Directions NOT Included: Recent Episodes
The Legacy Center for Community Success
Welcome to Directions NOT Included. A podcast that features candid conversations for a stronger community. So many of life lessons do not include instructions. It’s a live and learn situation, especially when it comes to raising strong families and creating healthy communities. Together, we will discuss tough topics that help make us better people and overall, a better community. Because together, we can build a legacy.
Brought to you by The Legacy Center for Community Success.
Parents often have big dreams for who their children will become. They may be rooted in what we did or wish we had done. But our kids have a way of showing us who they want to be - whether it aligns with our dreams or not. We need to support them as they develop their sense of autonomy, but there is no map telling us how to get from point A (our vision for them) to point B (their vision). Today, we’ll glimpse a mother-daughter relationship and learn how they have struck a balance to build autonomy.To help with the conversation, we have mother-daughter pair Teresa George and [Bella Sullivan.BIOS:Teresa George is a two-time graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, with her undergrad in Special Education in 2003 and her Masters in Education in 2008. She resides in Midland with her three girls, Bella (18), Addi (15), and Gigi (10), and is very active with the girl’s activities, which include dance, softball, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. Teresa is the Director of Career Services at Saginaw Valley State University, where she has worked for the past four years. She’s active in the community as a member of the Midland Noon Rotary Club and Zonta, a Leadership Midland Class of 2021, PTO President of St. Brigid’s Catholic School, and Vice President of the Midland High School Sports Booster Club. Bella Sullivan- A senior at Midland High School who serves as the Student Council President, yearbook staff, Midland County Youth Leadership graduate and past steering team member, and a member of the National Honor Society. I’m also a student-athlete, a member of the Varsity Basketball and Softball team, and the volleyball manager. I am very passionate about growing and sharing my leadership style. I will be attending Saginaw Valley State University in the Fall.
Positive View of Personal Future is one of the 40 Developmental Assets and factors into their identity and sense of self. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into this Asset to understand how youth develop their view of their future and what can influence this vision of their future self.GUESTS: Amy Jaster and Peggy Sczepanskihttps://www.tlc4cs.org/Amy Jaster is a Midland native who has been an educator for over 20 years, with experience teaching in our local public schools and at the college level. Currently, she is a Lifelong Wellness professor at Delta college in the Health/Wellness division. Amy earned her teaching certificate from CMU and then later completed her master’s degree in Educational Leadership at SVSU. Amy also has experience in the fitness industry as a fitness instructor, personal trainer & former boutique fitness studio owner. She also has a certificate in Creating Wellbeing & as an educator, welcomes the opportunity to educate others on the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Amy is a member of the Midland Noon Rotary Chapter & currently acts as a committee chair of the Wellbeing Committee & co-chair of the Membership & Public Image Committee. In the community Amy has helped to coordinate yoga for cancer patients, caretakers, and survivors in partnership with Midland Cancer Services and she sits on the advisory board for Midland Public Schools (Health Committee). Amy is a recent graduate of Leadership Midland where she now serves on the Steering Committee. Amy and her husband, Jeff, have 2 college-age daughters, Ally and Ella along with two dogs, Charlie & Lucy. She loves family time, being active, and volunteering in her community.Peggy Sczepanski’s life purpose is to shine bright for her family, inspire others to thrive, and positively contribute to her community.At Dow, she is responsible for managing the operational strategies, systems, and relationships to impact the wellbeing of Dow people around the world positively. Outside of Dow, she loves to spend time with her family. She shares my passions for healthy living and holistic well-being through Coaching and Consulting individuals and community organizations.Peggy’s educational background is in Exercise Science and Nutrition. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Health Coach, and Energy Management Trainer. In August, 2022 she graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with her Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, which is the science of human flourishing.
Mental health is on the forefront these days. As a society, we’re more aware of it and are talking about it more, which helps break down the stigma previously associated with seeking help for mental health concerns. We’re also keenly aware of mental health concerns for teens. While mental health should always be on our radars, as parents and professionals, the holidays tend to exaggerate mental health concerns. The same can be true for children and teens. In today’s episode, we will be exploring the impact of the holidays on mental health, and talking about tips for supporting our own and our children’s mental health. https://www.tlc4cs.org/Guests:Meghan Dahl, Supervisor Outpatient Counseling, MyMichiganAmy Kramer, Therapist, MyMichigan
Our last few episodes really centered on Developmental Assets and healthy youth development topics. These topics really build substance use prevention. Today, we’re shifting gears in order to talk about substance use disorder and a topic called harm reduction. Harm reduction has become a more commonly used approach in recent years, but there still tends to be some stigma and a lot of questions around it. Today, we’ll try to unravel these questions and remove the stigma from harm reduction techniques.
