Meet Gunnar Crowell! After graduating CC in 2003, Gunnar attended Hanover College where he double majored in Business and Sociology, played football for four years, and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. At Hanover, he was a part of two conference championship teams in football and was named All-Conference his senior year. After college, Gunnar attended the Indiana University McKinney School of Law where he graduated in the top quarter of his class, was a member of Indiana Health Law Review, and the Dean's List. After a short stint in private law practice in Lafayette, Gunnar worked in fundraising at Purdue where he met his wife, Bethany, and they were subsequently married in Bethany's hometown of Platteville, WI. They have since been married for six years and have two beautiful children, Sterling (5) and Hazel (3).
The Crowell family spent two years living and working in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah before moving back to Indiana to be closer to family. They currently reside in Whitestown, IN where they enjoy staying busy with kids' activities, spending time outdoors and traveling, and finding fun things to do in the Indy area. Professionally, Gunnar works in the philanthropy and nonprofit industry and is currently Vice President of Legal Services at Ren (f.k.a Renaissance Philanthropic Solutions Group) where he provides legal and gift planning support to institutional clients and their donors. He currently volunteers on the Hanover College alumni board and is chair of the advancement committee. In the past Gunnar has volunteered on boards and committees at LCSS, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Latino Center for Wellness and Education. Gunnar's wife, Bethany, recently obtained her PhD from Purdue and she currently works for the University of Utah as Director of Business Intelligence.
How did your education at LCSS prepare you for college and your career?
The faith-based curriculum along with the small class and athletic team sizes prepared me well for life beyond high school. The close-knit environment taught me the importance of personal responsibility and how to be accountable to my faith and to others.
How did LCSS help to shape your faith?
Experiencing prayer and reflection at school, through Mass or otherwise, had a positive influence and impact on my faith. Also, during high school, although I was not particularly fond of "service hours", I now appreciate that it was time well spent learning the value of service and giving back to your community.
What did you like most about your experience at LCSS?
Participating in athletics and the camaraderie among teammates and peers in our small class of 47 kids.
Describe one of your favorite memories of LCSS.
My most fond memories are my time spent playing sports, particularly on the football and track and field teams. I feel fortunate to have been a part of the 1999 football state championship team as a freshman. The small team sizes provided a great opportunity to compete, but it was physically demanding because our teams never benefited from a "deep bench." Through CC sports, I developed important life skills like teamwork, work ethic, and overcoming adversity.
I also have great memories of influential teachers like Mr. Butz (7 am Etymology class!), Ms. Anthrop, and Mr. Croussore. (I can't forget getting a flat tire in Mr. Croussore's driver's ed class and learning how to change a tire!)