owner, finding the time to keep running as a priority may have presented a challenge for Chris, but having a store immersed in the running community helped with this. “I continued to enjoy running after college. The focus of my running became more about the social and health benefits rather than running PRs. It also provided a great way to balance my business. Finding relationships and becoming self-reflective through running became the centerpiece for my sport.” Other than the stress fracture that sidelined Chris for his senior season of cross-country in high school, he has found a consistent routine with running. “Now at the age of sixty-four, I am still able to run. Running fast is great but longevity in running has been equally amazing. I have had injuries here and there but for the most part, I have been able to maintain three or four days a week. I also ride a bike and kayak.”

The Kalamazoo running community has had a profound impact on Chris from the time he ran from his elementary school to his house for lunch, continuing as a high-school athlete for Loy Norrix, followed by his time running for WMU, and for the last four decades as an adult runner. As much as Chris has gained, he has also been a part of the development of the Kalamazoo running community, as one of its great ambassadors for almost forty years, with the work he has done with Gazelle Sports. “We got into developing events such as the One One Run. This was huge. We also started training groups back in the late nineties including Borgess Run Camp. Groups like this grew the running population. The Seahorse Triathlon Club was another group Gazelle Sports organized. We brought Girls on the Run (GOTR) to West Michigan and Kalamazoo after the turn of the century. The community got involved and for a few years, we were the largest GOTR chapter in the nation.” 

As a runner for more than a half-century, Chris has learned about the nuances of the sport and how it positively intertwines into your daily life. “Running is a wonderful time for self-reflection. Let running help you build your social and spiritual connection. You can do this at any pace. Having the time to do this is so valuable. I have done a lot of problem-solving with running. Don’t let go of running but also find other things besides running to stay active.” 

For many years Chris was an integral part of the leadership team for running in Kalamazoo. He still is involved but has graciously passed the reins onto others. He retired from the running store business a few months ago. He may not have become a doctor as originally intended but he has had an impact on others, influencing many to maintain and improve their mental and physical health through running. His love for Kalamazoo and running is undeniable. 

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

Justin King Story

Harper’s Unsung Heroes May 2024 Written by Gale Fischer 

Keeping it Safe and Building Trust

“We don’t need police officers who see themselves as warriors. We need police officers who see themselves as guardians and parts of the community. You can’t police the community that you are not a part of."

—-Bryan Stevenson

The foundation of schools was built on educating future generations. Early on in the days of the one-room schoolhouse, this was a rather simple concept. Children were taught how to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic under one roof with one teacher. The needs of our youth and society have changed throughout history and with this, our schools are constantly evolving. The number of adults required to meet the demands of education has multiplied. We have added counselors, administrators, kitchen staff, and bus drivers. The days of one building housing teaching and learning have been replaced with district campuses spread over miles to include elementary, middle school, and high school buildings. More recently school liaison officers have become a part of the educational process. This concept has grown for Harper Creek through the years starting with one officer sharing time at all of our buildings to our current model of three full-time liaison officers. This month’s featured Unsung Hero, Justin King, started with us this past fall as our elementary liaison officer.

Justin grew up forty miles south of Battle Creek in the eighties and nineties. He reflects on his early years. “I was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1987. I grew up in Somerset Center, Michigan near Jackson. My family consisted of three other siblings; brother Greg, a year younger than me, a sister Brittany, who is five years younger than me, and a half-brother Bill, who is seven years older than me.” Living near water provided wonderful childhood memories for Justin. “ We lived near Lake LeAnne and spent much of our time on and around the water as kids.” Swimming and playing in the water exposed Justin to many adventures but in general, being active in a variety of ways was the theme of his childhood. “I enjoyed paintball as a kid and competed in tournaments many weekends. My siblings and I loved being outside as kids, riding bikes and just playing in nature.”

