About eight years ago my dad came across a building that was for rent. He thought it would be a perfect place to open a business. After renting the space he starts to build what he hopes to be a great place for physical therapy. As the pounding and clinking goes on for most of that summer, the space starts to take some shape. With a little help here in there from family, my dad uses his “polish ingenuity” to build all different things.  With multi-color walls and signs hung everywhere on the wall, the place is almost finished. He orders the equipment that he needs in order to help his patients. Once the equipment is there and in place he is ready to start getting the word out that it is open.

Eight years later he is a big success. His business is located in a small town, good old South Haven. He says that his business being in a small town has its advantages and its disadvantages. An advantage would be, living in a small town the word can spread faster. A disadvantage would be that there are not so many doctors that can refer patients to him.

My dad has been a physical therapist for a long time. When I was born he was still finishing up school. He has Bachelors in Science and Education and in Health Science and Physical Therapy. He also has a Master in Arts in Exercise Science. My dad is the kind of person who loves to help people. Over the years he has been with many hospitals or businesses and he has never really seemed happy being there. “I am not really a corporate guy,” he said. I agree with him. When he opened his business he felt and looked like it was the right point in his life to do it.

When my dad has patients he tires to always do the best that he can with every patient. When I asked if it is hard to work with people who are injured, he said, “No because the patients are usually motivated to get better.” He treats orthopedic and sports injuries like low back pain, scoliosis, work related injuries and injuries along those lines.

When patients come in, he looks at them and tries to figure out what could be wrong. Then he will explain what type of treatment needs to happen. He schedules them and they are there for a good amount of time. If they aren’t better by the time their appointments are up, they have to be referred back to him by the doctors that sent the patient.

“This is something I hope will be open for a long time. I would want to keep it going till I retire,” he said. This is something he has wanted to do since he went to physical therapy school. At my dad’s clinic it is only him that is the certified physical therapist. He also has my mom working there and he has a receptionist, Alta.

He likes being his own boss. “I don’t like working with red tap,” he says. He likes being his own boss because when worked for other hospitals, if he wanted a new piece of equipment he would always have a long process he would have to go through. Now he is own boss and when he wants something he orders it and that’s that.  Once in awhile he will get a student to come work with him. Sometimes he has students who already have done a couple rotations with different therapists. He is amazed at how little they know.

My dad isn’t the typical therapist. He is good at what he does and looks at the practice differently then other therapists. Through his education people told him he wouldn’t be able to get through schooling. After having two daughters, he now has his own business. Even when his first daughter was born he was still finishing up his schooling. Now he is fully certified to help people out.

His business has come a long way, and with the help of people who love him his business will keep going. The word for my dad has spread far and doctors seem to like what they see. His business will be open for a long period of time; it’s already made it eight years.

BY: KAILEY GEHRES

Brad Gehres wakes up at 5am, puts on all his work equipment, gets to work at 6:30am and gets ready for the new adventures that the 11 hour day will bring. The weather could be 95 degrees or 13 degrees, either way he’s prepared for anything and everything. As he drives to work tumble weeds are blowing through the fields of brown grass. In New Mexico it’s very brown, everything is dry, but once you get driving the scenery is priceless. Mountains as far as you can see, white snow at the very top. Water falling down the sides of the rocks on both sides of the road. Not knowing what was to come for him, Brad put everything he needs for the day in the bed of his pick up truck and was off.

Brad is one of those 18 year olds who never enjoyed school and could never imagine taking college courses after high school. After high school he went to M-TECH, in Grand Rapids, for a construction course. That was all, he was sick of it, and needed to move on with his life. After moving out of his apartment in GR he moved back home with his mom, dad, and sister. Brad wanted to get a job and move on with his life. It was a little surprising to the family,since Brads older brother, Mike, is a junior at Western Michigan University and the college atmosphere is just perfect for him. They’re just complete opposites. After moving back at home, Brads task was to find a job, preferably out of state, since Michigan doesn’t have many good paying jobs for his interest.

