I believe that no matter where one is located, it becomes “home” only when one finds and integrates oneself into, and feels a part of, the community.
Bremen, Indiana
I’m very thankful to have grown up in a small town where there was, and still is, an incredible feeling of community. I felt this community most through playing sports at Bremen High School. Whether it is wooden football sign hung up along Plymouth Street with every player’s name and number painted on it, or the deafening sirens of fire trucks leading a school bus back into the town after a championship, the Bremen community is “all in”!
Today, my community feels somewhat different, but I still very much feel community living in Indianapolis. I love Indianapolis, but it’s too big for my feeling of community to come from just being a resident. I find my feeling of community in Indianapolis through a number of activities and organizations.
Big City
Indianapolis, IN
Since my time as an undergraduate student at Butler, I have loved Midtown Indianapolis. Whether it’s enjoying a night out in Broad Ripple, grabbing a bite to eat at one of the delicious local restaurants, or driving through the quaint streets admiring the unbelievable variety of home architecture, I love living and working in Midtown. As such, I’ve started to find ways to better establish and grow roots in this community. Most notably by adopting a median at the intersection of Meridian Street and Westfield Boulevard. Our agency is also a member of the Broad Ripple Village Association and Meridian Kessler Neighborhood Association.
Traders Point Christian Church
My wife, Kathleen, and I have found great community by becoming involved at Traders Point Christian Church (TPCC). We’ve had the opportunity to be a part of two life groups (couple’s bible studies) during the past four years. Our most recent life group is comprised of couples who also call our neighborhood home. TPCC is opening a satellite campus at 10th and Delaware in January of 2017. We are excited to make the Church an even more prominent part of our community then. Kathleen and I love when visitors join us on Sunday mornings. Brunch is a must afterwards though!
After “retiring” from education fourteen months ago, I had my eyes and ears open for ways to stay involved in impacting education in the city. A few months into my new career, I was offered the opportunity to be a founding board member of Circle City Prep (CCP). CCP is a K-8 public charter school that will be located on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis. We will open our doors to kindergarten and first grade students in the Fall of 2017. I’ve loved helping “build” the school with a dedicated board and our incredible Head of School: Megan Murphy. In short, we are a college prep elementary school who wants to create a game-changing elementary school experience for the students who walk through our doors. We are currently canvassing neighborhoods in the Far Eastside six to eight times a month. Would love for friends to join if interested!
I recently became the alumni chapter advisor for the Beta Zeta Chapter of Delta Tau Delta. If I were to point to one experience having the greatest positive impact on my college experience, it would be being a Delt. The fraternity gave me some incredible opportunities, and allowed me to build lifelong friendships. I’m excited to give back to the fraternity by helping the undergraduate chapter continue to excel in philanthropy, academics, and brotherhood.
These are some of the organizations and activities I’m most involved with now. I’m also an active member of Giving Sum and a Starfish Initiatives mentor. I formerly served on the Teach For America – Indianapolis Alumni Board.
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