This article won an honorable mention in the 2023 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association spring awards ceremony.
Desperately spilling into school to get out of the cold February mornings, exhaustion and frostiness is a familiar feeling to students and teachers alike. During the frigid month, stress and burnout run rampant. Advanced classes being pushed, courses getting harder, more grades being put out, everyone feeling the looming weight of responsibility. All except one. With just a smile, Dion Charity changes the entire atmosphere of the school. Charity gets students laughing, interacting with each other and enjoying their day here.
Charity has been a counselor for six years at Northview and is one of four counselors at the highschool. He became an undergraduate in public relations, in 2005 from Grand Valley University. In 2008 he got his masters degree for school counseling. Later in 2017 he was interviewed and proceeded to earn his current position at the high school and has loved it since.
“When I started [public relations] I didn’t enjoy it,” Charity said. “I started coaching and I loved being around young people. I found it encouraging, motivating and I wanted to find out how I could get into the school system to be around [students]”
Charity looks for the little things in the building to brighten up the moods amongst students and decrease the worries students may have.
“I really enjoy coming in and seeing the faces [and] smiles,” Charity said. “Sometimes we get so hung up on academics and all the stress of the expectations, we don’t take time to look each other in the eyes, smile and say hi.”
Charity believes he has been given a positive outlook on things to help others.
“I feel I’ve been blessed with an attitude that the Lord has given me to give out to everyone else,” Charity said. “I can’t hold that in, it’s just something that comes natural.”
Avery Lowe is a sophomore that has Charity as her counselor. She sees the positivity Charity carries on his sleeve, and doesn’t ever see him without it.
“He never lacks a smile on his face.” Lowe said. “It’s like he doesn’t know how to not [smile].”
Alysa Porter, a senior student of Charity, also notices the undeniable charisma around Charity. This energy seems to rub off on her.
“Mr. Charity always has a smile on his face and is one of the best parts of my day,” Porter said. “No matter how I’m feeling, seeing him being happy and upbeat encourages me to be like that as well.”
Being an extrovert and loving to be around people, Charity has pursued coaching the high school varsity football team. He has fallen in love with coaching and has been doing so for the past 13 years.
“I enjoy sports a lot, I was a highschool athlete myself and understood what qualities, traits and skills are developed through sports and that has helped shape me,” Charity said. “I really push development [of students] because I know what it can do. When it comes to competitive sports it’s such a high intensity so it becomes you, you’re a team player, you approach everyday with a team attitude and that’s a huge development for students.”
Easton Denton is a senior as well as a football player that is one of Charity’s athletes. Denton appreciates the many things Charity has taught him.
“He taught me the importance of hard work. Not only in sports but in all aspects of life, he taught me that it doesn’t matter who’s older, bigger, faster, or stronger,” Denton said. “The people who work the hardest and have grit and perseverance will be the ones that play in sports and succeed in life.”
Charity feels the looking glass on him and others in the education field. Those in education are seen as responsible for the development of the students. He feels the pressure of it, but admires what he must do.
“Teachers and anyone working in education [have] the spotlight on us. I enjoy the professionalism of it,” Charity said. “I enjoy showing kids how to walk, talk and understand that you fit the bill, meaning I’m going to feel good about myself and go in positive. Little things like that I like to teach because we’re not always going to be perfect.”
Charity acknowledges the many roles he has as a counselor, however being aware that students are at ease when they talk to him is one of the most important ones.
“Knowing that the students feel comfortable coming into my office is huge for me. I want to make sure students feel comfortable being here, learning how to adapt and work around other people,” Charity said. “I enjoy pushing and making [students] uncomfortable at times because it’s making [them] come outside [their] comfort zone and making [it] even bigger and I really enjoy that.”
Sarah Gammans is another counselor who has been at the high school for 14 years, and has worked alongside Charity as a co-worker for six years. Gammans recognizes Charity’s ambitions and hard work ethic.
“As a teammate, he is willing to get the work done and really cares about his students,” Gammans said.
Lowe felt Charity’s positive impact on her as he changed her perspective of school, as well as her goals in school and general life.
“He really changed my view on how I get to where I want to be in life,” Lowe said, “Especially with taking the next step to college and what I have to do in high school to accomplish [that].”
Charity expresses his satisfaction with the high school. He sees the variety of students and he is more fond of that more than anything.
“You walk into a classroom you see diversity, you walk into the hall you see diversity, you see inclusion,” Charity said. “The world isn’t perfect but, here we are willing if you are willing and I’m really proud of that.”