We’re in an era of mental health concerns for youth that seem worse than in the past. As a society, we’ve been through a lot in the past few years and that has trickled down to our kids. Many kids report having a lot of stress and anxiety. Seeing these trends, a lot of professionals have begun talking about grit. Today, we’ll be exploring the concept. It’s become a really common term, but what does it really mean and how do we help kids develop it? Our guests today have both spent years impacting youth and young adults and helping them build grit through sports and school.
GUESTS: Mark Miller & Jeff Rekeweg
BIOS: Mark Miller serves as the Director of Math Programs for The Legacy Center. In his role, Mark runs our math tutoring programs for both youth and adults, where he conducts intakes, testing, volunteer tutor training, and does some one-on-one tutoring. Mark’s life’s work has been guided by the pursuit of learning and service. Mark has had a fulfilling career as a teacher, coach, and administrator, after earning his Bachelors in Education from Central Michigan University and his Master of Education through Saginaw Valley University. Mark leans into the philosophy that “Success is when hard work meets opportunity” and uses this message as he encourages learners to achieve their own potential. Mark strikes a balance between his professional and personal life by spending time outdoors. He enjoys hiking new trails, boating on Hubbard Lake, and spending family time with his wife, daughters, and spunky R’Eskie (Rescued Eskie) named Bear.
Jeff Rekeweg was born and raised in Indiana and moved to Midland a little over 12 years ago as the Men’s basketball coach at Northwood University. After 10 years as head coach, he took a new role in advancement and development at Northwood, where he worked for two years. This year, Jeff accepted a new role as the Executive Director of the Greater Midland Tennis Center. Jeff is very community-minded and has been active on several non-profit boards and civic organizations, including The Legacy Center, ARC of Midland, Rotary, and Midland Area Foundation. Jeff and his wife have six daughters and in his spare time likes to golf and is working on his tennis skills.
Our recent episodes have covered many of the Developmental Assets, which help reduce risk-taking behaviors. However, kids still need to have skills to avoid substance use and other unhealthy risk behaviors. What does it take to be able to say no to negative peer pressure and how do we help build those skills?
https://www.tlc4cs.org/
Guest Bios: Officer Brian Soule is a School Resource Officer for Midland Public Schools. He graduated from Delta College in 2012, where he also attended the Police Academy. After graduation from the academy, Officer Soule was hired by the City of Flint Police Department where he worked for 2 years before being hired by the Midland Police Department. Officer Soule currently serves as the School Resource Officer at Dow High School and Woodcrest Elementary. He is also a DARE instructor and a member of the Midland SWAT Team. Officer Andy Hawkins graduated from the 82nd Delta College Police Academy and was later hired as a Police Officer for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department (SCTPD). In 2014, he was hired by Midland Police Department. At MPD, he has held the duties of Firearms Instructor and Field Training Officer. Currently, Officer Hawkins is assigned to Northeast Middle School as a School Resource Officer.
Deputy Jodye Streeter is a lifelong Midland resident. He is a happy husband and father of three. Deputy Streeter has worked for the Midland County Sheriffs Office since 2003 and is currently assigned as the School Resource Officer for the Meridian school district, a role he has held for the last 3 years. In his spare time, he likes to spend time outdoors and enjoy time with friends and family.
It’s almost summertime. Kids see freedom; parents see a lot of unstructured time. Unstructured free time can be relaxing, but it can also become problematic if kids are spending too much time on screens, isolating from their friends, or are unsupervised and possibly getting into trouble. Fortunately, we’re in a community with a lot of Developmental Asset-building opportunities to help fill the summer. Today, we have two special guests to help us think about how we can beat the summertime boredom blues and help build up the kids and teens in our lives. Marcie Post is the assistant director of public services for the City of Midland, a role she has held since 2008. Kevin Heye is the vice president of operations of Greater Midland Community Center.
