4 minute read
Heather (Krull) Smith
Role: Admissions | Athletics | Advancement
Heather Smith and Steve Anderson don’t just share a common school experience from their teen years. Today, they share an office. Heather is Steve’s assistant in the Admissions department and that’s just one of three hats she wears at TC Christian.
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“I manage to stay pretty busy,” Heather says with a grin. “Between my work with new families and helping the Athletic Director schedule and reschedule games and tournaments around Covid, you could say my day is pretty full.” Add to that various fundraising events through the Advancement department and it soon becomes apparent that Heather’s office is a real hive of activity.
Heather, along with Melissa Wheat, is one of the earliest TC Christian students now working on staff. “My brother and I arrived at TC Christian in 1995, the year the school opened.” Back then, TC Christian was housed in an old church building on Keystone Road, now the home of City Church. Heather recalls that it was very family focused and a fun place to be. “Everyone was figuring out how to do school together. It was great!”
Though a small school, TC Christian packed an educational punch. “The school lived up to its reputation for academic excellence,” says Heather. This came into focus for Heather in a way she hadn’t anticipated.
“I loved math,” recalls Heather. “In 7th grade I was learning high school math and in 8th grade my math teacher, Judy Radtke, was preparing me for calculus. Unfortunately, in my sophomore year, I had to transfer out of TCCS to a new school. Thanks to the excellent education I received at TC Christian, I was academically so far ahead of my new peers that I graduated a year early from high school.”
Back In The Day (L to R) Melissa Basch, Susan Bonner (Teacher), Katy Bonner, and Heather Krull
In 2003, Heather married Derek Smith, creator and CEO of Naveego, a data management software company. The Smiths make their home on Traverse City’s west side and attend Bayview Wesleyan Church. Fun for them is simple - anything to do with family.
Heather’s confidence in the education available at TC Christian, along with the Christian focus and overall community culture, ensured that Heather and Derek’s three children - Caleb (Senior), Brooke (Sophomore), and Hunter (7th grade) - were enrolled in TCCS.
Heather enjoys her working situation. “Obviously, I love going to school with my kids.” In addition to the small school vibe and the family-focus which they all value, Heather has another special reason for having her children at TCCS. “Some of my old teachers are now teaching my children and I know that because they - and all the faculty and staff - love Jesus, they truly care about the kids. It’s a wonderful, safe, happy, and kind environment. The children get the support they need and they are loved and cared for.” The characteristics that make TC Christian so special are what bless her when it comes to her role in Admissions. “When new students enrol in the school, they are naturally nervous about making a new start.” As they get pulled into the life of TCCS and start making friends, they start having successes. “I see them blossom and grow,” says Heather. “To watch a confident young man or woman graduate from our school and remember back to how they were the first time they walked through the doors...well, that transformation is wonderful!”
As she remembers those early days at TC Christian, Heather pauses. “I was just thinking about my Dad,” she says. Heather’s father, Dave Krull, was one of the original builders who helped convert the old church into a school. “My Dad died unexpectedly in 2006,” says Heather, “but I think he’d be blessed to know his grandchildren now attend the school he had a hand in developing.”
Dave Krull (right) taking a break with one of TC Christian’s first teachers, Jim Prince.