Marketing, social work, communications, none of this was for Brad. He is the type you’d see outside working on something like his boat, his bow, a wood project, just something to keep him busy outdoors. He’s the hands on kind, very skilled with building and fixing things. He exelled at wood shop class at Saugatuck High School. Even one of his biggest influences was his wood shop teacher, Mr. Heyser, who said, ”I’m happy for Brad, it looks like he’s out on an adventure and I’m sure it will be a learning experience. I think he’s at a point in his life where he can go across the country and experience new things without making tremendous sacrifices. He will be able to bring the skills he learns back here in a couple years and contribute to our community.” His life revolves around family, working, hunting, and fishing. Those have always been the only things that really have mattered to him throughout his life.

One day his mom’s(Sue) high school friend, Pete, called her leaving her a message on her phone. Sue and Pete were best friends in middle school and they were reunited as Facebook friends. Therefore Pete was aware of Brad, and what he was interested in. Pete was one of the head workers at Elkhorn Construction, he knew Brad was in search of a job and willing to move. He left a voicemail on Sue’s phone stating how there may be 20 job openings in their company. This got the whole family excited. Pete’s company works with the oil fields in New Mexico. Brad sent his application and all of his information to Pete, and he was waiting very anxiously for a reply. A couple of weeks later Brad found out he got the job. This was life changing! Before they knew it he was moving out. Brad had only two weeks left in Michigan before he moved to Farmington, New Mexico. Many days were spent packing all of his belongings into bins and saying goodbye to family and friends.

His dad, Jeff, and him took a 26 hour trip to Farmington, New Mexico, with all of Brads belongings in the bed of his pick up truck. When they arrived they met all of the neighbors in his four-plex. Brad and his father are best of friends, they have all the same interest’s. Brad’s like his little mini-me. Jeff had a tough time dropping Brad off in a state that is 26 hours away from Holland, MI. Not only is it such a far distance, but it’s also a completely whole different culture, climate, and scenery. Plus not knowing anyone there wasn’t going to help the situation.

While driving through New Mexico they saw many oil fields and gas drill sites. Something you never see in the state of Michigan. “My least favorite thing about New Mexico is how there’s no trees and it’s so bare,” Brad says. Brad works with Elkhorn Construction Company. Brads job is a Swamper. He works with a semi truck driver on a knuckle boom truck. They go out to sites and take out below ground tanks or put new ones in or move whatever needs to be moved. Also, he’s a Roustabout working on below ground tank crews. They run pipes from separators to compressors and condensate tanks or whatever needs to be done.

“I miss him a lot, but I’m happy for him. I’m glad he found a job that he enjoys and will maybe stick with for a while. I’m also happy for him because it’s out of state, something he was looking for,” Sue says.

There are a few things that made Brad want to move out of state; work, opportunity and experiences. Not many people can say at the age of eighteen they put everything in their pick up truck and moved 26 hours away from home just for a job.

“I miss the Kalamazoo River and my boat,” Brad tells me. Since he went fishing every time he had a chance -which was almost everyday- he found he missed that the most. He couldn’t take his boat with him all the way to New Mexico, which was a downer for him. Fishing is his life. He couldn’t go without it. He met a guy, Josh, through work who is just a few years older than him that loves to fish and has a boat. Josh takes him out fishing on the boat quite often, which means a lot to Brad.

Many people miss Brad back in his home town, but Brad doesn’t want to move back home so soon. Brad says that he’s making too much money to move back already. He does think he may move back this summer, when his lease is up.

Not meeting too many people close to your age, not being able to see your family and close friends (Unless you are Skyping,) and not being able to do what you love to do on a daily basis can be reasons that you want to move back home. “It can get lonely and boring,” Brad told me. Although he’s glad he made this change and took this opportunity, he is thinking about moving back.

Audrey Flood

            “Sometimes I lay under the moon and thank God I’m breathing, and then I pray, ‘Don’t take me soon, because I’m here for a reason’.” This powerful song lyric written by the band Matisyahu often makes you think, what is your reason, your purpose in the world? Some people are destined to be a doctor, writer, or even the president, but for Hannah and Audrey Flood, they knew that their purpose was to help change the world.

These two sisters grew up in the small town of South Haven, Michigan with their mother and father Christine and Steve Flood, and they could not be less opposite. Hannah Flood, 18 years old, is a freshman at Michigan State University. She is majoring in Agriculture Sciences and plans to travel the world in hopes of teaching people how to grow and care for their own crops. Audrey Flood, 16 years old, is a sophomore at Saugatuck High School and plans to attend Kendall College of Art and Design, and major in Industrial Design. But there’s one desire they both have in common: they want to make a difference. Hannah says, “Growing up in a town as small as ours, people can make you feel like you are too small, too little to make a difference, but I intend to prove them all wrong, I intend to change the world.”

