A special thank you to SLI

This past week I worked at a leadership camp in North Manchester, Indiana. The Student Leadership Institute, or better known as SLI, is a camp that is for high school students to explore curriculum around leadership, community, and self-exploration. The camp is ran and organized heavily by the contributions of individuals who represent the Indiana Association of Student Councils. Dan Graney of Warsaw, Dick and Linsday Bentz (Father-Daughter combo) of Kendallville, Brittany and Nicole Mazzola from Kendallville and Avilla. Thanks to their efforts and contributions, I got to play a small role in the lives of 72 amazing students from around the state of Indiana this past week.

As a high school student going into my Junior summer, I was asked to attend SLI by Dick Bentz, who was my student council advisor at East Noble. I only accepted because I had broke my foot and ankle on the first day of summer break and I had "nothing better to do". That would turn out to be a life changing blessing. I came back a different person and a different kind of leader. Ever since my experience at SLI in 2004, I have been wanting to pay SLI and the IASC back. So, in 2007, I began to work as a Junior Counselor (JC) at SLI, and in 2011, I was given the opportunity to become a Senior Counselor (SC).

I have been able to meet and get to know some of the most incredible people from around the state. It has been an absolute honor and blessing to help lead this camp with the various JCs and SCs. I wish I could just go through and name them all! All of them have made a significant impact on my life. Adam Gaff and Katie Hurckes were instrumental in preparing me to become an SC and also a better classroom teacher.

The thing about SLI is that it is indescribely magical. These campers come and are placed in groups of 12-15. They may only know 1 other person in their Council? That is was these groups have been called over the years. However, even through the first day... at the end of the first night... These campers never refer to their group as their council... They call it their family.  Its magical.

The hardest thing anyone who comes the camp can ever do is try to explain what the camp did and how it has changed them. It is nearly impossible to get someone to see the magic for themselves if they have never been to SLI. The only thing I can suggest to them whether they are a student or an adult is to come experience for yourself. Come be a camper! Come be a counselor! Come as a volunteer! Your world will never be the same. Your world will only get larger with the connections, opporunities, and love you were given during your brief stay at SLI. 

I am truly blessed and thankful for my experiences with the IASC and SLI. The changes I see in the 12-15 students that I get to work with in a given camp year are worth every ounce energy, missed hours of sleep, and time away from reality. I say reality becuase SLI and its magic almost seem to good to be true. I can only hope I make a difference in my students' lives in the classroom, but at SLI, I KNOW I make a significant difference. 

Thank you Directors, Counselors, Volunteers and most importantly the campers who have helped make SLI what it was, what it is, and what it will continue to be. 

#WorldsToughestJob

In the midst of last night's scramble to find resources for lessons this week, I happen to come across an amazingly touching video. 

During a "Facebook Break", I saw that this video called #WorldsToughestJob was being shared by a couple of friends. My interest was immediately hooked. I opened up the link to the video and there was a short description about how a company had placed an advertisement in newspapers in order to fill a position. The catch was that the job was a farce. The job was described in the video as the world's most important and toughest job. Unlimited hours. No breaks! A number of people had put in applications and were actually interviewed for this position. This is the video compilation of those interviews. 

Please watch the video before reading on... This will prevent spoiler alerts :)

Don't worry... I will give you a minute to collect yourself...


Feel free to go get a tissue if you need one...


Well... Was it just me or did you too feel the overwhelming need to just cry and hug someone?

This advertisement... this commercial, was without a doubt one of the most single inspiring videos that I have seen in a while. It leads us to believe that it is just going to be an entertaining joke at the expense of those interviewing for a job that doesn't exist. Meanwhile, we wait for one of the individuals to freak out, but we start to hear the soft melody of a piano playing in the background. It was only then did I realize that this video was about to be so much more than just a joke. This short four minute video in its final minute floods us all with emotion and memories we have about our mothers. The video allowed us to literally feel and share the emotions of what the interviewers were showing in its final minute. We in that minute are all connected. The amazing thing is... we are still connected by the billions of moms out there that give up and sacrifice so much for each one of us every single day. Even for those who may not of had a mother, I am sure that those feelings and memories flowed toward someone who took on that role in their life. Grandmother, aunt, sister, or maybe even a male figure like a father. We all have someone to be grateful for and we all have someone to thank.

The video says at the end, "This Mother's Day, you might want to make her a card."

Don't wait until Mother's Day... Let them know today...

To my Mom:

Words cannot even describe how thankful I am to call you, "My Mom." You are always there when I need you. You were there for all of my games yelling at me to smile and have fun before every pitch. You were there when I got my hand stuck in the VCR (though Grandpa helped too!). You were there when I got the doorknob stuck on my finger. You were there to hug me after every football game. You were there to support me during my first heartbreak. You were there when I needed to call you everyday at college because you were the comforting voice I needed to get through the day. You were there at my wedding. You were there at the birth of my daughter. Even though I don't come calling as much as I used to, you are still here... For that I am so ever grateful. I love you mom.

To my Wife:

I am so blessed to have such a selfless and loving person in my life. It seemed like fate for us to meet the way we did. Never in my dreams could I have imagined finding such person that has helped guide my faith when I was lost, give me confidence when I had none, and, ultimately, helped give me a purpose. The greatest purpose you have given me is that of a father. I would not be the father I am today or the one I strive to be tomorrow without you as my wife and as our daughter's mother. If our family is an arch and God is our foundation, you, my wife, are the keystone. The stone that allows Quinn and I to stand strong by your side. The stone that holds the our family together. I love you Jenna more than I can even express.

