This article will soon appear in the Lansing Sate Jounrnal. You get a sneak preview
One sure way of rating the health and success of a city, is to see what its children, now adults, have accomplished who were raised there.
Well, in the case of the greater Lansing area, the kids have done very well, thank you. Here’s a small sampling of some of the standouts who have achieved national and international recognition, along with where they graduated from high school. It’s quite an impressive list.
· Larry Page, co-creator of Google, East Lansing High
School
· Magic Johnson, basketball superstar and business
leader, Everett High school.
· Lisa Kron, Tony-award winning Broadway writer and
performer, Everett High School.
· Nate Silver, pollster and statistician guru who is constantly
quoted by media throughout the US. East Lansing High School.
· Julie Mehretu, world renown visual artist who was listed in TIME magazine’s most influential 100. East Lansing High School
Is there something about the environment and culture of mid-Michigan that nurtures world class success in our children? We will attempt to find out.
Let’s begin with Julie Mehretu
Julie Mehretu
As my Zoom screen flickered to life, Julie Mehretu’s image appeared. A fresh, lively face, a full crop of curly – almost unruly- hair, with a big easy smile. Nearing 50, Julie is vibrant, full of energy and shows no pretentions despite her dazzling career.
