Tag Archives: Hometown Heroes

Hometown Heroes: Beyond the Music

May 14, 2015Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsCarrie Hoeksema, East Kentwood, Hometown Heroes, Joe PelleritoJoanne

Choir Teacher Carrie Hoeksema teaches lessons well beyond the classroom

This series of stories were written by high school students from Joe Pellerito’s Advanced Teen Leadership Class at East Kentwood High School. They wrote about the heroes in their lives. Stories were written especially for now.wktv.com.

A hero in my eyes is someone with a genuine and caring heart. Someone who is there when I and others need them and unafraid to speak their mind.

One of my heroes is a strong and spirited woman who walks into a classroom with a bright smile on her face and a positive attitude that shows she’s ready for whatever life has to throw at her. She has a powerful voice that can be heard across an entire school and is never afraid to use it. My hero is an absolutely wonderful choir teacher named Mrs. Carrie Hoeksema.

Each day she walks into the choir classroom at East Kentwood High School full of energy and ready to lead our class and motivate us to perform beautiful music. She consistently pushes the class to sing out and let our voices be heard, and always compliments and teaches us how to do better and grow as musicians. She’s always there for her students, and is always looking to help in any way she can.

Her inspiration to become a choir teacher came during her freshman year of college. She had been in band in high school and had her doubts about what choir would be like, but she decided to give it a try anyway. The choir instructor at the time was retiring, and the new instructor was the one who really inspired her to pursue a career as a choir teacher herself.

As a choir teacher, she feels like the most satisfying part of her job is the interaction with teens, the wide range of emotions surrounding them, and just the dramatic flair that comes with it. She thinks teens are full of hope and ideas, that they are unbreakable, and even responsible. The best part about her job is finding out these things from her students and creating strong relationships with them. She is sure they take the lessons she has taught and make use of it long after high school and college.

Her faith is very important to her, and she owes her biggest influence to God. She believes God inspires her to be the best person that she can be. She also believes God planted her on Earth to help and inspire kids and be a positive role model. Her faith keeps her going, and inspires her to keep kids and even staff members upbeat. Along with her faith, she owes her peppy spirit and personality to her late Grandma Sorensen, who was also quite bubbly and positive.

As a leader herself, she looks up to students who show leadership skills. She believes compassion, ethics, confidence, commitment, the willingness to learn, helping others, and the sense of community and world are all very important qualities of a leader.

Mrs. Hoeksema is not only one of my heroes, but also a strong and positive leader, an amazing teacher, and an awesome person to be around.

Hometown Heroes: 6 Houses, 5 Years, 1 Boy

December 12, 2014Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsAlanna McElwee, East Kentwood Students, Hometown Heroes, Joe PelleritoJoanne

Freshman year is the year of ultimate change. The thing about change is that you can either let it break you, or you can let it make you. As he entered freshman year he wasn’t aware of the huge changes that were going to occur in his life. Most times we are never aware of these things, we simply have to go with the flow of life.

He wasn’t the type of adolescent that complained, he rarely even talked. His motto was “If it’s not worth wasting my breath for, then why say it?” At age 14 his life would become a roller-coaster that no one could predict.

After making the move into his fathers house in a “white picket fence suburb” he felt unstoppable. He had a big house, lots of new clothes, a new dog, and most importantly he was actually “cool!” Nothing could stop him on his way to the top.

The months rolled by with not a care in the world, until the news came. His father’s partner in their company had been embezzling money for years, and it had finally caught up to him–this meaning, their family would have to move. Being the role model older brother he didn’t have a choice but to accept the fate, and to keep going. He had to set an example for his younger siblings, they were bound to react the way he did. As much as it hurt that he was leaving this new life behind, he forced a smile upon his grief stricken face and pushed forwards.

As they moved into their new home things seemed as if they were getting better. He was still excelling in school, his friends hadn’t left his side and he still had his family to fall back on. Everything looked OK on the outside, but on the inside rage was boiling.

This rage continued to grow when more horrendous news was delivered. Their uncle that had been living with them for some time had been shot and killed. A devastation that would affect a family forever. The young boy was filled with remorse and sorrow, how could someone he looked up to so much be here one second and gone the next? The family had decided once again that they were going to move.

