Brent Crossman - Class of 1998

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI. Today we would like to recognize Benzie Central 1988 Alumni, Brent Crossman. Brent graduated from Benzie Central in 1988. As a student, he participated in Football, Basketball, and Baseball. During his Senior year, Benzie made it to the football playoffs for the first time, and he was also on the 1987 basketball team that finished runner-up in the Class C state championship game.
After high school, Brent attended Northwestern Michigan College for two years. In August of 1990, he transferred to Western Michigan University to pursue a degree in education. One of the main reasons he went into education was the impact his teachers and coaches had on him while at Benzie Central.
After graduating in 1993 from Western Michigan University with a History Major and a Social Studies Minor, he accepted a teaching job at Kalamazoo Central High School where he taught in the area of World History. During that time, he also was assistant Varsity girls’ basketball coach at Portage Northern High School.
In 1995, he accepted a teaching position at Charlotte High School, where he and his wife Julie have taught for the last 22 years. While at Charlotte High School, he has coached Freshman baseball, JV girls’ basketball, Varsity girls’ basketball for 9 years, and is currently the 7th grade girls’ basketball coach and head boys and girls golf coach.
In 1999, he earned his Master’s degree in Curriculum from Michigan State University.
Brent is an integral part of Charlotte High School and his community. When he is not in the classroom, or coaching, you will find Brent volunteering and advocating for the American Cancer Society. He is the Relay for Life Advisor for Charlotte Schools and his club has raised over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society since 2004.
In 2015, he was awarded the Excellence in Education Award from the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce for his community work for Charlotte Public Schools.
In 2016, he was selected as teacher of the year for Charlotte Public Schools.
He and his wife Julie and thier two children, Lauren and Elise, have resided in Charlotte since 1996.
As always, like, love and share.....Brent, we are #OneBENZIE proud!

 

 

Dr. Ed Scarbrough - Class of 1982

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI. Today we would like to recognize, class of 1982 graduate, Dr. Ed Scarbrough. Take a moment to read and take in Ed's journey. It is an amazing combination of talent, hard work, giving back, family, and it all began at Benzie Central. Congratulations, Ed. We are #OneBENZIE proud and wish you continued happiness and success! As always, like, love and share it!
Ed was the youngest in the graduating class of 1982. He was a student at Benzie Central for all grades kindergarten through 12th, and attended all 4 schools in the district. While a student at Benzie, Ed participated in basketball, track, cross-country, varsity club, National Honor Society and choir. He was the number one runner on the cross-country team and earned conference champion and all-state honors in 1981. He participated in 5 musicals while in school including the lead role of Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. These theatric roles were also important in cultivating his relationship with another 1982 graduate, Sandy Johnson. They are currently enjoying 31 years of wedded bliss.
After graduation, Ed attended Ferris State University to study biological science. He also continued his athletic success and lettered in cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track and field…even scoring a point for his team in the high jump at one invitational. He participated in the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship in 1984. While at Ferris, he was also a member of the Men’s Glee Club and elite men’s vocal octet, The Ferris Wheels. He enjoyed being a dorm resident assistant and serving on his dormitory council.
After 3 years of undergraduate study, Ed moved on to study optometry at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. While there, he also was able to do a little teaching as an associate instructor of Geometric Optics in the School of Optometry. He graduated with honors in 1989 with a Doctor of Optometry degree.
Dr. Scarbrough has been in private practice in Traverse City for over 25 years. He was selected as the Young Optometrist of the Year for the state of Michigan in 1997 and served as President of the local optometric society for several years. He was very happy to have the opportunity to expand his practice and open a second office in Beulah in 2010; opening the door to support many organizations in the Benzie community.
In their spare time, Ed and his wife Sandy, have raised four children. Their children all graduated from Glen Lake Schools, where Ed had the opportunity to coach Pop Warner football, baseball and basketball. He also helped with several musicals, fundraisers, and organized the 8th grade boy’s career day. Now that all of his children have graduated from college, Ed has redirected his loyalty back to Benzie Central where he supports the track and cross-country programs. Ed and Sandy also continue to sing in the Benzie County Community Chorus and are very active in their church.
Ed currently resides in Leelanau County where he enjoys cycling, maple syrup-making, golf and Pickle ball. Be careful as you drive around Benzie County, as one of Ed’s favorite cycling routes is around Crystal Lake. www.scarbroughfamilyeyecare.com

 

 

John Plumstead - Class of 2004

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI.
Today, we would like to recognize 2004 alumni, John Plumstead. Take a few moments to read about John's great accomplishments as well as his great advice. John, we ARE #OneBENZIE proud, and always ready to like, love and share.
John graduated from Benzie Central in 2004. After graduation, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. While at West Point, he walked on to the Army Football team and eventually became a starting linebacker and team captain. After graduating from West Point, John became an Army Officer. Working his way through the ranks, Captain John Plumstead has held multiple leadership positions, included being a platoon leader in Afghanistan. John is still an Army Officer, but he is currently attending Graduate School at the University of Idaho, studying sport psychology. Upon graduation, John will return to West Point to teach sport psychology to cadets. John is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Danielle (Moss), and they have four boys (Carson 5, Griffin 4, Wyatt 2, & Chase 8 months).