The 40 Developmental Assets framework has a category called Constructive Use of Time. This asset category looks at how teens use their free time. Are they filling their time with unstructured time with friends – which can lead to them taking some unhealthy risks? Or, are they using their free time to learn new things, build skills, and have fun in healthy environments? Creative Activities is an Asset in the Constructive Use of Time category. A youth has this asset if they spend three or more hours per week lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts. Our recent youth study indicated that only 19% of Midland County students have this asset. What are the benefits of creative activities and how we can help connect students with the arts so they can reap the benefits?
Guest: Alexis Costley and Sarah Dudinetz
Bios: Alexis Costley is the Prevention Collaboration Leader for The Legacy Center for Community Success, where she manages operations of community coalitions and collaborative partnerships to address substance use prevention in Midland County. Alexis also works with local schools to help students resist substances. Alexis received her Bachelors of Science in Health Science along with a Minor in Sociology from Saginaw Valley State University in 2021 and is working toward becoming a Certified Prevention Specialist. She is a Midland native, so helping the community she grew up in is very important to her. Outside of work, Alexis spends time teaching ballet and playing with her vizslapoo puppy.
Sarah Dudinetz, a Midland County native, a social media and communications specialist at A.K. Rikk’s in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Grand Valley State University during the pandemic. Sarah is also incredibly passionate about the arts and their benefits for youth. Sarah has been a theatre girl, a podcast host, a dance teacher, a pageant queen, a public relations student, Broadway lover, and more. Sarah is a blogger and a podcast host. You can learn lots more about the benefits of the arts on her podcast, Amplify the Arts, available on your favorite podcast platform.
https://www.tlc4cs.org/
Since 2006, the Legacy Center has measured the wellbeing of youth every five years through Search Institute’s Attitudes and Behaviors Survey. The survey measures Developmental Assets and risky behaviors, giving our schools and community an insight into the strengths, needs, and opportunities to better support youth and help them reach their potential. In the fall of 2021, we conducted the fourth survey and have recently finished analyzing the data. Today, we’ll talk to the two leaders behind the survey to learn what the data says and why this matters.
GUEST BIOS: Kathryn Tate is the President & CEO of The Legacy Center for Community Success, a role she has held since July 2019. Prior to this role, Kathryn served as a Certified Prevention Specialist in a role shared by The Legacy Center for Community Success and Ten16 Recovery Network. Under this partnership, Kathryn took a lead role in coordinating the community’s response to substance use disorder and youth substance use prevention. Kathryn completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Purdue University and worked for Purdue Extension immediately after graduating. Pam Singer is the President and CEO of Midland Kids First, a non-profit that provides evidenced-based interventions for the most at-risk youth in the county, families involved in the legal system, or viewed at-risk of becoming involved in the legal system. Prior to this, Pam served as the leader of The Legacy Center's Youth Development and Consulting Services practice. In that role, she advanced the concept of Developmental Assets for the community's youth that have been so instrumental in reducing risk-taking behaviors.
https://www.tlc4cs.org/
What builds healthy youth who thrive? The Developmental Assets are a collection of 40 experiences, supports, attributes, and characteristics that cumulatively build stronger youth. Every asset helps and today we are going to explore engagement in religious activities. According to Search Institute, just one hour per week of engagement in activities at a religious institution is a protective factor. Yet, we live in an era when fewer families are attending religious institutions. What are the benefits for young people to participate in religious activities?
Guest(s)| Katie Brinklow & Julie Hyatt
Service to others is one of the 40 Developmental Assets, in the category of Empowerment. Empowerment assets give young people space to try new things, identify their skills, and impact the world around them. The benefits of service to others are significant, but locally, this asset has been declining for the past decade. In this episode, we will be exploring service and how it helps youth become their best selves.
GUESTS | Paul and Kim White
BIOS Kim received a bachelor’s degree from Davenport University in Grand Rapids, and worked for both the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce before moving to Midland in 1995. While helping with the family business, Lifestyle Garment Care, her primary responsibilities have been managing a very active household. She is in her 18th year of being a Leader for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. She is also in her 18th year of being a teacher in the Faith Formation of youth for Blessed Sacrament Parish where she is also a Eucharistic Minister and Minister to the Homebound. She is a former Midland Area Community Foundation board and committee member. Her passion is youth and their success in this community. Kim has played an active volunteer role with The Open Door Shelter, The Arc of Midland, Plymouth Elementary, Northeast Middle School, and Midland High School. Kim is a graduate of Leadership Midland.
Inspirational speaker and author Paul White is the former Coach and President of Roth Cleaners, Inc. DBA Lifestyle Garment Care. Headquartered in Midland, MI, Roth Cleaners was established in 1929 and grew to include pickup and delivery service routes, along with valet service for the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan.
