By Nancy Edwards
Who was your personal hero growing up? A grandparent, neighbor, policeman or firefighter? Did that person’s job, hobbies or values influence the kind of person you are today?
For Crystal Thorpe, Fishers Junior High School principal, her teachers provided constant support throughout the many times she moved around the world as a military kid. These mentors inspired and challenged her; she has never forgotten them.
As a result, Thorpe wanted to give the kind of encouragement she received. Thorpe is a great example of an educator who truly cares about students. She began her career at Ben Davis High School and organized a dance troupe for girls with low self-esteem. She also supports students with special needs at FJHS. The Sparkle Cheer Club is for special-needs students who cheer alongside cheerleaders at sports events. This initiative has helped these students participate in activity that they normally would not be a part of.
Some local heroes also save lives. Melissa Philhower and Amber Ross of Fishers saved the life of Anderson resident Ron Perry in November. Perry was driving his car on 126th Street near Hawks Landing Drive when he suddenly had a heart attack and drove into a pond that was nearly frozen. Perry was left unconscious at the wheel.
Ross and Philhower witnessed the accident, broke into Perry’s car with a hammer and rescued him from the icy pond, not thinking of the danger their actions posed to their own lives.
Heroes are everyday people and their acts, big or small, are remembered. These are the people who, in a snowstorm, stop to help someone plow a car out of a ditch, or make a meal and take it to a lonely, elderly person for a visit. They teach illiterate adults to read. They visit sick children in hospitals. They advocate for a cause they care about.
We work with them; they are our neighbors and friends from church or a support group. And they make a big difference in our lives.