One piece of advice John wishes he would have received in high school is this: “The world doesn’t care where you’re from. The world doesn’t care who your parents are. The world doesn’t care if you were popular in high school. The world doesn’t care about any of that stuff. The world cares about hard work. The world cares about trustworthiness. The world cares about how you make people feel. The great news, though, is that if you do work hard, and you are a trustworthy person, and you do make the people around you feel loved and respected, you can achieve everything you want to achieve.”

John recently gave a TEDx talk that can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWQmDwLs0pA&t=3s

John and Danielle also document parts of their life on their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/teamplumstead.
Why You're Ready to be a Parent | John Plumstead | TEDxUIdaho
Parenting. Many of us are afraid of the word, concerned that we will make terrible parents. What if you knew you couldn't mess up as a parent? In this light ...

Dr. Michele Siderman - Class of 1986

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI. Today, we would like to recognize, from the class of 1986, Michele Siderman.
Congratulations to MIchele, on all of her accomplishments. WE ARE #OneBENZIE proud.

Michele graduated from Benzie Central High School in 1986. As a student at Benzie Central, she participated in basketball, softball, track, National Honor Society, choir & Key Club. Upon graduation, she attended Grand Valley State University where she earned a Bachelor Degree in Social Work in 1990 and was also a scholarship member of the GVSU Women’s Basketball Team. In June of 1990, Michele moved to Yuma, Arizona to pursue a position in social work. Quickly, she realized that her calling was education, which ran in her family, and she took a teaching position at Woodard Junior High School, teaching 7th and 8th grade Math and Science. During this time, Michele also coached girls and boys basketball, as well as, girls’ softball. While at Woodard Junior High School, Michele earned her teaching certificate from Prescott College in the area of Social Studies. In 1993, Michele accepted a teaching and coaching position at Yuma High School, a 9-12 high school with approximately 4,500 students. She spent the next 6 years as a “Criminal” (Yuma High School’s Mascot), where she taught a variety of Social Studies Classes and also coached Varsity Girls Basketball and was an Assistant Varsity Girls Softball Coach. While at Yuma High School, Michele earned her first Masters degree in Education, with an emphasis in Human Relations Counseling from Northern Arizona University. In addition, she added another 30 master credits in Educational Leadership.
In 1998, Michele moved back to Michigan, where she was hired as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Elk Rapids High School. Although she enjoyed her time there, she missed the culture of a large high school, so in 2001 she accepted the Assistant Principal position at East Kentwood High School, in their 10-12 building, with a student population of approximately 2,100 students. She spent 4 years in that position and then moved to the Principal position at East Kentwood Freshman Campus where she still works. East Kentwood Freshman Campus is a 9th grade only building with a student population of approximately 800 students each year. During her time as principal, Michele earned a second Masters of Education degree in Educational Leadership in 2010 from Northern Arizona University and then completed her Ph.D. in K-12 Leadership in December of 2013 from Western Michigan University. Her research focused on the topic of Cyberbullying.
Michele will be retiring from K-12 education at the end of the 2018 school year with 30 years of service. In retirement, Michele will be working at Ferris State University as a Field Representative for their Charter Schools Office. Michele is currently working in this position part-time and hopes to increase her retirement endeavors with Ferris in the future.

 

 

Hannah Rodriguez - Class of 2009

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI.  Today, we would like to recognize Benzie Central Alumni class of 2009, Hannah Rodriguez. Hannah is a fourth generation Benzie County resident and the third generation of her family to graduate from Benzie Central High School. While in high school Hannah participated in band, dance team, the musicals, Youth Advisory Council, and was President of Key Club. Hannah graduated from Benzie in 2009 and started at the University of Michigan the following fall. She graduated from U of M in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Theory and Practice and received "Highest Honors" for her original thesis that highlighted the importance of youth engagement in rural communities. As a part of this thesis, Hannah interviewed several students at Benzie Central and used their feedback to help with her research.

In 2013, Hannah began attending Michigan State University to pursue her Master's in Social Work. She graduated in 2015 with a Master's in Social Work with an emphasis in Organizational and Community Leadership. While living in Lansing, Hannah interned with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan and began to fall in love with that area of work. In 2014 she was able to move back to her home community and take on the role of Prevention Coordinator with the Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center (TBCAC). While at the TBCAC Hannah led an effort to educate over 7,500 adults throughout the region about what it takes to protect children from sexual abuse. 

