A recent graduate from the College of St. Scholastica with a Bachelor of Arts in Management and a minor in Marketing, Travis Nez previously attended the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College where he received an Associates of Applied Sciences degree. Travis will be attending the Mitchell Hamline School of Law during the fall term. His career goal is to practice Native American Law as he is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes from southwest Arizona.
Excluding parents, we asked Travis who has influenced him the most, and Travis chose his sister, Maureen. “She has influenced me to succeed at all levels, whether its educational or in the work place.”
Apparently Maureen’s influence has been strong with her younger brother, because, while only in his early 20s, Travis has already achieved a lot. Along with his success at college and his upcoming studies in law, he holds a Wisconsin Real Estate Salesperson license. He is also active in the community, serving on the Price County Board of Supervisors. Travis said that these two positions have provided him with optimum opportunities to push our local amenities, all of which he feels are some of his greatest contributions to Price County.
Another membership that Travis is proud of his association with the Republican Party, which is of great interest to him. “While I have a lot [of favorite politicians], at the moment Donald J. Trump is my favorite, because I truly believe he is going to ‘Make America Great Again.’ Donald Trump is doing something that most people never expected could be done by a businessman. In addition, he is the only one running for president that has the experience to negotiate our country’s position. We have elected well-seasoned politicians every year. Now we finally have a candidate that can bring our country back.”
Embracing his conservative side, Travis said that if he only had two minutes to take his most prized, non-living possessions from his house, he would save some of his guns. Travis is a firm believer in American’s Constitutional right to bear arms.
Along with hunting with those guns and fishing, Travis enjoys biking, golfing, and spending time on the water. Every year, Travis takes a trip to Europe to explore historical sites and local attractions. “Quality of life is very important, because we only live once,” Travis remarked. “I truly believe we only have one shot at finding our inner passions.
With that said, Travis believes we have rich opportunities in Price County. “Nothing can match our quality of life let alone the low cost of living. We have some of the most affordable housing in the country. If a person ever dreamed about owning a farm, land, or even a lake home, Price County is full of opportunities to help anyone fulfill that goal.”
While Travis is busy achieving his life’s goals, he is already thinking about his future. “If I could go back to when I was eighteen, I should have purchased large amounts of LinkedIn, Insulet, and Diana Shipping stocks, along with various other well performing stocks that would have allowed me to retire.” We mentioned to Travis that for him eighteen was only three short years ago, and we are certain he will have plenty more opportunities where he can capitalize.
If you would like to nominate someone for a “Spotlight” interview, including yourself, please e-mail us at Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with the person’s name and his or her e-mail address, Facebook page, and/or phone number.
Skyler Dural grew up in northern Price County, just south of the county line, in Butternut, Wisconsin, where she currently resides. During her school years, she was very active with the Corner Rock Youth Center during its tenure in Park Falls. Graduating from Butternut High School in 2009, she attended college at Northland College and was a 2013 graduate. Currently, she is taking on-line courses to pursue her Master’s degree in psychology with a focus on industrial and organizational psychology.
Employed by the non-profit workforce development organization, Northwest Wisconsin CEP, she is an employer resource consultant where her job is to talk with employers about their workforce needs, help match job seekers to jobs, and work with people of any age to get training or education. Her home office is in Park Falls, but she serves five counties.
Skyler’s fiancé is Joel Eder who recently graduated from the police academy in Eau Claire. Joel serves with the Wisconsin National Guard and has been deployed twice to Afghanistan and Iraq. Hoping he will be home for good, Skyler said they enjoy doing many outdoor activities, especially kayaking the Flambeau River. “Nothing beats being out on the water with Joel or a couple other friends. There’s something so awe-inspiring, especially when I’m paddling down the Flambeau, looking around at all the beauty – the trees, the water, the rocks, the wildlife – makes me realize how small we are as humans in the grand scheme of life. Plus, there is no cell phone reception so that is liberating, as well!”
As a soon-to-be-bride, it’s expected that Skyler is excited about her wedding day. “We’re planning to get married this fall, which is very exciting!” Skyler shared, mentioning that she cannot wait for all the planning to come to life on their special day. “We are really looking forward to establishing our life in Price County -- working here, living here, and hopefully, God willing, raising kids here. There is nowhere else where we could possibly see ourselves living than the Northwoods. We’re both close to our families which is another reason we want to stay close by.” Joel’s family is “close by” in Clam Lake, and Skyler’s parents, Bob and Ronda, live in Butternut. Spanning the generations, Skyler added that her maternal grandparents, Jack and Carol Koch, are from Butternut, and her late paternal grandparents, Bob and Sandy Dural, were proud residents of Park Falls. “I also never really dreamed of living anywhere other than Northern Wisconsin,” Skyler noted about herself. “I’ve never wanted the city life.”
Skyler expressed that her parents and grandparents have supported everything that she has done and they have been her biggest fans and cheerleaders. From watching her play Little Red Riding Hood in a play in first grade to watching her graduate high school and helping her through college, they have always been there for her, which she very obviously and openly appreciates. “I will never be able to pay them back for the love and support that they’ve given me over the years. I’m so lucky to have been able to grow up next door to my maternal grandparents and have my paternal grandparents nearby.”