Paul developed a passion for public speaking and pursues that passion with his significant enthusiasm and love for life. He is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Sales Course, where he was Sales Talk Champion and Goal Setting Champion. He is a graduate of Leadership Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region Leadership Institute. Over the past twenty-five-plus years, he has dedicated himself to serving his community as Past President and board member of the Arc of Midland, past board member of the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Past President and board member of the Arc Michigan, past board member of the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, past member of the Dow Chemical Community Advisory Panel, a past committee member of Project 111 Safe Driving movement, and former chair of the Friends of Scouting Family Division for the Lake Huron Area Council of Boy Scouts. He is also an active Rotary Member, and an active member of his church.
Social media is a construct that has changed the way we interact with one another. It has allowed us to connect and stay connected across miles and throughout years, yet many argue that it has caused us to become more disconnected than ever before. There is increasing evidence that it may be contributing to mental health problems in adults and youth. Further, social media influencers seem to be driving some concerning behaviors and adolescent brains lack the development to understand the consequences of participating in social media challenges.
GUESTS Ashley Hubbard, Counselor at Northeast Middle School Lindsay Timmerman, Counselor at Jefferson Middle School
BIOS Ashley Hubbard has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Counseling from Central Michigan University. She works for Midland Public Schools as a Middle school counselor and has been working with 11-14 year old adolescents for 8 years. In her free time, Ashley likes to travel.
Lindsay Timmerman has a B.A. in Creative Writing and Communication from Hope College and a M.S. in School Counseling from Butler University. She is in her second year as School Counselor and Cross Country Coach at Jefferson Middle School. When Lindsay has free time, she likes to bake, read, and run.
Parents and grandparents today have seen an incredible transformation in the role that screens play in our lives. Growing up, we may remember watching live television with our families around the one television in our homes. Or, perhaps we remember when we got our first computer and you could only play Pong and Oregon Trail (in monochrome). The evolution of digital devices has been dramatic and rapid. Today, nearly every adult in the United States works on a computer daily, carries a small computer in their pockets, and has access to televisions and video games on-demand. The landscape has changed completely. With screens being such an integral part of our lives, screen addiction is becoming an increasingly significant problem.
Guests Jackie Warner, Youth Intervention Specialist Ashley Huston, Youth Intervention Specialist
Jackie Warner: Jackie Warner is a Youth Intervention Specialist with Community Mental Health for Central Michigan. She is a masters level counselor. She has done therapy with children, families, and adults for 28 years and has been in her current role of Youth Intervention Specialist for 11 years.
Ashley Huston: Ashley Huston is a Youth Intervention Specialist with Community Mental Health for Central Michigan. She is a masters level social worker. She has done therapy with children, families, and adults for the last 10 years; and has been in her current role of Youth Intervention Specialist for the last year.
Cultural Competency is one of the 40 Developmental Assets. During this episode, we will explore the value of cultural awareness, as it relates to individuals, youth, and communities. We will be joined by two individuals who have spent extensive time with persons from other countries, as they adapt to life in the United States. This discussion is an exploration of the value of cultural awareness.
Guests: Jennifer Majorana, Director of Adult Literacy Kathy Kinkema, ESL Tutor at The Legacy Center and retired teacher
Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate, and accept them – their time at school is no exception. On the flip side, young people need to feel supported and encouraged in their educational journey – even at home. Parents who are actively involved in helping their students succeed are less likely to engage in negative behaviors. Tune in as we talk with local school representatives about what they are doing to create caring and supportive educational environments and what kind of support they need from parents.
BIOS Jennifer McCormack has been the Superintendent for Coleman Community Schools starting her sixth year where she leads, develops, collaborates with and coaches professional and support staff team members to ensure high-quality educational experiences and expectations for students in grade K-12. As part of that work, Jennifer is involved in over eight different Midland County community committees and serves on two Boards for the Greater Midland Coleman Family Center and The Legacy Center.