Justin was raised in small-town Michigan. He talks about his experience of being educated in a tiny school district. “I went to school at Addison Public Schools near Summerset. My siblings and I attended Addison Schools from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. There were only eighty kids in my senior class. All the buildings were housed together in one area. I really enjoyed school.” 

Justin had fun with and excelled in athletics as a high school student. The small-town feel and community involvement added to his high school sports experience. Justin recalls some of his memories as an athlete. “I played soccer and baseball, beginning in my elementary school years, starting with Pop Warner football. My dad was a coach at this level which added to the enjoyment. I continued playing football through twelfth grade and also started wrestling in high school.”  Because of football and wrestling, Justin spent many hours in the weight room. Weightlifting is a passion that he enjoys, still today. Although building bulk helped him excel as a wrestler and on the gridiron, it led to a hernia injury, which forced him to the sidelines for one season of wrestling. 

Justin talks about the success he was blessed with as an athlete individually and as part of a team and the excitement it helped to generate.  “As a wrestler, I made it to the state championship my junior year with my team and then went back to the championship my senior year as a part of the team and also individually. We captured the state title as a team in my senior year. I can remember the community giving support and excitement. They packed Kellogg Arena for the state championship run.” The community was equally supportive of Justin’s football team. “Our football team won districts and regionals during my senior year. The community blessed our football team with waves of support for this as well.”

Although Justin didn’t begin working as a police officer upon graduation, he knew that he wanted to be involved with the safety of others in the community. Justin reflects on the early years of his career in public service. “After graduating from high school, I went through the fire academy and earned my paramedic license. I worked a couple of jobs in the area as a firefighter and paramedic for a few years.”

Justin enjoyed working as a first responder. It felt like it was his way to help others and make a difference in his community. He wanted to continue to work in this capacity but felt it was time to alter his career path. He discusses this shift in his life. “My mom and dad had served in the Navy. This is where they met. I had always longed to follow in their footsteps. I decided to go into the military.” This presented a bit of a dilemma for Justin. He enjoyed working as a firefighter and paramedic and had become comfortable with the paycheck. He didn’t want to give this up. He was able to find a compromise. “I joined the National Guard and was able to keep my job as a paramedic. I was with the Guard for six years and finished this in 2017 at the age of twenty–nine. In my time with the National Guard, I was able to take advantage of coursework and hands-on training that gave me some tools and knowledge that bolstered my work as a first responder.”

The training that Justin gained from his commitment to the National Guard enhanced the skills required to be a paramedic and a police officer but there were bi-products that he is grateful for as well. “The structure of being part of the National Guard was great. I wanted the experience of being deployed but unfortunately, this never happened. I was attached to a medical unit in Detroit.”

Working in the medical community as a first responder and with his time in the National Guard was a huge part of Justin’s development as a young adult. As a teenager, he wasn’t always sure of what career path he wanted to follow but he always felt a calling to help others in the community. He was ready to take this mentality in another direction. Justin talks about the next step in his path in life. “After finishing with the National Guard I decided to jump from paramedic to law enforcement. I enrolled in the police academy at KCC while continuing my work as a paramedic. I graduated from the police academy after two semesters and then began working with Emmett Township Public Safety in 2018 part-time.”

Working for Emmett Township was the perfect scenario for Justin. He explains why he likes the format of Emmett Township Public Safety. “The job with Emmett intrigued me because they integrate fire, and EMS in one unit. I enjoy responding to a variety of calls. I was more than willing to take this job, with it only being part-time.  A year after starting I was able to join as a full-time public safety employee.” 

As one might imagine, working in the field that Justin has chosen can present precarious situations but it is also full of adventure. The rewards are ongoing. Justin reflects on what it means to him to be a public safety officer. “I like to help people. We see individuals on their bad days. One of my goals is to help people when things are not going so well for them. Every day I can utilize my skills not just as a police officer but as a medic as well. If I can positively change someone’s life, then this is a win.” Dangerous calls are not necessarily something that happen every day but Justin explains why police officers must always be prepared for the routine and the unexpected. “I am certainly not in danger for every call but the potential is always there. I am always on my guard. Every call is an unknown so judgments must always be made to be safe. Many decisions are split second. Training helps with this. We have scenario training and fire training monthly.” 

