What about the kids?

                                      (Cassandra, Laura, and Chris - March, 2016)

Our youngest, Cassandra, is in her senior year of college at Lyman Briggs, Michigan State University. She will graduate in December of 2016 with a degree in physiology. She hopes to continue her education at MSU's medical school. She suggested this blog post because the kids are getting a lot of questions about how they feel about our upcoming move. For those who do not know Cassandra, at age 15 she became the first student in our area in over 15 years to become a Rotary Exchange student.  She spent her junior year of high school in Dinan, France. Here are her feelings, in her own words:

"I always get questions about how I feel about my parents moving halfway around the world and I can honestly say I am so happy for them! My parents are fulfilling their dream of seeing the world and all the while my mother gets to continue doing what she loves-educating. I know from my own personal experiences that living abroad is such an amazing, eye-opening opportunity and I am proud of my parents for diving into the unknown and exploring another way of life. Currently, so many are fearful as to what lies beyond the borders of the United States. However, my family is choosing exploration, understanding and compassion over, the all too common, bigotry and hatred. My parents are expanding their horizons instead of fearing what they don't know and for this I simply cannot be prouder. As for me, I am dreaming of the many amazing vacations that are sure to come my way in my near future and I, too, will be living vicariously through their adventures via this blog! " (Cassandra, age 20)

Update: June 23, 2016. Cassandra was accepted into Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine to begin in September, 2017. She will be joining us in Egypt for the winter/spring of 2017 where she hopes to do some volunteering.

                                    Good-bye party before leaving for France. (2011)

Our oldest, Christopher, is a 4th generation graduate of Michigan State University with degrees in microbiology, genetics, and public policy. He is currently employed at a lab in Lansing, Michigan, and is engaged to be married in the summer of 2017.  His fiance, Lauren, is currently working on a documentary called "From Flint" for her Senior Capstone project. She will graduate with a degree in Plant Biology and a minor in film.  Chris is an Eagle Scout. He also served two terms as an Order of the Arrow Section Chief, and during his senior year of college, at age 21, spent his Spring Break collecting signatures to get on the ballot to run for State Senate - losing his primary bid by just 200 votes. His Facebook page from those days of campaigning can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/LaMarcheforSenate/?fref=ts  He is looking forward to a European honeymoon, now including a stop in Egypt!

  (Chris and Lauren, Mackinac Island, summer 2015)

(Chris interning for Senator Stabenow, as part of the Demmer Scholars program, 2013)

                                      (Chris with his Eagle Scout Project, 2009)