Prior to becoming the Superintendent of Coleman Community Schools, Jennifer served in several educational roles. After growing up in Beaverton, Michigan, she attended Central Michigan University for both her Bachelors and Masters work in Special Education Teaching for Students with Emotional Impairments, Reading Specialist and Administration- School Principalship, respectively. She taught at Shepherd Elementary K-5 Cross Categorical classroom and served as the Title I Coordinator for the summer programs for two years. Starting in 2004-2009, Jennifer served as a K-5 Elementary Principal in a ninety-eight percent at-risk building in the Wayne-Westland School District, moving to the District’s Elementary Director of Special Education in 2009 serving seventeen buildings, while obtaining Special Education Supervisor approval. In 2012, Jennifer took on a newly created role as the K-12 Executive Director of School Improvement and Innovation, serving twenty buildings in school improvement best practices and eleven buildings as the supervisor of elementary administrators until 2016.
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Jeff Jaster is a Midland native, and he is currently working as an administrator for the Midland Public Schools. He has twenty-four years of experience in the field of education, and he has earned degrees from Central Michigan University, and Saginaw Valley State University. He was first hired in 1997 to teach middle school science for the Bullock Creek School District. In 1998 he transferred to Bullock Creek High School, and worked four additional years as a science, and health teacher. While an employee of the Bullock Creek School District he also coached football, and baseball. In 2002 he was hired by Midland Public Schools to teach science, and health, at Midland High School. He coached the Midland High School JV Baseball team as well. Mr. Jaster became an administrator for MPS in August of 2003, and he has held various administrative positions for the district including; MHS Science Department Chair, MHS Music Department Chair, MHS Assistant Principal, Northeast Middle School Assistant Principal, Northeast Middle School Principal, Midland High School Principal, and currently Associate Superintendent of Administration and Student Services.
Jeff also serves on the Board of Directors for Project 111 and The Legacy Center for Community Success. Jeff is community-minded, and he has a passion for youth development. As an educator, he recognizes that his most important job is to prepare students for the world that they will live in. Students, and our country’s future workforce, will need to be literate, creative thinkers, strong communicators, globally-minded, and technologically literate. Jeff lives in Midland with his wife Amy, and their two daughters.
The stigma of addiction (substance use disorder) leads to miss information and understanding. Science has proven that substance use disorder is a chronic brain disease that can be managed with medical treatment. It is NOT a moral failing or a character flaw. But still, only 1 in 10 Americans with a substance use disorder receive treatment. Listen in as people from the substance use disorder community talk about their experiences, how stigma impacted their decisions, and how the community can better support people in their journey.
Part one of this podcast can be found on The Visibility Project Podcast. - https://soundcloud.com/thevisibilityprj/epi-011
GUESTS: Lori Ziolkowski – Advisor, Families Against Narcotics Juli Strauer – Midland County Coordinator, Peer360 Recovery Network Jeremiah Lee - Director of International Student Engagement & Host of The Visibility Project
According to research conducted by Harvard Health, the average age a young person starts experimenting with alcohol is between 11 and 13 years old. With the pressures of peers and social media, when is the right time to talk to children about substance use? Join us as we talk about how to get the conversation started with the youth in your life.
GUESTS: Leanne Reid - Prevention Youth Services Manager, ESD 112 Max Langer
BIOS: Leanne has a long career in countering the harms of substance misuse. She began her career in the 1990’s working with homeless people as a substance use counselor. Over the years she has worked her way upstream by working with youth in treatment settings and then in school settings as a prevention interventionist specialist. She has worked with and managed community substance use prevention coalitions at a county, regional and state level as a coordinator and project manager throughout Washington State. Leanne is a Certified Prevention Professional Specialist and serves as Vice President on the Prevention Specialist Certification Board of Washington. Leanne was a part of a multi-disciplined team of authors that wrote the youth marijuana prevention campaign Weed Can Wait that included Cannabis Conversations and won the National School Public Relations Association’s Golden Achievement Award.
Max has been a prevention advocate in the Southwest Washington region for 5 years. She started this work with a group called STASHA (Strong Teens Against Substance Hazards and Abuse) where she presented state wide to youth, adults and educators. After her work there, she went on to work with ESD112 as a prevention assistant. In this position she continued to educate on a larger scale. This led to her work with Tobacco Free Kids, the leading national advocacy organization working to reduce tobacco use and its deadly consequences in the United States and around the world. This allowed her to speak on a nation-wide scale and win the 2019 Youth Advocate of the Year award.
Young people need to develop strong guiding values or principles to help them make healthy life choices. When they place a high value on promoting equality they have more empathy and acceptance for others. Join us as we discuss ways we can help promote acceptance of others, valuing opinions that differ than ours, and how to teach youth these same skills.
