The Distinguished Alumni Award

Criteria for selection includes but is not limited to post-high school education, professional accomplishments, involvement in community activities and leadership. Nominees who are not selected can be re-nominated in subsequent years. If you would like to nominate someone for the award, please send the name and resume of that person’s accomplishments prior to June 1st. The nominee selected will be recognized and asked to speak at the All-Class Reunion.

2025 Recipient: Linda Myers

The recipient of the 2025 BRHS Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award is Linda (Hock) Myers.

Linda graduated from BRHS in 1963. Upon graduation, Linda attended and graduated from CMU three times—first with a BA in journalism and English, then an MA in Counseling, and finally an ED Specialist in Administration. All four of her children - Tim (‘85), Marcee (‘89), Erik (‘93) and Scott (‘98) - were students and then graduates of BRHS as was her husband, Dick Myers (Class of ‘63). Even her mother, Margaret Zeller Hock, graduated from BRHS in 1922.

BRHS graduates in the 1970s may remember Linda as their driver education teacher. She counseled in Evart at the middle school and then, while earning her Ph.D. in Education at Michigan State University, served as an assistant principal/athletic director. Linda was the first female Assistant Principal for BRHS and was the first female Principal for BRHS in 80+ years. She served on Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Board and Michigan High School Athletic Association Board. After BRHS, she became Assistant Superintendent at the MOISD and then moved to Morley Stanwood as Superintendent until her retirement.

Linda was a board member of Chemical Bank for 23 years. Locally, she was a member of Big Rapids Township Zoning Board, Delta Kappa Gamma, WISE Board, Jr. Women’s’ club, and Zonta International. After retiring from education, was hired by United Way to set up the 211 Infomation system in Mecosta, Newaygo and Osceola counties. Currently, she is working one day a week for MOISD Early On program, serving as a Board member for the Barryton/Chippewa Library Board, delivering Meals on Wheels, and a member of Chippewa Lake Community Church new building committee. In “retirement,” Linda lives in a log cottage on Chippewa Lake on the property her parents bought before she was born. Linda is also a proud member of the BRHS Alumni Board.

Congratulations, Linda!

2025 Posthumous Distinguished Alumni Award: Polly Judson

This year's Posthumous Distinguished Alumna is Polly Judson, Class of 1972. Polly passed away April 18, 2025, after a long and valiant fight with various forms of cancer, most recently leukemia. She had previously triumphed over at least three bouts of cancer with grace, humor, and  courage. Her positive outlook on life and indomi table force of personality have been an inspiration to so many, both in Big Rapids and in the  places she called home after moving away. 

During her years in Big Rapids schools, Polly was active in concert band, marching band, student council (mayor her senior year), and cheerleading (JV and Varsity.) She was a member of the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society, and participated in Latin Club, Science Fair, Band Follies, the singing  group Front Porch Minority, and many other activities. She also found time to work every week  at the family business, Judson Hardware. She was a third-generation Big Rapids native and proudly administered her family's named scholarship to Ferris State University to benefit a deserving local student each year. She still worked for Big Rapids' benefit even though she  lived far away. She never missed a class reunion, and especially enjoyed sitting out in front of Judson Hardware for the All-Class Reunion in 2022. She loved knowing that her hand prints are still in the cement behind what is now Red Fox Market. Following graduation from BRHS, Polly earned a bachelor of arts degree from the College of  Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio. Living her dream of working in a big city, she moved to New York and worked in the trade publishing industry, then earned an MBA in Marketing and Corporate  Strategy from Columbia University. She went to work for General Foods (in the dog food division, to indulge her lifelong love of dogs), Maxwell House, Birdseye, and Kraft. While her boys were young, she formed a consulting and corporate training firm, leading companies in marketing plans and strategies. Clients included Miller Brewing, Avon, and Revlon, among others. She flew to Australia, Russia, China, South America, Turkey and beyond. During that same time, she was also caring for aging parents and raising her boys. She divided her time between New York and Connecticut for many years, and in retirement had moved to South Carolina to be nearer to the ocean. A lifelong learner, in her 60's, she took up watercolor painting and found a respectable talent for it. She maintained close friendships with her Big Rapids classmates all of her life. If anyone ever needed an honest opinion about anything, or sensible advice to solve a difficult challenge, Polly was on speed dial.

Polly was active in her community. She was a strong advocate for education and had a passion for helping schools develop strategies and practical processes for overcoming learning challenges, from K-12 through college. She helped several private schools in underprivileged areas create a better learning environment. She was active in the group  100 Women Who Care -- Charleston, that helped  support local businesses. In her youth, Polly raised  funds for United Way, then after 9-11 volunteered with the Red Cross in Larchmont and Manhattan, NY. She taught CCD classes in her Catholic parish in Larchmont while the boys were school age. Polly is survived by her husband of 44 years, Joe Powers, and their sons, Mark (Courtney) and Patrick (Elaina) Powers, as well as three grandchildren, Otis, Rowan, and Henry; her sister-in-law, Sue Judson, her nieces, Allie and Bailey; and her cherished lifelong classmates.

Past Recipients (graduation year)

2024: Nick Nicolas (1971) and Ed Block (1964)
2023: Ralph Manting (1959)
2022: Emily Cramer Hancock (1971)
2021: Ken Musselman (1965)
2019: Rick Steinke (1974)
2018: Susan Wismer Bissell (1965)
2017: Mark Brejcha (1977)
2016: Neil R Tetzlaff Lt Col USAF Ret (1960)
2015: Major Kay Andrews (1956) and Bob Horan (1953)
2014: Teri L Losey (1973)
2013: Lynn DeMoss (1952)
2012: Ronald Nichols and Keith Corrigall (1952)
2011: Edward Burch (1954)
2010: Gus & Alice Jane Anderson (1940) and Tom Avey (1965)
2009: Morris Andrews (1954)
2008: Art Adleman (1950)
2007: David Michaels
2006: Deno Sellas (1949) and Nick Sellas (1950)
2005: Michael E. “Mickey” Koch (1960)
2004: Norm Turner (1951)
2003: Lawrence Root (1966)
2002: Judd D. Arnold (1949)
2001: James Rogers (1965)
2000: Agnes Jensen Mangerich (1931)
1999: Ray W. Cross (1965)
1998: Leslie Morford and James Stuck (1949)
1997: William O’Neil (1953)
1996: James Sofoulis and Maxine Arnold Sofoulis (1943)
1995: Albert Poland (1959)
1994: Pearce Lane (1949)