Justin has developed additional skills in the last nine months as a liaison officer for Harper Creek. He talks about what brought him to our schools and what the experience has meant for him. “A grant was awarded to Harper Creek Schools a year ago to house a liaison officer in the three elementary schools. The grant is for three years but hopefully, funding will continue after this. When the posting came up it interested me and I decided to apply for this position.” Before starting in his current position Justin had limited experience in dealing with children. He saw this as a great opportunity. “My goal is to have positive connections with the youth and to let them see that police officers are there to help. It has been a learning experience for me. I have responded to calls in the past involving kids, but I still consider this my first time really working with kids. I am assigned to Wattles Park Elementary, Beadle Lake Elementary, and Sonoma Elementary but I don’t have a pre-determined schedule. There are times when I will be called to a school for a particular situation. I also have learned that there are times during each day when I need to be at certain buildings.” Justin still works the road in his squad car, picking up overtime shifts, and will go back to the road full-time during our summer break.

Housing liaison officers in schools has been a practice for many years but has become more of a need over the last few decades. Funding is always a concern when prioritizing staffing for schools as well as police departments. The three-year grant to house our three elementary buildings with a liaison officer has equipped us with safety. School shootings and daily threats have become more frequent and police presence can diminish these threats and improve responses when there is a threat but Justin sees his role for our schools going beyond safety. He summarizes his goal of working with our student body. “First and foremost I hope to establish a safe environment for our staff and students but ultimately what I can do goes well beyond this.” Police officers are seen in a negative light by some in our society. Oftentimes, negative situations among police officers are magnified by social media and the general media. Justin hopes to change this perception while working with our students. He explains this goal. “Sometimes kids are scared or uncomfortable with police officers. Every day I strive to connect with kids and increase my understanding of their nature. This can help me when I respond to calls involving children and also with the relationships I develop with kids in our elementary buildings, I want kids to feel more comfortable with police officers.” If it is Justin’s goal to improve public perception of police officers, establishing positive relationships with children is a great way to do this. 

Schools must continue to evolve to meet the needs of our students. It takes more than teachers and reading, writing, and math to help children grow and develop to become productive members of our society. Having Justin come in to work with our staff is more than an extra layer. It is a need. Enhancing the safety of our students and establishing relationships with them is something that will serve them well.

The Runner's Playlist

Just Another Runner’s Perspective  April 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

The Runner’s Playlist

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

—Plato

5/8/1999: I waited in anticipation, immersed in the middle of a sea of runners. This would be my first time of many, running the  River Bank Run 25K. My running journey had commenced almost a year and a half prior with this being the biggest racing stage for me thus far. The atmosphere was electric with elite runners toeing the front line and a mass of humanity behind them waiting for the signal to start. Each side of the road was lined with spectators. I had trained for the last four months in the conditions that Michigan offers its residents each winter and was ecstatic to finally put my training to the test after logging many miles on my feet in the cold and snow. My racing resume to this point included a half-marathon, a ten-kilometer race, and a full marathon over the past eighteen months.  There seemed to be much more of a buzz in the air today for this one than I had remembered for the others. The gun finally sounded and we were off. After about a mile there still were many runners surrounding me, but the big crowd had dispersed. Although the energy in the atmosphere still fueled my adrenaline, things had calmed down a notch. A mile later I could hear the lyrics of “Flirtin’ With Disaster” by Molly Hatchet, blaring from a jacked-up speaker just a quarter mile ahead. The music raised my adrenaline to another level. Running always provides a rush in itself. Sometimes it seems music has a way of enhancing this rush.

