Friday, August 3, 2018

Ashley (Kriskywicz) Knox - Class of 2005


WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALMUNI.  Today, we would like to recognize Ashley (Kriskywicz) Knox, Class of 2005.  Ashley was kind enough to share this with us.
“When I think back to my time at Benzie, my best memories are singing in the choir.  I sang all four years, one in the choir and the final three in the Madrigals.  It was because of the amazing instruction and guidance I received by both Mr. Whaley and Mrs. Case, that I was able to obtain scholarships to college and sing in some of the best choirs in the state.  After I graduated from Benzie in 2005, I attended a semester at Grand Valley State before transferring to Adrian College where I obtained my Bachelors in Psychology.  While at Adrian, I sang all four years in the College and Chamber Choirs.  The summer before my Senior year, the College Choir was selected as the choir to represent Michigan in the North American Festival Chorus for the 2008 Summer Olympics Music Festival in Beijing, China.  We spent 12 days exploring and experiencing things I had only ever dreamed of; walking and climbing the Great Wall, visiting the Terra Cotta Soldiers, and the Forbidden City.  I believe if it had not been for the foundational skills that I learned under Mr. Whaley and Mrs. Case at Benzie Central, I would not have had such success in my choir career and experienced the things that I did.
In the summer of 2009, after graduating from Adrian College I married my high school sweetheart, Ray Knox (’05) and we moved across country to Phoenix, Arizona where I graduated with my Masters in Clinical Psychology and worked towards my Psy.D (Doctorate of Psychology) in Clinical Psychology.  I had the great opportunity of working and training at the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections where I conducted individual and group therapy to adjudicated teenage girls.  I also was able to work for a local non-profit, Southwest Human Development- Good Fit Counseling Center, where I worked as a Child Therapist conducting therapy with children birth-5 and their families.  
While in my 2rd year of the doctoral program, Ray and I found out we were expecting our first child.  On April 23, 2014 we welcomed our son, Easton, into the world.  That same year, we decided that after spending almost 5 years in Phoenix, it was time to return to Northern Michigan and raise Easton around our families.  We moved back to Michigan the beginning of January in 2015.  In July of 2015, we found out we were expecting our second child and welcomed our son Rhys (pronounced Reece) on February 5th 2016.  After learning I was pregnant with Rhys, I made the decision to stay home with Easton and spend that quality time with him before his brother was born.
 It wasn’t until August of 2017 that I finally decided to return to work.  Easton was starting school at the Cooperative Preschool at Crystal Lake, and Rhys was over a year old, so I felt it was a good time.  I started a part-time job at Big Jon Sports in Interlochen, doing odd and end jobs from running machines to packaging product.  I quickly moved to full-time to my current position as the Purchasing and Inventory Manager, working closely with vendors purchasing material and product used to manufacture our manual and electric downriggers and rod holders.  I am also currently in the process of studying for the EPPP, which is the licensing exam to obtain my Master’s Limited Psychologist’s license so I can practice and work in the state.
As you can imagine, I am a busy, working momma.  I am right in the thick of raising two beautiful boys and doing what I need to in order to provide for them.  But when I do find down time, I enjoy spending quality time with my family whether it’s at home watching a movie, or driving around finding a crazy adventure.  There is nothing like being back home and raising my children in Benzie County.  I could not be more proud to say that I am a Benzie Central graduate and more excited that my children will follow in their dad’s footsteps and mine and attend Benzie Central as well.”
Thank you Ashley, for sharing your journey with us.  We are in fact #OneBENZIE proud and wish you and your family continued success and happiness.  We are also very excited that your boys are going to be future HUSKIES.  You know how Mrs. Crossman feels…like, love and share! 



2 comments:

  1. Ashley is a hard working Mother of two handsome Boy's. She has really worked hard to get to where she is.She and her husband Ray have weathered some rough roads along the way to get to where they are now. I am proud of their accomplishments as they struggled with all they are made of together and I would say they have succeeded.

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