Jokingly stating that the most interesting thing about her is that she has never eaten a hamburger or a steak, because she does not like red meat, when we delved a little farther, we found quite a few unique hobbies and passions unique to this 24 year old. “I love history, reading memoirs and autobiographies, and watching documentaries. I don’t think that’s very common for a 24 year old psychology grad student,” Skyler added, with a smile. She also travels a lot for work, so she has some free time to fill during non-work times, and is hooked on the “How Stuff Works” family of podcasts.
Learning more about what makes Skyler unique, painting is a special hobby that she shares with her mom and grandma. She especially enjoys using natural stone but sometimes does canvas paintings, as well. “I’m certainly not the most talented,” she says modestly, “but it’s fun and relaxing!”
Speaking of relaxing, we asked Skyler what item she’d want to have with her on a deserted island. Since a boat was not an option, Skyler said she would bring a cell phone and a reception booster so that someone could rescue her. “Is that cheating?” she quipped.
Or maybe Skyler could teleport. She said that choosing one super power was tricky given there are a lot of positives and negatives to many of them. “Reading minds would be great, but I’m not sure if I’d want to always know what people were thinking. That could be scary,” she laughed. “I think I would choose to be able to teleport or snap my fingers to be from where I am to someplace different! How neat would that be!?” she wondered, and then gleefully added, “I’d never be late!”
On a more serious note, Skyler shows a deep passion for women’s rights. “I would have loved to be alive during the early 1910s into the 1920s because then I could have been a part of the Women’s Rights Movements. Those women paved the way for young women like me, and I am forever grateful for their perseverance and bravery. This is why I vote in every election and am thankful that I can go to work in a business setting! Plus, 1920s fashion was great!” She said that if she could have dinner with three famous people, dead or alive, she would choose Susan B. Anthony, Malala Yousafzai, and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. “They were all amazing women who fought for women’s rights throughout time starting with Sor Juana in the 1600s and Malala in the 2000s. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be part of a conversation with those women.”
Skyler would like the people of Price County to not get stuck in a mindset of “this is the way it has always been so we have to keep doing the same thing.” “You don’t move forward without new ideas and innovation. I think there is potential for business ventures here connected to technology. The world is getting smaller and we have to see what business can develop from that.” Skyler also mentioned that she wants young people to realize there are so many good things in Price County, including nature, jobs, and a sense of safety. She wants young people to understand that they can live here and find ways for the area to grow into something even better, because positive changes can be made when we all work toward a common goal.
Skyler would direct young people to go for their goals and not to panic if they think things aren’t going exactly as planned, because as long as a person has direction, things tend to work out well. As long as it is not dangerous, she said, “I’d rather look back and say, ‘Wow, that was a mistake’ than say, ‘I wish I could have taken that chance.’” Her thoughts for how she lives her life come from her favorite quote by Harvey MacKay, which is, “Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it....if it changes your life, let it."
To conclude our interview, we gave Skyler the word shown in uppercase and asked her to fill in the blanks afterward, leaving us with these answers:
I LOVE: sunshine, laughter, and life.
I HOPE: to make a positive impact in our communities.
I FEEL: optimistic for the future!
I MISS: being a little kid sometimes. Naps, Play-doh, no bills – Ahh, it sounds amazing!
I LEARNED: that you can’t please everyone, but try your best!
I KNOW: that my life will be lived well if I pursue my passions and spend it with those I love.
I NEED: to unplug from technology more than I do. It’s very rare I don’t have my cell phone near me in case something with work, school, or life happens. I need to learn to make time every day to completely put it away and focus on what is in front of me. (Then again, My Price County reminded Skyler that she did want that cell phone and booster if stranded on a deserted island, so there are pros and cons!)
If you would like to nominate someone for a “Spotlight” interview, including yourself, please e-mail us at Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with the person’s name and his or her e-mail address, Facebook page, and/or phone number.
Darlene McMullen lives in Prentice, Wisconsin. She was born and raised in Catawba, Wisconsin, the second oldest of seven children. Darlene graduated from Phillips High School in 1969. On October 10, 1970, she married the love of her life, Larry McMullen, who was born and raised in Phillips, Wisconsin.
Larry & Darlene lived in Phillips for the first 5 1/2 years of their marriage but moved to the Milwaukee area in 1976. They had four children, (three girls and one boy). Unfortunately, in 2003, Larry passed on from a massive heart attack at the age of 56.
Two years after Larry’s death, in 2005, Darlene decided to move back to the area. With a daughter and her family living in Hawkins at the time, Darlene felt it was time to come home. Now her life is filled with the joy of 5 grandchildren, (4 granddaughters and one grandson), who are the loves of her life.
“My children and grandchildren bring me so much happiness,” Darlene told us. “I love spending time with them, and I love when my grandkids spend the night with me. Being with family makes my heart swell with joy.”
