Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband Sean and I are proud parents of six children- ranging in age from 16 -31. Needless to say we are a busy family and do our best to enjoy quality time together. . that can be difficult due to so many different schedules to coordinate.

Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
It is funny as I reflect on this question, I realized that I have always had an affiliation with schools of some sort. From gaining my own education at U of M, to elementary and middle school teaching, to educational administration. When I stopped working in education, I immediately became a volunteer in my children’s schools. I became the PTO president of Old Mission Elementary in 2013 where my four youngest all attended at the same time. It was during that time that I became aware of the many At-Risk youth in our area and as a PTO we “adopted” Traverse City High School to support the small food closet that they created. Over time I formed a close bond with the social workers and staff there and it grew into a passion of mine to support the students and staff. We now have expanded the food Closet to a full-on “School store” concept where the students have daily access to food, clothing and personal hygiene items. About 40 percent of our local population struggles to make ends meet and suffer from food insecurity. Helping students finish high school is so important for our community. I love connecting our community with the needs of our At-Risk youth. To date, I am proud to say that we have never had to say “No” to any of the requests that have come our way. For the last 5 years we have helped shower each of the High school students with a holiday basket. For a lot of these kids, this IS their Christmas so our volunteers start in late fall collecting items from local donors and businesses. I recently received a stack of thank you letters from the students and I was so moved by their words that it motivates me to continue to support them as much as we can through Step Up Northern Michigan. Our efforts have expanded over the last few years to include stocking the food pantry at Traverse City Central High School and Traverse Heights Elementary.

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
This is a hard one to answer since there are so many great places to dine. I’d have to say the Boathouse mainly because the view is just simply amazing. Sean and I often go in the summertime just to have cocktails on the lawn and watch the sunset. Hard to top that in our opinion, plus the Kosch’s are just such a great family!

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community? What brought you to Grand Traverse County?
We have lived on Old Mission Peninsula since 2012 when we moved one of our businesses, Viewtech Boroescopes here. We also were drawn to the natural beauty of the area and the fact that there were not one but TWO indoor tennis facilities!

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
There are so many interesting people in our community that it is tough to pin it down to just one person. Overall I find the students we work with interesting since no two life stories are the same. I’m impressed with these kids and their desire to do more than just survive in this world. Many of them come from difficult circumstances and simply need someone to give them a boost to get through a difficult time of need. I love learning from them and how they view the world.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
If I had the time I would like to do one of those around the World cruises that takes 100 days! How amazing would that be!!

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
With the pandemic and having so much time at home we have watched a ton of different series but I’d have to say I mostly watch tennis on TV. I know, silly right?? But I just love it !!

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to visit our community?
Take time to enjoy our wonderful public beaches, hiking trails and parks. We simply are blessed with some of the most beautiful settings in the world!

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Probably to attend all of the Major tennis tournaments in the world at least once! This summer we are taking the youngest four kids to Wimbledon and I can’t wait!

Q: What current or former local business makes you feel the most nostalgic about our community?
I would have to say the State Theater mainly because it is such an iconic building and it sets the stage for that small-town feeling as you head down State Street.

Q: If you could choose anyone today with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you all meet for this lunch?*
My grandson Aiden, who is 9 years old since I don’t get to see him as much as I want, which would be everyday if I could! His favorite restaurant is Bubba’s Burgers because he just likes the name:)

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Since I volunteer within the non-profit world, I am constantly humbled and impressed by how generous our community is! Lately the national news can be depressing, but I just love that we live in an area where there are so many good people doing good things for others!

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Gosh, it will be hard to imagine being an empty nester since I’ve been a Mom for 31 years now! Sean and I have a passion for travel so I envision us traveling.

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
That 21 years ago I earned my private pilot’s license despite being deathly afraid of heights. My husband was also getting his license at the same time so he encouraged me to join him so we could co-pilot together. Although I haven’t flown in years, it definitely was one of the most challenging things I accomplished:)

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Sean and I traveled to Monaco in 2019 to attend the Monte Carlo Open. The Mediterranean Sea and the coastal cities built into the cliffs are just breathtaking.

Q: Favorite month? Favorite holiday? and the best single day on the calendar?
Probably December since Christmas is my favorite holiday. It’s not so much about the gift giving as it is that I enjoy having my entire family home for the holidays! Christmas is such a special time for us to spend quality time together .

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Definitely my husband Sean. He is one of the best humans I know! Not only is he intelligent, but he has a great sense of humor and is the most generous person with his time, resources and talents. He inspires me to be a better version of myself each day:)

Q: What is your favorite season in Northern Michigan? And what is your favorite activity to do in those seasons?
I love summer as the water is just so gorgeous! We love to boat and play outdoor tennis as much as possible.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Definitely Family, Connections, and Nature