5 minute read
Meet the Michalak Family
Resident Feature by Stacey McEvoy | Photos by Christine Loy Photography and courtesy of the Michalak family
Caroline, Rick, & their dog Louie
Photo by Christine Loy Photography
Twenty-one years ago, the Michalak family moved to Chatham from the Midwest. “Chatham felt like home right away,” says Caroline. “We moved in at a time when a lot of new families were coming here with their small children, and we met so many nice couples through the Newcomers Club,” she says noting that most of their best friends now are originally from the Chatham Newcomers & Social Club— which is still a great source for people to meet friends in Chatham.
Caroline and Rick met in 1984 in Chicago while attending Northwestern University. Rick grew up on the south side of Chicago, and Caroline grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland. Shortly after graduating in 1986, Rick began teaching at The Princeton Review in Chicago and quickly moved to managing the Chicago area operations for nine years. Caroline graduated in 1988 and worked in freelance commercial production for a couple of years.
After marrying in 1991, the couple lived in Lake Forest, IL, while working and pursuing advanced degrees. Rick earned his MBA at Northwestern University. Caroline earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum Development at DePaul University and taught 6th grade in the Chicago suburbs. Four years later, the family moved to St. Louis, MO, for two years for Rick to try his hand at Edison Brothers. As they had started their family, Caroline was busy with the first two of the couple’s three children.
In 1998, the family moved to Chatham when The Princeton Review asked Rick to come back to the company and work in New York to oversee North American Operations where he remained for 10 years.
Rick and Caroline chose Chatham because they knew a friend from college that grew up here, and thought it would be a good place to start looking. Caroline house hunted for one day and bought the fourth house she visited.
The couple’s three children attended Chatham’s public schools from kindergarten through high school graduation, and Caroline was an active volunteer in the district. She also has served as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional.
(L-R) Olivia and Sofie Michalak
Olivia, 23, graduated from Vassar College and now lives and works in Manhattan. Sofie, 22, graduated from Skidmore College and will be moving to Austria in the fall to teach English to high schoolers. Jack, 19, just started his second year at the University of Chicago. The family also includes Louie, a 10-year-old mixed breed dog, who thinks he’s the “town crier” and a 5-year-old tabby cat named Lester.
After parting ways with The Princeton Review, Rick started his own standardized test prep company Breakaway Prep in Chatham 13 years ago. Breakaway Prep specializes in private tutoring for the ACT and SAT, individual subject tests and AP tests. The company also offers college admissions counseling. Currently, 50-60 tutors and specialists work with students throughout the area suburbs. Caroline joined the team 11 years ago to help with accounts receivable and the managerial end of the business.
Tutors and members of Breakaway Prep staff
“It’s been great helping thousands of kids achieve their academic dreams,” says Rick.
Sharing thoughts about the exciting yet daunting journey of getting into college, Rick says, “I have been in this business for some 33 years and during that time, the stress level that students and their parents feel about the college application process has increased dramatically. But Chatham parents don’t have to subject themselves and their kids to that insanity. There are 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States. The old saying, “If you can write a check, you can go to college,” holds true for the vast majority of those schools. And while the competition is tough for the top schools in the country, you (Chatham mom and dad) have done a lot already to help your kids along.”
Rick offers some observations. “We don’t have to live in Chatham and pay the taxes that we do just so our kids can go to one of the best high schools in the state. But we do. And we don’t have to travel up and down the East Coast so our kids can go to every showcase for lacrosse, field hockey, football and cross country or attend camps/tourneys, debate, do forensics, robotics, play cello or attend Boy/Girl Scout conferences and leadership conferences, etc. just so our kids can be the best ____ (fill in the blank). But we do. And we don’t have to hire SAT tutors and math, science or history tutors just so our kids can ace the SAT or get an A in Mr. Meguerian’s Gov/Pol class. But we do,” he says.
(L-R) Olivia, Caroline, & Jack
And then, Rick wraps it up in three sentences that might help put some families more at ease: “At the end of the day, our kids are going to go to great colleges because our kids are highly desirable students. Good, smart, hard-working kids are still in demand at top schools all over the country. So give yourselves, and your kids, a breather. We’ve all earned it.”
When Rick is not prepping kids to take assessments, he plays golf any chance he gets. Caroline enjoys taking painting classes at the Visual Arts Center in Summit. Two things that the whole family can agree on is that they are foodies and big fans of the Adirondacks. “We love to try any new restaurants in the area— near or far. “We are loving Sorriso Kitchen these days,” says Caroline.
“Our favorite thing to do is travel to the Adirondacks and relax by a lake and enjoy the mountains and the quiet,” says Rick.
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at smcevoy@bestversionmedia.com.
We would like to thank Salerno Duane Inc. in Summit for bringing you this month’s cover story | 908-227-6700 | 267 Broad St, Summit, NJ | SalernoDuane.com
