What is your favorite Quote?
“When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you would like them to be.” Leo Tolstoy
What is the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?
Between scuba diving in Mexico (Exciting) and ziplining in Costa Rica (Actually in truth it was terrifying)
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Not, sure, just getting started (57 years old and still have so much to do) Truth, personally it is finishing my master’s degree in 2015, and professionally it will be this Accessible dock and launch at the MSU Sailing Center.
Why did you decide to get into your profession (Case Management/ RN/ Service Provider)?
Sit back, this could take a minute…. It all started way back….such a long, long, time back….( The Lorax) All kidding aside; I am an Assistant Director for Recreational Sports and Fitness Services at Michigan State University. I started on campus as a CT (secretary) twenty-four years ago in the Radiology department. Worked in the Counseling Center for a bit and then landed in Intramural Sports and Recreative Services which is now Rec Sports. I went back to school in my forties because I witnessed staff members making a huge difference in students’ lives, so I knew going in that I wanted to help MSU students have the best experience they could while at Michigan State. That includes all students. I have overseen adaptive recreation programming on campus for about the past five years. “Sports for All” as it says on the wall at IM Sports West. It is what we do here. So, I needed to finish my undergrad and then my master’s degree to get into the profession I know I was meant for.
What is your favorite part of working in the Rehabilitation Profession?
For me, it is the students and making sure they have recreational opportunities.
What is your favorite recreational activity?
Swimming. I would snorkel every day if Michigan had an ocean!
What one thing is on your life’s “bucket list”?
I had a trip to Australia planned to visit the Great Barrier Reef however Covid-19 has stalled that. I will get there just a couple of years later than intended. Snorkeling on that reef is the highest thing on my bucket list.
How did you get connected with Strive Recreational Therapy and Stella Husch?
Through my work at Michigan State University and the Michigan Victory games.
The project at the MSU Sailing Center is the main story here: The project is an accessible walkway, dock, and launch at the MSU Sailing Center. Phase one is the walkway and we are kicking it off with a 5K to raise the money. After the walkway is complete, phase two is the anchor sea wall that the dock attaches to. Phase three is the accessible dock and launch. In total, the project will cost around $50,000. Phase one and two combined about ten and the dock and launch the other forty. I am looking for grants and sponsors for the final phase. This is going to be such a great addition to our adaptive recreation programming at MSU and offer accessible paddle sports to the community as well since the Sailing Center is open to the public.
If anyone would like to make a donation to this project, please contact me at strankj@recsports.msu.edu and I will gladly give you more details. We do have an account with development here at MSU which is called; Sailing Center Renovation project; (A01230)
