A former newspaper reporter who has lived in Franklin for nearly 40 years, Marjorie is active in several Franklin and Hales Corners organizations.
“I like your blog,” Kathy Zellmer told me last week, then added, “and Matthew did too.” Her inflection made it clear that approval from Matthew is high praise indeed.
Kathy is justifiably proud of her son, a volunteer at Independence First, who writes his own blog, “The World on Wheels,” for OnMilwaukee.com. From his wheelchair perspective, Matthew makes some astute observations about people and events. A graduate of Whitnall High School, Matthew earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism and his master’s in communication, both from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He aspires to a career in broadcast journalism, preferably in sports.
In his first blog May 8 Matthew introduced himself: “This blog will be used as a means to facilitate open dialogue on issues important to people with disabilities. It is also my hope to use my real-life experiences as an advocacy tool to improve our quality of life in the community. I chose ‘The World on Wheels’ as the title for this blog because ‘Wheels’ was the nickname I was affectionately known by in media circles at UW-Whitewater. It fits here because people with disabilities often see the world differently; I just happen to most often see it sitting down. But however you may see the world, I suspect that you the reader will share many of my experiences and feelings.”
To read more from this blog and subsequent entries, visit www.onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/blogs/mz80.
“So what does this have to do with Kent Kroupa?” you’re probably asking. Good question – and the answer comes from Matthew Zellmer’s most recent posting on June 15, “Tribute to a Role Model.” It also comes from CNI sports writer, Mark Hutchinson, who wrote a feature article about Coach Kroupa on June 6. (See www.greenfieldnow.com/story/index.aspx?id=614921) In the meantime, let me summarize what I learned about this giant-hearted teacher/coach that makes me want to add my own recognition.
Kroupa retired this month from 32 years of teaching special education classes in the Whitnall school system. He’s been the kind of teacher all kids deserve. It’s been a kind of mission for him. "I believe I was put on the face of the earth to work with kids, whether it's little babies or high school kids," Kroupa told Hutchinson. "I've tried to teach, mold and help them – help them make good decisions and become good people."
One young adult, a self-described “rebel” while in school, told the CNI reporter that Kroupa was unlike any other teacher he ever had. “What's so phenomenal is that he always finds time to talk to his students about anything, big or small, no matter what's going on in his own life."
Kroupa was more than a teacher, Hutchinson learned. “He was both a compassionate confidant and a caring counselor, and his devotion to his students carried far beyond his classroom doors.”
Whitnall colleague Beth Wolfey, who also taught special education classes, found that Kroupa was “never too busy to sit down and have a conversation with a kid." He would get to know the students – really know them, Wolfey said. “He knows what's going on in their lives because he cares and he connects."
One of Kroupa’s former students respected Kroupa for his “no-nonsense” attitude in the classroom. "He didn't coddle his students. He'd push you out and then rein you in if he had to until he knew you were ready to stand on your own. Some kids needed more attention, and he always seemed to understand that.” (quoted from Hutchinson’s article)
In 1999, Matthew Zellmer’s last year at Whitnall High School, Kroupa wrote in his yearbook: “Those on top of the mountain did not fall there.” It was almost like a challenge for Matthew to keep climbing, no matter what obstacles he might find in life. In his blog, Matthew chose those very words to pay tribute to his mentor “because I believe he is the embodiment of that saying.”
“I first met the man known as ‘Coach K’ to his friends about 15 years ago,” Matthew said in his June 15 blog. “I used to walk the halls with my walker between classes and during gym, and one day he struck up a conversation about sports. We became fast friends and soon he was a regular companion on my hall walks.”
His observations of Kroupa coaching basketball and softball made a lasting impression on Matthew. “But he also excelled at being a friend to his athletes away from competition. He cared about them as people, and that came through at critical times. Like when he told his shortstop he would not trade her for any other after an inning in which she had made costly errors. Or the night that he called at home an outfielder who had committed a game-deciding error just hours before, simply to make sure she was OK and wouldn’t lose confidence in herself. I know these and many other players who would run through a wall for him.”
Matthew closed his blog with these words to the much-revered teacher: “Happy retirement, and enjoy the view from the top of the mountain.”
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