Mesmerizing music sets the tone of a YouTube video entitled, “United Way of Genesee County: Flint Water Fund.” Images of sunlit Flint-area landmarks appear. Roughly 16 seconds elapse before a studious-looking, well-spoken 13-year-old named Mia Aubuchon begins passionately describing the Flint Water Crisis, first while standing in front of the Flint Institute of Music before
“I feel like I was born with a gift to dance. It’s something I have done all my life,” says Sheila Miller-Graham, Founder, CEO, Director, Instructor and Choreographer at Creative Expressions Dance Studio in Flint. With all of these titles, Graham’s first was a self-described “child entertainer,” having danced for her relatives at many big
These local thespians sure are passionate about acting! Read on to learn more about the faces you see on (and sometimes behind) the main stage. Jesse Glenn What is your favorite aspect of theatre? My favorite aspect is the act of combining all the various aspects to create a performance. As an actor, designer and
It’s Christmas every day at Old Newsboys of Flint. Decorations hang on the walls year ’round and a life-like Santa stands in the entryway. You can almost hear him saying, “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!” The warehouse is filled to the brim with coats, hats, mittens, gloves and other items for children’s Christmas boxes. As
The singers in the Carolyn Mawby Chorale have the voices of angels! The chorale music group is currently busy preparing and practicing for its much-anticipated performance, the Carolyn Mawby Christmas Concert, which will be held at 4pm on December 4 at First Presbyterian Church in Downtown Flint. The group shared its passion for chorale music
“I want people who don’t get it, to get it. I’m trying to show every side of Flint.” It is a great feat to be happy while dodging life’s crazy punches; this is something that we all have in common. Scott Atkinson, a writer and professor at UM-Flint, is one of those people who are
Some young adults like to hang out with friends at the lake before heading off to college, and some enjoy playing video games and just relaxing. What’s fun to Max Harrison, a Grand Blanc High School grad who will be a freshman at Eastern Michigan University this year, is spending time at libraries and museums,
With its rich automotive history, Genesee County is one area where the appreciation and passion for high-performance, visually-pleasing, head-turning vehicles is unmistakable. Many spend evenings and weekends tinkering with cars in garages, barns, and driveways on a quest to make them uniquely their own, adding a personal touch to whatever they drive. Lance Lamson belongs
As a senior at Kettering University, Jonathan Blanchard is only a few years into his adulthood. Yet, he has an unmistakable, powerful, and passionate concern for the next generation. “That concern for kids’ futures comes from my own upbringing on Flint’s north side,” the well-spoken Blanchard says. “I saw of lot of kids who had
For one local entrepreneur, a love of horses led to a successful business. Fred Hensler, CEO of Sapphire Blue Investment Partners, Inc. in Fenton, can’t wait to go to work every day. “I’m one of the lucky people who loves life, loves my family, my career and the people I’ve met along the way,” he
Raise It Up! Youth Arts & Awareness is an award-winning organization that promotes youth engagement, expression, and empowerment through performance, literary arts, and social justice activism. In 2009, Raise It Up! was officially launched through a grant by the Ruth Mott Foundation and operates under the sponsorship of the United Way of Genesee County. The
Dr. Richard Stanley is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University and is affectionately called “Coach” by his students and fellow faculty members. Along with his role of professor, he is also the moderator for Kettering’s Faculty Senate and the University’s martial arts instructor. Martial arts have been his passion for many years, one