GUESTS: Sarah Weisbarth – Director of Discover You, The Rock Center for Youth Development Jill Wright - Chapman Foundation of Caring Communities
BIOS: Sarah is professional facilitator, trainer, and coach. Sarah serves in education with The Rock Center for Youth Development. With a certificate in coaching from the Co-Active Training Institute, Sarah uses her education in Health and Fitness and Certificate in Wellbeing to coach clients to achieve their goals. Incorporates Social and Emotional Learning and program planning to bring the best possible experience and plan for others to help themselves, their employees, students, and organization. Her hope that individuals understand themselves and others to be effective personally and professionally is reflected in her extensive volunteer work. She self describes as a messy, introspective, hopeful, simplistic, lover of life.
One of Jill’s primary needs is serving others, a common thread woven throughout her career. For more than 15 years, Jill raised money for various non-profit organizations. She was driven by the belief that the funds she procured would provide research, experiences, and education for the people those organizations served. Over the last four years, Jill has had the privilege of guiding adults on a journey of self-discovery as a foundation for more intentional, empathetic listening. As a senior facilitator for the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities (formerly Our Community Listens), Jill delights in helping participants do the hard work of recognizing where they have fallen short in their relationships and providing them with tools and insights to make meaningful change. Jill, her husband, and two sons, ages 10 and 11, live in Charleston, South Carolina. Her most important and challenging role is as parent. Daily, she and her husband strive to instill a solid moral compass in their boys, while honoring them as individuals who have their own ideas, opinions, and interests. Jill believes that one of the most impactful ways she can serve the greater good is by raising her sons to be confident, empathetic, and resilient adults.
Alcohol continues to be the most used substance among youth. According to the Monitoring the Future Study in 2019, 42% of 10th graders and 58% of 12th graders reported using alcohol in their lifetime. What about our culture promotes alcohol use? Is it a problem or just a rite of passage?
Tune in to learn more.
GUESTS: Marty Malcolm, CMU Faculty Mike Tobias, MCRUD Coordinator, Michigan Prevention Network
BIOS: Marty is a seventeen-year instructor for Central Michigan University’s School of Health Science, specializing in Substance Use Disorders. Before teaching at CMU he worked for eleven years in different residential and outpatient treatment centers. Marty’s diverse experiences, spanning almost three decades, have given him a vast knowledge of multiple areas in the field of SUD.
Mike is the Coordinator for the Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (MCRUD) and has been employed with Prevention Network since June 2010. Prior to his employment with Prevention Network, Mike was involved with MCRUD for about 10 years and served as chair for some of this time. He is a person who has been in long-term recovery for over 20 years, has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan, and is a certified prevention consultant.
Resource Link: https://www.tlc4cs.org/alcohol/
It sounds easy, right? Love yourself. Be confident in who you are. Feel EMPOWERED – but these attributes don’t just happen overnight. They are developed with work and acceptance. Join us as we talk about this developmental asset, how we can get to our own place of self-empowerment, and how we can bring youth along with us.
Lisa Thompson is the Executive Director and Founder of the non-profit Self Love Beauty, co-founder of BluWave Wellbeing, host of 'The Confident Podcast' and author of 'The Strong Women of Haiti'. She is an established confidence and self-love workshop leader and keynote speaker. Lisa has a Bachelors in Arts in Communications and Public Relations from Michigan State University, degree in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, is certified in Positive Psychology and Creating Wellbeing and is trained in mindfulness from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. Currently, Lisa sits on the MiHIA Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) steering team to build resilience in adults and children in Michigan. Her mission is to use her gifts, strengths and talents in speaking and writing to connect with people and empower them to love themselves, get unstuck and take personal action for self-improvements.
Sarah Zastrow is the founder of Cultivate Balance. She is a coach, speaker, and podcaster who focuses on stress relief, mindfulness and finding joy in the journey, even in the crazy seasons of life. She was inspired to create resources, education and coaching after she experienced a particularly stressful season of life when she felt out of alignment, was drowning in stress, and out of ways to cope, both with the outside world and the thoughts that kept her up at night. She has helped hundreds of clients with her classes, workshops, and online resources.
RESOURCES: https://www.tlc4cs.org/ https://www.selflovebeauty.com/ https://www.micultivatebalance.com/
Everyone has heard the message: our nation has an opioid problem. But what exactly are we doing about it? Tune in to learn more about all of the community partners that came together to address this issue in Midland County. In addition, learn more about what opioids are, the effect it has on the body, and how you can get involved in local efforts.
