Meet LCC’s New Counselors!

by Georgie Damschroder

Sadly, mental health issues are on the rise. With one in five Americans suffering from a mental disorder and millions more worldwide, many find themselves feeling sad and stressed now more than ever. Luckily for us, there are a plethora of ways to help ease these bleak emotions. One of the remedies that is rising in popularity employs dogs to spread comfort and happiness wherever they are needed. Many studies show how calming a dog can be to the mind; petting, playing with, or even looking at a pup can cause the brain to release feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin (simply put, dogs bring happiness!). Since these studies have come out, therapy dogs have been deployed to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and more. From the largest Great Dane to the smallest Chihuahua, pooches of every shape and size now don their therapy vests with pride.

In our own community, a five year old Brittany dog named Hope has taken on this important job. Mother, Jessica Gronas, was working at Triad Middle School in North Lewisburg, Ohio, when she became interested in the idea of having a therapy dog around the building. So, she met with the superintendent, who perused school policies and gave Jessica the green light. And thus, seven week old Hope was welcomed home from a breeder! After countless hours of work with Dependable Companions Dog Training in East Liberty, Hope became a certified therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

The Gronas family moved to Lima in July of 2022, where Jessica started a new job as school counselor at Lima Central Catholic. Naturally, Hope came with her, and she quickly became a celebrity at LCC! Hope can now be found in the hallways between classes and in the counselor’s office, where she comforts students and teachers who are tired, stressed, or are just in need of some puppy love.

“There is nothing better than seeing the smiles on their faces when they see Hope,” says Jessica.

Hope adores her job and is eager to go to LCC each day! Though many of us would jump at the chance to skip work or school, Hope refuses to be anywhere but in her office during the weekdays. Even so, she can appreciate the occasional day off from her hard work. Hope even worked at Memorial Hospital in Marysville when she lived there, spending a day providing comfort to tired nurses.

After work, it’s time for play and mischief! Even though she upholds her professional demeanor while at LCC, Hope shows her cheeky side at home. She swipes food from the table, barks at everything, and has even turned some stuffed animals into chew toys. Once her mayhem has died down, she enjoys chasing frisbees and snuggling with her family on the couch. Hope was a big runner when she was a pup, even once completing a 5k race with Jessica!

Hope is an inspiration to all with troubles as she is also fighting her own battles. She has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which is very rare for Brittanys. Trips in and out of the vet have become routine for Hope, her sunny personality making her a favorite patient. Despite all this, Hope refuses to let her condition slow her down. She still works, plays, and cuddles as she did before, all with the support of her family and school.

Hope lives with parents Jessica and Sean Gronas, and daughters Adeline and Elise on Hopi Trail in Indianbrook. The family moved into the neighborhood in October of 2022, knowing instantly that it was meant to be as their street shares a name with their own Hopie! They love the welcome and kindness their new neighbors have shown them, and the Gronas family also enjoy taking walks and runs in Indianbrook. As for the new space at home, the family plans to use it to host community workouts this summer. As Jessica and Hope leave for LCC each morning, Sean goes to his job as an engineer at Honda in Marysville. Hope continues to comfort and motivate everyone she comes across, working to help all she can!

Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?

The Shawnee Optimist Club

1st Place Essay Contest Winner, 2023

CONNOR LATHAM, Shawnee High School

My grandpa is an everyday hero that brings out the optimism in me. He and my grandma live in my same hometown so they have been very active in my life since I was born. Over the past 18 years, my grandpa has been very supportive of me and has always encouraged me to do my best. He’s always expressed interest in my academics, athletics, and my personal well being. This brings out optimism in me because he believes in my skills and encourages me to pursue my future goals.

From a young age I quickly developed a love for all forms of transportation, from trains to boats, but especially for cars. My grandpa is a car enthusiast. He grew up working on cars in my great-grandfather’s business and has passed this love of cars onto me. He has always shown optimism in figuring out what is not working right with a car, sometimes spending days, weeks, or months until it is working correctly again. I was often a side-kick on these projects, handing him tools and listening to his stories. This dedication and passion to fix the cars no matter the extra time it might take to figure it out on his own has led me to appreciate a “can do” philosophy and optimism.

A special project of his was a 427 Shelby Cobra kit car. The sound of the engine and the wind blowing in my face when grandpa drove it always brought a sense of euphoria every time he gave me a ride. These joyous feelings led me to want to be around my grandpa more often. Without realizing it, our relationship became much stronger as we started spending time together. I began by helping my grandpa with projects throughout the summer. This might have been fixing the lawnmower or burning leaves, in addition to helping with his boat or cars. Of course at a young age I probably wasn’t much help, but I tried my best to listen and watch. As I was helping him with projects, he was teaching me not only about cars, machines, and how to use tools, but the days were filled with his stories and laughter. Looking back I realize he was teaching me about life, and in particular adversity, passion, and of course optimism! There were days when it didn’t seem like we accomplished much, but he was never someone who gave up. Sometimes I felt like we could do things in half the time, but my grandpa always had his way of doing things and I learned to appreciate his stubbornness. Our relationship continued to grow as I got older and started understanding machines and engines more.

My grandpa has been a huge inspiration for me. He always has made time to come to my activities. From piano recitals to soccer games, he was always encouraging and complimentary of my role. His sense of humor creates optimism in me. Sometimes things don’t go as planned with his projects, but the next day we can laugh about a mistake. We enjoy each other’s company and can laugh about funny videos or talk politics. I teach him about new technology like updates on his phone or new gadgets he orders.

My grandpa shows optimism to everyone he meets. He finds an opportunity to strike up a conversation with strangers and seems to find something in common with others to put a smile on their face. He has shown me the importance of relationships. He often is helping others out with projects and in turn I have seen others return that favor. Grandpa has always told me that “the most important thing in life is the relationships you have with people.” I believe this is true. Showing others that you are trustworthy and dependable helps to open up new friendships and future relationships.

Always giving back, my grandpa loves to help the less fortunate. He volunteers at the church and in service organizations. At church, as far back as I can remember, he always handed me and my siblings money to put in the collection. His generosity continues with his family where he shares his belongings. He finds joy in taking me and my cousins to the lake. I can see the joy on his face when he whips us across the boat’s wake as we skid along the wake in a tube grasping on and laughing together, makes him have just as much fun when driving the boat. I couldn’t imagine a life without my grandpa. He has taught me so much about life and the joy of following your dreams. His encouragement and optimism are contagious and I look forward to making him proud in my future endeavors in the next four years of college and beyond.