Colliene Willison was named the new principal for St. Mary's Catholic School midJune in Big Rapids. BIG RAPIDS St. Mary s Catholic School is welcoming a new principal to the area. Colliene Willison was named principal of St. Mary s Catholic School in midJune. Willison has spent the last 27 years teaching at Lakeview Middle School, with experience teaching eighth grade, fifth grade and serving as a math and reading interventionist for the last 22 years. Advertisement. Willison said she was happy with the how the timing worked out in becoming the principal of the 141yearold Catholic school. The timing was just right, Willison said. I thought about it three years ago, but my youngest daughter was going to be in ninth grade, and she still needed mom. Her events were right after school, and I didn t want to miss those. So, I didn t apply for this position then. When I learned about it again, I thought, Okay, the timing is right. It just felt right, and I felt like this is my calling. This is where I need to be, and it happened really fast. . Willison and her family currently reside in Lakeview but have been to Big Rapids a number of times over the years whether it was for Area 5 Special Olympics or Sunday Mass. We have come to mass up here through the years, so we were able to see the community through that lens, and it was a nice way to end the weekend and prepare for the next, Willison said. Advertisement. Willison said she initially wanted to be a teacher after being part of a Big Sister program where she mentored an only child. Alongside this, babysitting made her want to work in education. Willison attended Saginaw Valley State University and studenttaught fifth grade students. I d always wanted to be a lower elementary teacher, but once I taught fifth grade in my student teaching, I found my niche and then enjoyed doing eighth grade, Willison said. Middle school is an awkward age. Somebody needed to love those middle schoolers, and I could do it. . Willison developed several strengths from working in the public education sector for 27 years. I would say my biggest strength is being a publicschool educator and being involved in the school improvement process and district excellence organization, Willison said. I m a people person. As a middle school teacher in a small community, you wear a lot of hats, and I was an advocate for fundraising. We did a lot of fundraising to be able to send our students on field trips and do extra things. . Advertisement. One of Willison s goals is to help grow her own faith alongside growing the faith of many of the parishioners. Wanting to be a principal at a Catholic school is to grow in my faith and connect my faith and education that I ve done for all these years, so, it s nice to have that," Willison said. "My hope is that as I am growing in my faith and learning, I can pass that along to the parishioners, and maybe they will want to send their children here, and the school enrollment will grow, and families will learn and embrace their faith as I have. . Advertisement. Brendan Sanders is a 2022 graduate of Ferris State University with a bachelor's degree in Sports Communication and minors in Journalism and MarketingSales. At Ferris State he was the Editor in Chief for the Ferris State Torch newspaper and is a member of Ferris State University's Sports Leadership Institute Advisory Board. A Lowell High School graduate, Brendan is an avid fan of various sports, including football, basketball and any form of motorsport. About. Contact. Services. Account
Colliene Willison is the new principal of St. Mary's Catholic School in Big Rapids, bringing 27 years of teaching experience. She postponed applying to focus on her daughter's high school years but now feels it's her calling. Willison aims to grow her own faith while fostering the faith of others in the community.