In August of 2017, Hannah joined the Manistee County Community Foundation and Launch Manistee as the Manistee Commitment Scholarship Coordinator and YAC Advisor where she is privileged to work with many Manistee County youth and encourage them to become leaders in school and community. She also serves as Volunteer Services Coordinator with the Manistee County Juvenile Court. Hannah began serving as a member of the Benzie Central Education Foundation in 2016 and loves being able to serve the school district in that capacity. She lives in Honor and is so happy to be close to family and friends and to be serving the community she loves most!

 

 Hannah, We are so #OneBENZIE proud! 

Please visit..

https://seelio.com/hannahrodriguez

 

 

Joshua Stoltz - Class of 1994

Josh spent his first ten years growing up in downtown Lake Ann and later in the backwoods of Almira Township where he learned to hunt, work in the garden, and stack firewood. By the time he graduated Benzie Central in 1994, his senior resume included three sports, theater, school newspaper, Student Council, Key Club, Science Olympiad and National Honors Society- all while bussing tables on the weekends, graduating with honors, and preparing for college at Central Michigan University. Once there, Josh immediately joined intramural sports, started acting, directing and producing shows with CMU television, and hosting the campus’ morning radio show. He graduated with his degree in Broadcasting and Cinematic Arts and minored in both Marketing and Advertising.

From there he moved out West where he shined in the sales and marketing field, eventually opening several of his own companies with over 70 employees throughout Arizona and Florida- all before turning age 30. After taking a short “retirement” of traveling and living in a school bus named "The Future," Josh eventually planted himself back in Benzie County where he was hired by SEEDS After School program. He worked two years as Outreach Coordinator at sites throughout the region, and was Site Coordinator for both Benzie Central Middle and High schools for three years. SEEDS provided an opportunity for Josh to work with youth, rekindle and spark professional relationships in the community, and meld his prior experience in the private sector with the goals of a non-profit organization. 

When grant funding expired, Josh was hired as Grow Benzie's first, full-time Executive Director to manage and develop their 4-acre community farmstead and programs. Grow Benzie now includes a state-certified incubator kitchen, 16,000 sq ft of hoop houses, sewing and maker-space studios, public garden spaces, a weekly farmers market, a food truck, a 3,000 sq ft event center, and after school programs. Grow Benzie has become a community hub of activity for local events, entrepreneur and life skills training, and a food education center offering classes in culinary arts, nutrition, agriculture and food preservation.

 

 http://www.growbenzie.org/joshstoltz/

 

 

Kara Milliron - Class of 1991 MS, Certified Genetic Counselor

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATURED FRIDAY ALUMNI. Today, we would like to recognize, Benzie Central Class of 1991 Alumni, Kara J. Milliron, MS, CGC, Certified Genetic Counselor at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is Kara's journey as shared with us and the impact Benzie Central teachers had in her success ..We are more than #OneBenzie proud.
My name is Kara Milliron and I am a proud 1991 graduate of Benzie Central High School. My high school years were a bit different than some, as my beloved mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer while I was an 8th grader. She was a warrior through my high school years fighting this disease and my Benzie Central family was very supportive and made high school as normal as they could for me.
For such a small school district, I am always amazed at the teaching excellence that Benzie Central High School offers its students. I am so thankful for my science and math teachers: Mr. Plont, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Block, Mrs. Gardner, and the beloved Mr. Gehring who left us too soon. They fostered my interest in genetics and I am proud to say that I use Algebra every day as the quadratic formula is the basic principle of population genetics. However, I am still amazed that Mr. Block allowed Julie Nugent Bretzke and I to weld in his class for our science project, given my clumsiness.
However, many other teachers imparted their knowledge and made me the person I am today. My love of reading comes from Mr. Kik, my appreciation for history comes from Mr. Sheets, my understanding of government and civics comes from Mr. Siderman, and my ability to finish my typed dictations in rapid time comes from Mr. Blazejeski.
I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. I then attended the University of Pittsburgh and was awarded a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling in 1998. Since 1998 I have been the lead genetic counselor in the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Evaluation Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. I was board certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2002. I work with families that may have an inherited susceptibility to developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. I have participated in over 10,000 adult genetic counseling sessions.
I see patients who may have a cancer diagnosis or a family history of cancer. Most cancer is considered random, or happening by chance. However, about 5-10% of cancers are caused by a gene mutation (change) that has been passed down in the family. I meet with patients undergoing genetic testing to help them understand the test and what the results may mean for themselves and their family. Once the results are received, I help the patient to understand the results, provide emotional support, and discuss recommendations for preventative care, screening recommendations or referrals to support groups or other resources. For my patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer, genetic testing result may influence how the cancer is treated, increase screening for future cancer risk, or patients may consider risk reducing surgery.
If I hadn’t had the teachers I had at Benzie Central High School, I truly believe I would never be a genetic counselor. They supported my educational endeavors and for that I am forever grateful.