Songs always find a way to cement memories in one’s internal hard drive and then conjure up these memories years later when the song is heard again. This is true in all facets of life including running. I can’t come up with a plausible explanation, but hearing Moly Hatchet as I approached mile two of a race back in 1999 created a bookmark in my mind. Every time I hear the song it provides a flashback for just a moment. 

My early years of running were always without music. I knew of other runners who listened to music as they plodded through mile after mile, but this was a concept that didn’t seem to interest me initially. This would change however after a long run seven years into my running journey. I was training for a trail marathon and had put in a long run on the trails of Ott Biological Preserve. The run consisted of twenty-two miles on a three-mile loop. I navigated the first three or four loops, enjoying nature’s bounty but as I finished up the gauntlet I was ready to implement music into my running routine. Slugging through the last five miles seemed like dejuva and the monotony won over. 

I went shopping the next day, bought a simple MP3 player, and downloaded a playlist consisting of a few dozen songs. There are certainly those among us including runners and non-runners who might frown upon including music as part of running. It does seem as if runners indulge in this on a larger scale today than a few decades ago. Technology has given us many options for music and running. I can recall as a child, seeing people running while carrying a small cassette player, known as a Walkman in their hands. A few years later a circular-shaped CD player replaced the Walkman. 

After a decade I moved up from an MP3 player to an iPod, which allowed me to carry more songs with me. Soon enough Bluetooth came along and I was able to carry my iPod unattached to my headphones. Not long after this I downloaded a larger selection of songs to my smartphone which left the iPod obsolete. For a period of time, I ran with a watch with the technology to have songs directly downloaded to it. This seemed perfect because I didn’t have to worry about carrying my phone but this didn’t last long. I eventually decided that it was always wise to run with my phone for safety purposes. The next phase involved music sources such as Spotify and Apple Music which came with a minimal monthly fee. These sources made it easier to upload songs to my phone quickly to access larger playlists for offline purposes. The other option for these sources was to stream songs from specific artists or genres.

For many years I ran with music when running alone but would go without when sharing my sport with others. This changed several ago when I was invited to run with a local group of runners. Dave Berry, a member of this group, played music over the speaker on his phone while we ran. All members of the group enjoyed the added element. Conversation was not compromised because of the music. Typical topics were discussed and sometimes a particular song would spark a memory that would create another subject of dialogue. In time Dave began taking song requests. Eventually, he upgraded to a bigger Bluetooth speaker to enhance the quality of the sound. Dave became our running DJ.

The idea of listening to music from a portable speaker intrigued me. This topic came up in conversation at home with my wife and my son and soon I received my own speaker as a Christmas gift from my son. Immediately I replaced my earbuds with my new Bluetooth speaker on my training runs. I felt that it allowed me to listen to music while also being able to hear traffic and other sounds in my environment. It seemed a safer option than earbuds. 

I have taken my running jukebox to the streets for the last five years when running alone and sometimes for group runs. My playlist has also followed me to some races. I’m certain there are those runners who don’t appreciate hearing my selection of songs during a race but I have received comments from many who enjoy the addition to race day. I like to think of a marathon as a twenty-six-mile party. The music adds to the flavor of this party.

Particular songs bring me back to detailed memories of childhood and other seasons of life. Some of these memories include running moments from the past filled with details across all senses. Songs such as “Sweet Caroline” and “YMCA” bring with them images of running partners singing lyrics or performing hand motions as a way to elicit positive feelings to survive the physical discomfort common with sections of a run. Many acquire a list of songs that might help to pick up the beat for four or five minutes at a time. For me personally, some of these songs include, “Eye of the Tiger”, “Kickstart My Heart” “Thunderstruck”, and the guitar solo near the end of “Freebird”.

Jasmin Hutchinson, Ph.D and associate professor of exercise studies and sports science and director of sports and exercise psychology at Springfield College, spoke of the benefits of listening to music while running in an article published by Runner’s World in November 2018. “It’s pretty definitive that music is performance enhancing. Matching your stride to a particular beat can help you better regulate your pace. Songs with an average of 120 to 130 beats per minute are the ideal tempo for fast powerful running.”