Not only is moving a hard thing to do, but during the most important part of your life, is something no child should have to go through. Through the next 5 years of his life, the boy would move 6 times altogether, never once complaining or arguing about it, but maintaining an ever present smile.

That is why my brother “Buddha” is my hero. He taught me that life can either be great or it can be terrible; depending on your own attitude about situations – Things can only affect you if you let them affect you. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my big brother by my side, pushing me to be a better person everyday of my life.

Hometown Heroes: Grandma’s Past Hits Home and Draws Inspiration

December 9, 2014Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsEast Kentwood Students, Hometown Heroes, Joe PelleritoJoanne

Everybody has heard of the drunk driving stories, but this one really hits home for me. I asked my grandma a memory that explains who you are and this is what she said:

“One memory that explains who I am is my back injury. I was in the front seat of my friend’s car. This is back when seat-belts weren’t required. We were coming home from our other friend’s house and we got hit by a drunk driver. I flew through the windshield and hit a telephone pole. I woke up in the hospital not knowing anything besides my life is going to change. I was in the hospital for 3 months. I ended up breaking my back which resulted in a back brace for two and a half years. I also had the most severe concussion and am lucky to have not been cognitively impaired. I thank God everyday.”

She is one of the strongest people I know. Her life has been a constant battle. From being a child of an abusive parent, to the back injury, to going through a tough marriage and divorce, she wears the sweetest smile every single day.

My grandma is 83 years old and still walking, still active, I look up to her so much. I asked her what she is most grateful for and she responded, “I’m grateful for my life. I never understood how precious life is until I almost lost it. But I am MOST grateful for my grandchildren. They bring me so much joy and I love watching them grow up and I’m blessed to be here and see all of their accomplishments.”

That explains my grandma so perfectly. She has the biggest heart and she is my #1 fan for everything. After all of my golf tournaments she makes sure to call to tell me she was praying for me, and that she is proud of me no matter how I place.

I wanted to interview my grandma because I aspire to be like her. I could recap endless stories and memories about her. I hope to make an impact on other people like she did for me.

Joe Pellerito's Advanced Teen Leadership class on Spirit Day at East Kentwood — Joe Pellerito’s Advanced Teen Leadership class on Spirit Day at East Kentwood

Hometown Heroes: A Mother’s Love

December 8, 2014Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsEast Kentwood Students, Hometown Heroes, Joe PelleritoJoanne

“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” This quote by Bob Riley means that your inner hero is not based on the situations themselves but about the qualities that are presented when in these situations, leadership is a prime quality that is revealed. My mom is the main person I know that portrays leadership in her everyday life.

Examples of how my mom portrays the quality of being a hero varies from day to day. Having to be the mother of four kids is a big way of showing leadership. My mom has to run us to appointments and pay bills. When I tore my ACL, I thought my life was over and thought I could never play soccer again. My mom, on the other hand, took things in a whole different direction. instead of looking at the negatives and thinking about how I wasn’t going to get scholarships for college and all, she had the mentality of a leader and said that everything was going to be okay.

My mom took control of the situation and made into an adventure. From the painful leg exercises I had to do to the dreadful showers I had to take, my mom was right there cheering me and supporting me. She made me do each set of exercises no matter how tired I was. During this whole ordeal I saw leadership skills come out in my mom.

My mom is a leader because she takes control of situations and calms them down. She knows what the best thing to do in each situation she comes across. Many people get put in scenarios that they don’t want to be in and end up blocking it out or trying to run from it, but not my mom.

I look up to her and one day I hope to possess the leadership qualities she has. It has made her a very independent and mindful women. Not many people want or can show these qualities but my mom embraces it, needless to say, that is why I picked my mom as the one person in my life that is a true leader and will always be a leader.

Hometown Heroes: The Perfect Attitude

December 4, 2014Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsEast Kentwood Students, Hometown Heroes, Joe Pellerito, Marie EdlundJoanne

About 15 years ago she found herself in a successful career, and within a beautiful family, but yet still something was missing. “I spent many years not feeling so positive… My idea of success was being the best student.” In the end she realized that everything she had accomplished was in an effort to prove to the world she was worth it and could accomplish her goals. Her name is Marie Edlund, my grandmother.

She is my hero not because she has saved the world but because she has impacted my world for the better and has certainly seemed to find the secret to a life of bliss. I admire her for her optimism and ability to cherish every moment, no matter the circumstance. But behind every life is a story and series of accommodated lessons.