It is evident that Darlene enjoys her family very much given that her favorite vacation includes them. “My favorite vacation was camping out on my land in Phillips, because I was camping with my grandchildren. There is no electricity and no running water, but we had so much fun four wheeling, having campfires, and relaxing. We will be doing it as often as we can this summer.”
We asked Darlene if she had any advice for young people who are interested in pursuing one of their major goals, and she replied, “I would say...go for it! Do the best you can, try your hardest, and whether you succeed or not, at least you tried and that is what is important. You will never look back and say, 'I wish I would have done this’ or ‘I wish I would have done that,' and you will never regret trying.” With that advice in mind, it is no wonder that Darlene’s favorite quote is, “You reap what you sow.” Darlene elaborated, “We are all responsible for our actions. No one else is to blame for what we say or do. Blaming someone else is immature and childish.”
Darlene likes to live by the motto, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Expanding upon the Golden Rule, Darlene explained, “If I want someone to treat me with kindness and respect, I have to do the same to them, and that is how it should be. There is nothing wrong with being kind and considerate.”
Darlene said that if she could impart one bit of wisdom to the next generation, it would be to “Enjoy every second of every day, because time waits for no one. I remember when I couldn't wait to turn 18 and graduate from high school....and I turned around and I am 65!”
Darlene retired from Phillips Plating in 2011 and now does cleaning as a part-time job a couple days per week. This schedule allows her more time for one of her favorite hobbies, which is reading. “When I am reading, I visualize what I am reading about and it relaxes me,” shared Darlene.
“To sum me up,” Darlene closed our interview, “I lead a very simple life, I love spending as much time with my family as I can, and I thank God every day when I wake up!”
If you would like to nominate someone for a “Spotlight” interview, including yourself, please e-mail us at Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with the person’s name and his or her e-mail address, Facebook page, and/or phone number.
Laci Schuh is the owner of The Dreamer Boutique located at 126 North Lake Avenue in downtown Phillips, Wisconsin, which opened in January of 2016. She holds a Fashion Marketing degree from MATC in Madison, Wisconsin. Laci does not have any siblings or children, and she is currently single.
In our Spotlight interview, we try to ask unique questions that may provoke some interesting and introspective answers. Based on our questions, Laci shared the following narrative with us:
I grew up in Phillips, Wisconsin, and then I moved to Madison for 4 years for college. After graduation, I moved to Boulder, Colorado for 2 years and then decided to move to the West Coast! I lived in Santa Cruz, California for a year and half, and then I moved up to Portland, Oregon for 2 years. Since I missed California, I moved back down to San Francisco for 2 years, Marin County for another 2 years, and up in gold country for 2 more years before I finally came home! It is so nice to not have to move all my belongings around anymore! It was fun but a lot of work!
My biggest contribution to Price County is opening up my boutique, The Dreamer Boutique. After working in retail for others my whole adult life, I could actually afford to open my own shop here. It brings eclectic items you couldn't find in Phillips before, and I have been welcomed with open arms! I’m so grateful!
What I would most like to see in Price County is more live music and entertainment as that's what I've been accustomed to seeing everywhere else I've lived the last eighteen years. It is one of my biggest passions and most frequent pastime. Today I spoke with the new owner of a popular bar downtown, and he said he plans to expand the courtyard they have a few buildings down from my store. They plan to set up a stage for bands so it looks like the possibility is arising!
I would suggest young people move to this area, because it's so affordable and beautiful in the spring, summer, and fall, because it’s surrounded by lakes. It gets cold in the winter, but there are still plenty of outdoor activities to do year-round. There are a lot of fun and friendly people here, but it would be great to get more people my age back here to help revive the city. There are a ton of work opportunities, too!
My favorite vacation destinations I've been to are the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Jamaica, because I like the laid back vibes, the ocean, and the beautiful, warm weather. I hope to go to more tropical places sooner than later as I love to travel and see new places and cultures.
My biggest wish is for world peace and all beings to be free of suffering.
If I had two minutes to grab something from my home before it was destroyed it would be my precious dog, Lollypop, because she is my prized possession. She has brought me so much joy, and I love her with my whole heart.
My “guiding light” is my mother. She deserves a standing ovation not only because she went through some tragedies in her life and still did a great job raising me, but because she has worked the same job at Phillips Plating for 40 years as of this year. Bravo, Mom! When I couldn't find my way, and had my heart broken multiple times, she showed me I can still accomplish my dreams.
My mottos for life are, “Don't sweat the small stuff,” “Any given moment can change your life,” “Everything will work out the way it's supposed to,” “Find what you love and go for it,” and “Love doesn't make the world go round, but it sure makes the ride worthwhile!”
We thank Laci for being our first “Spotlight: People of Price County.” Stop into Laci’s shop and let her know you saw her “Spotlight.” If you would like to nominate someone, including yourself, to be interviewed, please e-mail us at Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with the person’s name and his or her e-mail address, Facebook page, and/or phone number. Our next “Spotlight” will be someone from Prentice or Park Falls. Stay tuned!