Using music to match a desired cadence can optimize a workout but music goes beyond this. It can calm one’s nerves and balance the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of running. At times songs can create a much-needed distraction when the elements of running become unpleasant. What I like about music is that it can create flashbacks to the past, providing time to reflect. Running without the modern technologies of our world can provide a happy place but music can also enhance our sport.

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

Lauren Crockett Story

 

Harper’s Unsung Heroes

April 2024

Written by Gale Fischer 

Fostering a Safe Environment

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”

—Mother Teresa

As important as teaching a set academic curriculum and student performance on standardized tests are, there is so much more that schools are called to do today. Establishing positive relationships with students that help them to feel nurtured, loved, and safe is not a formal part of the job description for those working directly with students, but there is nothing more important. When looking at the hierarchy of needs, if children don’t feel a sense of belonging and if their basic needs are not met, then learning will likely not occur. How can we expect kids to learn if the brain is in a constant mode of staying on the right side of survival? I suppose that this has always been an important concept of education but it seems that more students are coming to us who lack basic needs than ever before. This month’s Harper Unsung Hero Lauren Crockett, has worked to advocate for the safety of our youth, one child at a time for the past two decades. This may have started as part of her job, but it quickly became her passion.

Lauren was born in Sturgis, Michigan in 1976 to Doug and Jan Burland. Their family was blessed two years later with Lauren’s younger brother, David. Lauren describes her childhood family dynamics. “My mom grew up in a military family and moved a lot as a kid. After graduating from high school she enrolled at Olivet College where she would meet Dad who was also a student there. Dad grew up in Battle Creek. He played football for Lakeview High School and would go on to play football at Olivet.” Jan was a stay-at-home mom and Doug started out working in education. “My dad started his teaching career for Sturgis. A few years after I was born he started teaching at Harper Creek as a middle school teacher in the late 1970s and1980s. He also coached varsity football at Harper Creek from 1977 to 1981. Due to layoffs, Dad moved from education to the financial industry taking a job as a financial advisor and continuing with this career until he retired.”

David and Lauren’s parents made up her nuclear family early on but fond childhood memories go beyond this for her. Lauren also has three step-siblings on her mom’s side of the family and three step-siblings on her father’s side. Lauren describes the importance of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins in her life.  “I was close with my extended family. We would spend holidays together in a house full of people, eating, playing games, and singing Christmas songs. My grandparents worked at Disney so we went there quite often. We would frequently vacation together as an extended family.” Later on in her childhood, Lauren’s grandfather moved in with her and her family, helping to fuel her desire to care for and nurture others. “When I was in fifth grade my grandma passed away. My grandfather had brain cancer so we took care of him in our home. He lived with us for almost a year. This gave me a passion for caring for the elderly.”

Lauren and David attended Lakeview starting in Kindergarten through high school. David followed in Doug’s footsteps, playing football in high school for Lakeview. Doug also was a football coach at Lakeview during this time. Lauren competed as a swimmer through middle school but her interest faded for swimming. She reflects on what kept her busy during her high school years. “My dad said that if I wasn’t going to participate in sports I had to work. I started working when I was fourteen, with my first job at Taco Bell. I also worked at the Limited, a women’s clothing store located in the mall.” 

Lauren graduated from Lakeview in 1994 and then enrolled at KCC. She reflects on this chapter in her life. “I attended KCC after I graduated from high school, seeking an associate degree in early childhood. I had always loved kids and felt it was important for kids to have early intervention and a safe environment. I developed a care-taking and nurturing attitude while growing up.”

Lauren had worked for the Altrusa Child Care Center, located in the Fort Custer Industrial Area while attending KCC and continued working there after earning her degree. She explains how her passion for kids and families led her to this job. “Altrusa was open twenty-four hours daily to provide care for children for whatever shift their parents worked. This drew me to them. I thought it was unique that they offered child care twenty-four hours a day.”