Dr. Kathy Dollard is a Charlevoix, Michigan native who received her bachelor’s degree from Alma College in psychology and Spanish and earned her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Central Michigan University. Dr. Dollard is also a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She worked at Partners in Change, a group psychology practice, for the first five years after graduate school. In 2005, she left private practice to work in the public mental health sector, joining Community Mental Health for Central Michigan as outpatient supervisor. In 2008, Kathy was promoted to Program Director for Midland County. In her role, she chaired several community-wide councils including Midland County Health and Human Services Council, Midland Area Partnership for Drug Free Youth, and Midland County Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordinating Committee. In January 2017, Dr. Dollard joined MidMichigan Health as the Director Behavioral Health, a new service line for the health system. She has developed a multi-year strategic plan for behavioral health services and has begun implementation efforts in integrated behavioral health in primary care settings, increasing emergency services to patients in mental health crisis, and a Zero Suicides initiative. She also serves on MidMichigan Health’s task force to address opiate addiction.
Deputy Beyerle is a 4-year veteran with the Midland County Sheriff’s Office, where he has served as a road patrol deputy. Deputy Beyerle can now be found as the Coleman Community Schools Resources Officer. Deputy Beyerle has been a Police Officer for 11 years, formerly serving in Saginaw County and Roscommon County. Deputy Beyerle is a graduate of Kirtland Community College, where he attended Kirtland Regional Police Academy. Throughout his career, Deputy Beyerle has served the community on road patrol, performing undercover work and working as a friend of the court deputy. Deputy Beyerle also has previous experience with ORV, snow, and marine patrol. Not to mention, Deputy Beyerle is the President of the Midland County Search and Rescue Team since 2019.
A native of Midland, Sam Price has been the President/CEO for the Ten16 Recovery Network since 2003. Ten16 believes everyone can live life to the fullest; free and clear.
Providing services in 20 locations across 10 counties in mid-Michigan, Ten16 is the leading regional provider of prevention, treatment and support services for people struggling with substance use disorders. Beyond the traditional residential, outpatient and prevention services, Ten16 has been pioneers in peer support, recovery housing, and placing Recovery Coaches in hospital Emergency Departments. Their most recent endeavor has been establishing collegiate recovery programs at Central Michigan University, Ferris State and MidMichigan College.
Sam has been very active, both locally and regionally, serving on a variety of volunteer boards, collaborative workgroups and State task forces.
Prior to his work at Ten16, Sam has held leadership positions at agencies in the community mental health system, child welfare, human services and served as a youth pastor. He has a bachelor’s degree in business (Central Michigan University) and two master’s degrees; one in religion (Asbury Theological Seminary) and one in Marriage & Family Therapy (Michigan State University). Sam lives in Midland with his wife, Sue, and has two children.
RESOURCES: https://www.tlc4cs.org/opioids/ https://www.mihopeportal.com/ http://1016.org/service https://www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org/hopenothandcuffs
No pressure – but youth are constantly looking to adults for guidance and affirmation. You know how the saying goes, “monkey see, monkey do.” During this episode, we will explore what being a positive role model looks like and why it is one of the 40 developmental assets.
Angela Johnson – Certified Prevention Specialist, The Legacy Center (host) Bev Wenzel – Executive Director, The Rock Center for Youth Development Jai Mahabir – Officer, Midland Police Department
Bev’s Bio:
Bev is the Executive Director of The ROCK Center for Youth Development and Discover You™. She led the creation of Discover You™ which provides four programs over 10 years to over 20,000 middle and high school students. Discover You ™ provides core skills that apply to many facets of life throughout adolescence and adulthood. Bev has 35 years of intentional business and non-profit leadership. Her qualifications include being a Certified Public Manager through Saginaw Valley State University, Certified Fundraising Manager through Lily Fundraising School, and an Applied Positive Psychology Practitioner. She is an active speaker and presenter in areas including positive psychology, social and emotional skills, fund development, and non-profit leadership.
Jai’s Bio:
Lieutenant Jai Mahabir has worked for the Midland Police Department for the last 18 years in various capacities, including Patrol, SWAT Team, and School Resource Officer. During this time, he has coached football for Midland Public Schools and has sat on a few different nonprofit boards such as Project 111 and Big Brother Big Sisters.
