When Alexis Johnson thinks back on her time at Lapeer Community Schools, she says the slew of teachers that treated her with kindness and respect helped shape her into the teachers she is today.

A 2014 Lapeer East High School graduate, Johnson is a familiar face around LCS these days as one of the band directors for the district, running the Rolland-Warner band program, Rolland-Warner Theatre Arts classes, and directing the Lapeer High School Marching Band with Dan Hundt.

"Lapeer Community Schools employs teachers who not only care about their students' education but also care about their personal well-being and future goals," Johnson said. "This helped to shape me into the type of educator I strive to be today - one who cares for, encourages, and supports my students.

"The thing I remember most about my time in Lapeer Schools is the wonderful opportunities provided through being in our band program. I was able to find a sense of community, excellence, and hard work which helped me to create a drive to continue growing as a musician and person. I was in marching band all through high school and some of my favorite memories are from performing at halftime during the football games."

Going to Murphy and Zemmer in addition to Lapeer East, Johnson noted that some of her favorite teachers in school were Lyniece Fenner, Chris Prill, Rejean Wolski and Hundt.

"All of these teachers really pushed me and treated me with kindness and respect," said Johnson. "I feel very lucky to now call all of them my colleagues and to still be learning from them every day."

After graduation, Johnson went on to Central Michigan University to study Clarinet Performance and Psychology. She also recently graduated with a master's degree from U of M-Flint in Music Education.

When asked to give advice to current students, Johnson said it's all about taking a leap of faith.

"Find something to get involved in," she said. "By joining the marching band in high school, I was able to find a sense of community and create lifelong friendships with people I might have not met otherwise."

Do you want to be featured in our ongoing series on Lapeer alumni? Click HERE to submit your information!