 

Lauren and her first husband Joe were married in 1998. At this time Lauren switched careers and started working at Mass Mutual. She enjoyed the change in pace of this new job and continued working there through 2001. Lauren reflects on becoming a mom. “Madison, our first child, was born in 2001. I became a stay-at-home mom. Joe was an electrician at Post so financially I was able to stay at home. I have always been grateful to be at home with my kids. I felt that this was my calling to be a wife and mom. I developed great friendships with other stay-at-home moms. We were always doing fun things with our kids.” Lauren joined a mom’s group called Moms of Preschoolers (MOPS). Spending time with other moms provided a network of friends for Lauren. “We would do things with our kids but would also do community outreach. I’m still friends with many of these moms.”

Three years after Madison was born Lauren and Joe were blessed with their second child, Tyler. Lauren continued as a stay-at-home mom for the majority of her week but did find part-time work at this time. “When Tyler was young I started working in the child care room a few mornings a week at the YMCA. I made friends with other moms through this job. I worked a few mornings a week with childcare but was there every day working out.”

After Tyler was born, Lauren also began volunteering for the elderly population. She describes how this helped to bolster her passion for nurturing those who are vulnerable. “After Tyler was a baby I started volunteering at Good Samaritan Hospice. I would visit with Hospice residents, just holding their hands and feeding them. I worked with their family members on being comfortable.” She was practicing the compassion that she had utilized when helping care for her grandfather as a child. This would help serve her well moving forward. “It was important to me to understand the process of dying and the holistic process of it. I felt that no one should be alone when they die. I was always drawn to the elderly or the young. I know that this was my calling. Volunteering for hospice was sad but a great learning experience.” Her experience volunteering at Good Samaritan sparked an interest in someday becoming a social worker. 

Lauren developed a mindset centered around the importance of healthy living and being physically active. Working at the YMCA helped to strengthen this mindset. Lauren talks about her next step in advocating for the welfare of children. “In 2008 I started teaching fitness classes with Twenty-First Century. My goal was healthy living through physical activity. Twenty-First Century was an after-school program for Battle Creek Public, hosted by the YMCA. This became a natural progression for me.”

Lauren established a routine of practicing what she preached staying physically active herself. Working at the YMCA, even part-time gave her access to free child-care while she was working out. She and Joe divorced in 2010. She would meet her current husband, Robbie Crockett, whose son participated in the Twenty-First Century. 

Working for child care at the YMCA, teaching fitness classes through Twenty-First Century, raising her two children, and volunteering at Good Samaritan were experiences that sharpened her skills and primed her passion for helping others, preparing her for what would come next. She was ready to take a big step, going back to school. “I started classes at Spring Arbor in 2011, earning my degree in Family Studies a year later. I wanted to be a counselor and I thought a Family Studies degree would help with this.”

Lauren’s experiences going back to helping care for her grandfather as a child and including her work with children as an adult helped to give her the confidence that she could make a difference for vulnerable individuals. After earning her Family Studies degree from Spring Arbor she would take these experiences to another level, providing support for society’s most vulnerable. “I became a foster care caseworker for City Linc.  Immediately, I developed a passion for children and parents in the foster care system.” 

Lauren’s work there was rewarding but it was also emotionally difficult. She talks about how the struggles of her job tugged at her heart. “I remember my first supervised parenting session was with a seventeen-year-old mom. It was obvious that the young mom loved and cared for her baby but at the same time, she lacked the skills to provide a safe environment for her baby. My heart went out to her but her baby needed more. Sometimes love isn’t enough for the welfare of a child.” 

Working in the foster care system opened her eyes. Lauren was faced with gut-wrenching decisions and tasks but she always understood the importance of her role. “My job was to help get kids to a place where they could be safe. I became passionate about kids born into difficult situations. I felt for the parents but also wanted the kids to be safe so bridging the two was always difficult. I felt a calling to be an advocate for kids. My theory is making a difference one starfish at a time. There can be hundreds of starfish on the beach and if I can save just one of them then I’ve done my job.”