Resource Links:
https://www.tlc4cs.org/youth-development-2/
https://www.search-institute.org/developmental-relationships/developmental-relationships-framework/
In 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made Michigan the first state in the nation to ban flavored nicotine vaping products. She did this in response to an overwhelming increase in youth vaping use and the health-related illnesses that are being recorded. From 2017 to 2018, the use of e-cigarettes jumped 48 percent among middle school students and 78 percent among high school students. Tune in to learn more about what vaping is, the effect it has on the body, and what local teens are doing to educate their peers.
Podcast Host/Other Speakers: Angela Johnson – Certified Prevention Specialist, The Legacy Center (host) Barb Swierzbin, Prevention Services Coordinator, The Legacy Center Taylor Sanborn, Midland High Student Marlee Bone, Midland High Student
Barb’s Bio: Barb is a Certified Prevention Specialist currently serving as the Prevention Services Specialist for The Legacy Center for Community Success, a role she has held for 8 years. She is the Designated Youth Tobacco Use Representative for Midland County and coordinates tobacco, vaping, and other nicotine products related education and events. Barb assists with other prevention coalition objectives and activities, including drug take back events, advertising, and production of the Youth Connections Magazine.
Taylor’s Bio: Taylor is a senior at Midland high school. She is actively involved in the middle and high school student council and currently serve as the student council president. She is also involved in the National Honors Society, Student Leadership, Varsity Volleyball, and Varsity Softball. Outside of school she enjoys volunteering at the Humane Society, hanging out with family and friends, and spending time with her discipleship group. Next year she will be attending college at Calvin University to pursue a degree in computer science and continue her athletic career as a member of their softball team.
Marlee’s Bio: Marlee is a senior in high school at Midland High. She is involved with Midland High Student Council and is a member of the Midland High Student Leadership Class. She also runs Track and field for Midland High. Along with Taylor in her sophomore year, she helped start the “Get your head out of the clouds” anti-vaping campaign. Through this project she has grown and learned so much about herself. She plans to major in either criminal justice or sports management.
Resource Link: https://www.tlc4cs.org/nicotine/ https://mi.mylifemyquit.org/index
One section of the Developmental Assets focuses entirely on a child’s commitment to learning. This section includes assets like school engagement, completing homework, and bonding to school. There is one skill that bonds all of the assets in this section together: reading. In this episode we will discuss the different pieces of learning to read, warning signs your child or student may be struggling, and what you can do to help a child learn to read better.
Stay tuned after the music for a bonus question brought up by the producer of our podcasts!
GUESTS: Kathy Brown – Supervisor of Youth Services, Grace A. Dow Memorial Library Kristi Kline – Director of Student Reading Programs, The Legacy Center
BIOS: Kathy Brown has a MLIS from Wayne State University and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Central Michigan University. She is the Supervisor of Youth Services at Grace A. Dow Memorial Library. She has previously worked as a Youth Services Librarian at Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, an Elementary School Librarian, and a Preschool Teacher.
Kristi Kline is the Director of Student Reading Programs at the Legacy Center. She manages the Barton Tutoring Program including learner assessment, tutor training, and community outreach. She has been a Barton tutor since 2008 and earned her Level 1 certification in 2011. Kristi is a member of the International Dyslexia Association and is certified by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction as a Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher.
Resources: www.tlc4cs.org/learn/ www.gadml.org/
The State of Michigan legalized casual-use cannabis (marijuana) in 2019. This law makes it legal for those over the age of 21 to use and possess cannabis. Tune in to learn more about what is allowed, what isn’t, the plant, and the impact it has on the body.
Guest(s): Michelle Beeck, Community Educator, The Legacy Center Jessica Miller, Program Supervisor, Ten16 Recovery Network
https://www.tlc4cs.org/
Search Institute has identified 40 positive supports and strengths that young people need to succeed. These 40 assets are referred to as The Developmental Assets Framework. Half of these assets focus on the relationships and opportunities youth need in their families, schools, and communities (external assets). The remaining assets focus on the social-emotional strengths, values, and commitments that are nurtured within young people (internal assets). Tune in to learn more about this approach and what local organizations in Midland County are doing to help support this framework.
Guest: Dick Dolinski, Founder, The Legacy Center Kathryn Tate, President & CEO, The Legacy Center
Welcome to our Podcast! Learn who we are, why we are here, and what we are all about.
Guest: Kathryn Tate, CEO, The Legacy Center
https://www.tlc4cs.org/