“I realized that I was surrounded by happiness but I wasn’t connecting to it,” she says, describing herself over a decade ago. After this realization she decided to redefine her life. Her definition of success had changed from a superior level in everything she did to an ability to “respect and appreciate” herself.

“Success is being able to be present in the moment,” she says. She later describes that every moment is special and has a purpose whether you’re getting dressed or on the way to work. She stopped keeping her head and goals in the future with ego driven ideals and declared this moment, every moment, a success. “This is success, a connection of our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical bodies.”

“I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization,” a quote from Roger Ebert, a well respected film critic. When I asked my grandmother what it took to be a leader she had a similar answer, “A leader needs to be able to observe and feel what others are feeling.” Empathy.

When asked, she considers herself a leader. In her career she was because she was willing, and has the ability, to be organized, recognize the mission, work with the group, and accomplish the task(s) at hand. Considering her work in the district of Grand Rapids Public Schools, and other districts across the state as well, this is an important task. Being able to coordinate so many educators definitely requires a leader, a respected one at that. When people she has worked with speak of her they admire her ability to listen and include every voice in a decision.

Throughout her education and career she has met and worked with many leaders. One she looks back on with great admiration is a civics teacher she had in 9th grade, Patrick Reagan. As a leader of the class he seemed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each student. He offered a variety of ways for each student to excel and prove their knowledge in the class. “I outdid myself [in class] because he was so inspiring.” She continued to work with him throughout high school and he became more than just a teacher. He became a friend that she felt encouraged and respected by.

When I think of my grandmother, or “Grammy”, I think of my future self and who I want to be. My main goal in life is to live joyfully. This includes my career, family, spirit, relationships, and all forms of health. This is my definition of success. I have been inspired by so many people. But my grandmother, I think she’s really got it figured out. Therefore she has been one of my greatest inspirations in the mastery of the perfect attitude for a successful life.

Hometown Heroes: Dad Who Does It Right

December 3, 2014Local Faces, WKTV ProjectsBenjamin Escalante, East Kentwood Students, Hometown Heroes, Joe PelleritoJoanne

A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares. (-Debi Mazar)

This quote reminds me of my dad, he is all of that. He demonstrates generosity and gives to others as much as he can. He also demonstrates friendship, hard work, and love. Those are three important traits for a leader to have.

My dad, Benjamin Escalante, is a detective sergeant for the state police. That’s where I see a lot of his hard work come from. He gives his all in everything he does for his job. He even brings work home.

I asked him if he considers himself successful and he said, “Yes, because I enjoy what I do for a living, and that’s success because you spend most of your life doing that. If you can find enjoyment in what you do for a living then thats success.” Then I asked him how he finds himself successful other than his job, “Being happy with my personal life and family. That’s a success as well.” Society is led to believe that being successful means having a lot of money. I don’t find that to be true. Success simply means being happy with what you do and who you are.

I am very thankful to be able to have a friendship with my dad. He is always there for me no matter what. I can talk to him pretty much about anything, he always listens. Love is something my dad shows everyday, not just with me, but with other family members, friends, and with what he does.

While interviewing my dad, I found something very interesting: he doesn’t consider himself a hero. When I asked him why he thinks he is the person he is today, he told me, “I always try to do what is right and I never went away from that.” We definitely need more people like that in this world.

Everyone starts somewhere, I was interested in hearing about that. “Who influenced you the most in life?” I asked him. He replied, “Not one person in particular. From my family members, teacher, siblings, parents, coworkers, classmates and friends. They all influenced me in some way, not just one person.”

I also asked him if there was a specific event that made him the person he is today. He told me, “No, many things happened to make me the person I am today. I always concern myself with things I can control and don’t concern with things I can’t control.” He then mentioned that if he knew something was out of his hands, he couldn’t do anything about it. This is a very important point. No one can handle everything that is thrown at them.

Even the strongest people have to say no sometimes or take things slow. Now let’s not get it twisted, no one is perfect and everyone has something they can do better at in life. I asked my dad how he thinks he can grow as a person and he said, “Become a better listener, more open minded, and more accepting of others.” I love that someone I call a hero still has things they think they can grow at, because it shows a lot. Before this experience, I did not know my dad thought that way, and he did not know he is my hero. We both learned something new.