Lauren remained in the foster care system, eventually taking a job with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) and moving into a supervisor role. Her new position involved testifying in court to determine child custody and advocating for children who would benefit from being placed in foster care. Testifying on behalf of these children and hearing their stories was never easy, but she never waivered from her goal to help children in need receive the support that they needed, one child at a time. 

Lauren loved the work that she had done in the foster care system. She was able to utilize her skills and it truly felt like she could make a difference. After almost a decade she felt it was it was time to move on. She talks about this transition. “I enjoyed my job with DHS, but I wanted to make a difference with a larger population of children and families. I longed to work more directly with kids. I started working at Marshall Middle School as a student support specialist in 2023.”

She loved her new role and felt at home in Marshall but her stay there was short. Lauren talks about how the opportunity to come to Harper Creek was too good to pass up. “I loved the kids at Marshall Middle School, but I had always heard great things about Harper Creek and knew that the community atmosphere there was special. My husband, Robbie, started coaching football at Harper Creek in 2023 which added to my interest in working for Harper Creek. When a posting came up at Beadle Lake for a student support specialist I felt that it was an opportunity that was calling me.” 

Lauren’s experiences with City Linc and with DHS allowed her to find her passion and hone her skills. She discusses how her opportunities while at the YMCA and with the foster care system blend with working in a school setting. “My experience with DHS and the understanding I have of trauma with kids I feel has helped me in working in public schools. I feel that part of my role is to advocate for kids. This involves everyone being accountable including school staff and parents. I find that communication piece with parents is important. Schools and families are a team and the best scenario for kids is when this team is working together.” In a perfect world, our students would show up each day with all of their needs met and we can certainly do things to try to improve situations outside of school, but at the end of the day, we still make our biggest impact during the school day. “We do what we can to hold parents accountable but still, there will sometimes be kids who come to us with many needs. In these situations, it is up to us to provide these basic necessities.” 

Part of Lauren’s job description as a student support specialist for Beadle Lake is being the homeless liaison. She reflects on this role. “Working closely with our school’s homeless population has been helpful. Knowing what kids are in this population helps me know which kids need a little more attention from me. I try to put these kids on my radar.” 

Lauren has put her heart and soul into her work but has still relished being a mom. “My kids both participated in sports in high school. I loved being a sports mom. There are lots of memories. The pandemic was a challenge for her as a mom of two teenagers.  “Madison graduated in 2020. It was a rough ending for her high school career on the heels of COVID. Getting through this transition required teamwork from our entire family. 

COVID was tough for Tyler as he entered his last two years of high school with many transitions between virtual and in-person school. We hired a tutor to help him get through this. Navigating teenage years is tough but adding something that society had never encountered before with COVID, added another element to parenting teens.”

Madison threw Lauren a curveball as a mom after college. “Madison married her high school sweetheart, Adam just before he was assigned to go to Guam as a diver for the US Navy. I never anticipated or planned for my daughter to be living on the other side of the world. I have been able to deal with this fourteen-hour time difference for almost a year as a mom. I talk to her every morning, which is night to her, and every night, which is morning to her since she moved there.”

  

With both Madison and Tyler now having transitioned from high school to adults Lauren can take in more free time. She enjoys reading and traveling to warmer places. She also likes to cook and exercise as well as making the drive to the Great Lakes to listen to the waves. 

Lauren’s journey to working in public schools has occurred on a non-traditional path. She learned early on that she could make a difference for those in need through nurturing and care-giving as a child with her grandfather. Being a stay-at-home mom, volunteering for hospice patients, teaching youth about healthy habits, and advocating for our society’s most vulnerable in the foster care system has blessed her with a great foundation as a public educator. Her story is a reminder that although learning is important, it is based on multiple complexities. Building those relationships with kids and giving them a sense of belonging can help provide a great base for kids to grow and learn.