To my Mom and Wife: 

I love you both dearly and I am so grateful that you both have been, still are, and will continue to be amazing...

Family Matters

With Spring Break 2014 winding down to its final hour, I thought I should take this time to write about this past week. (Apologies for the length of the post!)

One would think that my wife and I, both teachers with the same spring break, would want to go off somewhere and spend spring break together in Florida, South Carolina, or even in Texas to see an old friend. Nope. Not us. We look forward to spring break to finally spend some days alone together and going to see my family in Kendallville.

This is roughly how my spring break went:

Saturday - 

1. To Kendallville for breakfast at MHOP (Maria's House of Pancakes) with my dad and 3 brothers. Also with us was my brother's good friend Brant.

2.  We went to Fort Wayne to meet up with my Uncle Chris and Cousin Nic for lunch at BW's.

3.  We all went to Lazer X! I was the dominant one in the group. Finished 1st for the team (3rd overall) in game 1. I am proud to say that my years of playing COD actually paid off. 

4.  Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball game! It was a good time. Will probably need surgery again after seeing how hard I throw... let me tell you... it wasn't pretty. 

5.  Ended the night back at my parents place to get a good night's rest for Sunday.

Sunday - 

1. Big Breakfast made by Mama Rise!!! No one can rival her biscuits and gravy!

2. Road Trip to Detroit for a Detroit Tigers game.

                                    @ the Tigers Game

Granted I did not get to spend much time with Jenna and Quinn that weekend, but it was so nice to be able to have a weekend with my dad and brothers. We don't get many opportunities like that very often anymore. There are so many different work schedules and responsibilities that keep us all tied up. So whenever I do get the chance to go back and just goof off with my brothers, I cherish it. (I will never forget the one time I was able to get back for a birthday. We shut the power off in the house to have a COD Nerf War! Great times.)

Monday-Wednesday - 

These were great days! With the exception of Jenna taking Quinn to see a friend, we had all three days to ourselves! We did nothing! It was awesome. Quinn and I had some great daddy/daughter time. We played some basketball, watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and of course the Lorax.

                    Quinn walking Minnie Mouse 

Thursday - 

Back to Kendallville. Jenna, Quinn, and I went up to see Mama Rise and Gpa/Gma Rise. It had been forever since my mom was able to see Quinn. Coaching basketball and going right into baseball leaves very little time to see the family. It was a nice trip though. My brother Eric was able to join us for lunch and hangout at the house. It was great going to my grandparents’ house too. We hadn't seen them since my gramps left the nursing home where we live. (It was a sad blessing to have grandpa in Milford to rehab after surgery. I got see him often but it was tough when it was due to a serious procedure.)

Picture of Quinn with Grandpa from a few months back

Friday - 

MY BIRTHDAY!!! Jenna had a great day planned out! She had 27 different gifts for me to open at different times throughout the day. It was a pretty neat idea. I thought that she found this idea on Pinterest but apparently it was all her. Oh Jenna... How awesome you are! I received everything from Double Stuff Oreos to golf polos. I even received a TMNT bowling set and a kid’s basketball hoop. Crazy to think a 27th year old man would find pleasure in those gifts, but they were pretty awesome! Quinn thought so too.

                 My new basketball hoop!

Saturday - 

Another day spent with family ;)

That morning we went to breakfast with my in-laws and came back to our house to open up a birthday present from them. I received an Apple TV! So excited! I am going to see if I can get it hooked up in my classroom! 

After lunch, Jenna had to be in Kendallville for a wedding shower. So I dropped her and Quinn off, picked up my brother Ryan, and headed to Fort Wayne to watch an IPFW baseball game. Now Ryan wasn't the only family I was able to spend time with at the game. I was able to see my old IPFW baseball family. My friends Tyler, Matt, and Jason were all at the game. It was great seeing them since it had been a while! 

Sunday (Today) -

Today was a special day... I was able to see my student council family. I have just joined to be a chair in the high school division of the IASC. Today, the elected high schoolers on the executive council met in Indianapolis to discuss plans for the next year. I saw so many familiar faces from the leadership camp (SLI) that I do every summer. This was such a great feeling. Many of the students were in my councils at the camps. It definitely helped validate what I do every summer. Feels good to see the difference that I am making.

                                                    My 2013 SLI Family

After my trip to Indy, I headed back to a family birthday dinner for a number of us who shared a birthday this past week. It was just the perfect way to end a week full of family time. 

Family... whether it is by blood, marriage, or through bonds of friendship, is by far the most important thing in the world. Barbara Bush tells us, "Cherish your human connections - your relationships with friends and family." That is what Jenna and I did this week. We wanted to be sure that we took time to cherish all of our connections. Fortunately for myself, I was able to visit, text, or call a lot of my loved ones this past week. Spring break for was not about going to a vacation spot and getting a nice tan. Spring break for me was about putting value back into the friendships I have had over the years. 

We all, at some time or another, have been guilty of getting too consumed by what we are doing "now" that we forget about those who have helped us. Even if we do acknowledge those who have helped us in the past, I honestly believe that we can do more. We should want to tell all of our love ones, friends and family, that we want them to be a part of our future.

#RiseTalk