Most teenagers could be found at the movies hanging out with friends, but these two young adults spend a vast amount of their free time in an unfinished Michigan basement. Why, you might ask? Because that’s where their business began, and operates from today. Their company is called Feel The Love Tees, a local company that sells hand-dyed tie-dye shirts. Each shirt they create is unique and special, made with love and in the expectations that in that shirt, you will do great things: write your first book, climb a mountain, even change the world.

Right about now you are probably wondering, how could this change the world? Well, they not only sell these shirts, they also donate them. For every five shirts they sell, they give one away to a charity of their choosing. But first, let’s go back to the beginning where it all started. The blooming of their company was in the spring of 2010, when they tie-dyed shirts for the South Haven High School’s Environmental Club to sell as a fundraiser. They had always had a knack for tie-dying, but it was then that they decided to make a business of it. They had a family brainstorming session, came up with the company’s name, and Feel The Love Tees was born.

The name and tagline (Feel the love. Wear the love. Spread the love.) were chosen because they somehow wanted to tie in a “give back” aspect to their business. Audrey explains, “We thought, people should feel good wearing our shirts. They should feel inspired to help others as well as themselves, and by supporting us and purchasing a shirt, they are also giving to youth in need somewhere.”

It was the end of the summer of 2011, they had made enough money between the local farmer’s and art market and corporate orders from companies wanting employee shirts to make their first donation. They donated over 40 shirts to a local back-to-school backpack program. This charity provides children with a backpack full of supplies necessary to attend school, and with each a few articles of donated clothing (our shirts). This year they have chosen the charity My Stuff Bags. My Stuff Bags is an organization that provides children that were taken away form their homes with a bag full of toiletries, blankets, and clothes. Their goal is to donate over 100 shirts this summer.

These two young women have risen above society’s expectations for them. They have decided to use their talents and interests to make a difference in the world. You can find these girls and their company on Facebook, Twitter, or on their website (www.feelthelovetees.bigcartel.com). Now it’s your turn. What will you do to make a change? Whether it’s helping out at a local soup kitchen, making donations to a charity nearby, or maybe even buying a Feel The Love Tee, do it, go out in the world and do what makes you happy, and in return, you will make someone else happy. So get ready everybody, it’s time to “Feel The Love”.

Franzi Kienzle sits perched on her bed, guitar in hand, seamlessly strumming the familiar chords of a song that has been played over the radio countless times before; however, when she sings, it sounds completely different. Her hauntingly melodious voice makes these covers refreshing and new. It’s a shame she doesn’t get the recognition that she deserves. Everyone is missing out if they haven’t heard Franzi sing.

Even though she might not be at her real home in Germany, Franzi keeps singing. Whether it’s in the band room at the high school, or in her host bedroom, she belts out the lyrics of her favorite songs. If anything, the seas that separate her from her home country have inspired her even more.

Franzi has always been musical. She’s been playing the piano since she was a young girl, and she also took up the guitar about two years ago. She began to experiment with how her voice sounded when combined with the music she was making, and her parents and close friends gave her good feedback. When asked who her biggest inspirations are, she immediately flashed a smile and said, “My family!” They help her pursue her musical career further. She also got inspiration from shows like American Idol and it’s German format, Germany Searches a Superstar.

She has used her natural talent to get where she is today. Franzi never took private lessons and didn’t have a chance to be in a decent choir class until she arrived in Saugatuck, Michigan, where she sings as an alto.

Franzi does most of her singing in the comfort of her home. “I try new songs and different chords. I just have fun playing the instrument and singing to it.” Whether they are more familiar songs, which include her favorites “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Jar of Hearts”, she always manages to enjoy herself and put her heart into what she does. She does it for the fun that she gets out of it and to learn and experience more.She’s had the opportunity to do her singing elsewhere and has preformed at her friends’ birthday parties, family events, and at a hotel.

When asked about her plans for the future, Franzi replies, “In Germany I have three more years of school, so I have some time left to make sure what I really want to do.” There are countless opportunities for her, but she has considered pursuing a career in music.

What is certain is that Franzi has a special talent that not everyone is blessed with. She has a beautiful singing voice that needs to be shared with the world.