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Ian Gluck is a senior at Spring Lake High School. Ian is active in the theatre program, and he directs fifth through ninth graders in a six week theatre program in the summer. The program culminates in a full-length musical each year. Ian works to inspire creativity in his students, and to be a good role model for them as they participate. He is well-respected in the theatre community and hopes to utilize his role as a director to have influence on others. In his reference letter, Mary describes Ian as being “Smart, talented, personable, loyal, reliable, hard worker, and dedicated to his craft. In any job, it is important to have someone who shows up where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be.  If this is the type person you are looking for, Ian is the one you want.

Ian also feels strongly about finding ways to decrease bullying in school and to support those who have struggled with being bullied. He knows that bullying can really impact someone’s school experience and wants to prevent classmates from struggling through this prevalent problem.

Ian, thanks much for representing on our model team this year. You have an unforgettable smile and personality, and we know you’re going places. Can’t wait to watch and see how your senior year and acting career unfold!

A senior from Caledonia, Chloe Kurant is a born leader. She is active as a cheerleader and wants to use her place on her cheer team to influence younger girls in the program. She helps out with girls at the middle school level and in Rocket Cheer. She credits her faith with helping her to lead well and with being a good influence on others.

Chloe’s mom wrote this about her in her referral letter: “I may be a bit biased, but I think Chloe is a beautiful girl inside and out.  She continues to strive for excellence in everything she does. At times, Chloe does not see her efforts pay off as she would like, and may get down on herself.  Not only does this happen with school and cheer related activities, but also with her self –esteem.  She is a great leader through Cheer, and although she may have a bad day and be down on herself, she is the first person to build someone else up.  My hope is that through this model program, Chloe will see the true beauty that she is, inside and out.”

Chloe hopes that her time with the Embolden team allows her a greater platform to encourage others and to be a role model. We think that you’re a delight, Chloe, and we know that your willingness to shine on our team expands your opportunity to be a light where you live and cheer and go to school. We wish you all the best in your senior year, and are so glad for the chance to get to know you better. You’ll do great things in this world!

Holland Christian senior, Aleah Bosgraaf, is eager to make the best of every situation, and to live the life she was given to the fullest. She is very active in the community and at school, and is driven by her passions for gender and racial equality.

Aleah sits on the Human Relations Board of the Holland City Council as a student representative, where she offers student input on decisions. On the board, she is able to dialogue about issues regarding race, gender and children. Aleah loves to be involved in her hometown and enjoys working toward the goal of making it a better place. With this interest in mind, Aleah serves breakfast at the local mission on Thursday mornings. Serving there allows her the chance to build relationships with people at the mission, and to be reminded of the ways that God has blessed her.

Aleah also loves her school, where she has served on the student council for three years. She enjoys helping to create a safer, better place for fellow students. She loves getting to know her classmates and is intentional about interacting with students in all grades, learning their stories and hearing about their lives.  It was one of Aleah’s favorite teachers, Jamie Slenk, who wrote her reference letter to us.  In it she writes, “I have known Aleah since she was in 8th grade (4 years ago… yikes! time really flies), and it has been such a blessing for me to watch her grow into the young woman she is now. I have gotten to know Aleah through a few different avenues–I have had her in Spanish class for multiple years, she and I have worked together on student council, she took my winterim class this January, and now I am helping coach her to play girls’ lacrosse. Aleah exudes a positive confidence that I wish I could see in more girls at this age. She is outgoing, and is a natural leader. She knows who she is, and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in–and she does it all so humbly, without being abrasive. I have seen her leadership skills skyrocket as she has been elected to a leadership role in student council. She is incredibly driven and organized. She has been a “make it happen” kind of contributor at Holland Christian with dances, blood drives, and other student council initiatives. She really knows how to bring a group together. In my winterim class, we had a group of girls who would probably not hang out with each other outside of school, or who maybe would not share intimate details about their lives with each other … I was so happy to have Aleah in this group, because she very much acted like the “glue” of the class. I think the dynamics of that class would have been 100% different without Aleah’s willingness to be vulnerable and her desire to make everyone feel included.  Aleah is the kind of girl who someone would want to have representing their company, school, organization, team, etc. Her maturity and decision making measures beyond that of most juniors in high school. She does not let popularity contests or group pressure affect the way she carries herself, or the decisions she makes. If I receive the blessing of having a daughter someday, I would hope that she turns out to have the type of heart and head that Aleah has. Not to mention, she is just as cute as a button!! 🙂 ”

Aleah is a shining addition to the Embolden team. She has taken the opportunity to walk confidently in the beauty that God has given her, both inside and out. Her spirit radiates in her photographs, and we’ve loved having her with us this year!