2017 Legacy Award Recipients

Join us as we congratulate the 2017 Lakeview Legacy Award Recipients!

Emily Heinen

Alyssa Ettl Legacy Award

If you were to Google the word “commitment”, there’s a strong likelihood that a reference to Lakeview Bank’s 2017 Alyssa Ettl Legacy Award recipient, Emily Heinen, might pop up. 

Driven by her commitment to spare her parents most of the cost of her college tuition, Emily works about twenty hours each week at the Lakeville SuperTarget, generally pulling long weekend shifts in addition to two or three days a week after school, with the majority of her wages going to her college savings account. 

And, while being a full time high school senior with a halftime job at her age is in itself some what remarkable, Emily’s commitment by no means stops there. Consider this:

She ranks number three in her class at Lakeville South High School and, not surprisingly, is a member of the National Honor Society. She was elected a Senior Class Officer by her peers as well as a Student Council Officer, and is a Mentorship Coordinator for DECA and a Captain for Cougars Leading Cougars, a club that organizes and leads an orientation program each summer for incoming freshmen at the high school. She volunteers at school-sponsored Red Cross Blood Drives, has raised money for Special Olympics, and volunteers with the Adopt-a-Shelf program at the Lakeville Heritage Library. And, in her “spare” time, she has competed on the varsity speech team, played in the school band, and is on Lakeville South High School’s perennially powerful girl’s track and field team.

Although she has not yet completely decided on where to attend college, she has set her sights high with applications pending at the U of M, UW Madison, Stanford, Columbia, U C Berkeley, and Northwestern. Similarly, her career path is undetermined, but whether it is in medicine or something with a more global outreach, it will be in a field that focuses on helping others. And undoubtedly, wherever Emily attends college and whatever she does with her life, she will continue to demonstrate the same tenacious commitment that she has shown at Lakeville South High School and the Lakeville community in general.

Emilia Fredrickson

High School Senior

There is insufficient space to recite the achievements of the 2017 Lakeview Bank High School Senior Legacy Award recipient, Emilia Fredrickson from Northfield High School. However, when one realizes that she lives on a hobby farm just outside of Northfield, the direction of her busy and accomplished young life is more understandable.

For the past ten years Emilia has been extensively involved in 4-H, participating in multiple projects such as arts, clothing, veterinary science, photography, speech, and horses—the latter being her true passion. 

Since she began riding 12 years ago, Emilia has owned three horses and last year achieved her childhood dream of showing her horse at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, the State Fair. She was a top ten finalist for the Dan Patch Award each of the last two years, a high honor recognizing service, leadership, and learning to a 4-H member active in the horse project.

But her 4-H involvement goes even deeper. She has been a youth leader in the 4-H Youth Teaching Youth program, where she educates fourth graders about alcohol, tobacco, and peer pressure. Through her club she has participated in Feed My Starving Children and made sandwiches for the homeless in the Twin Cities and blankets for Project Linus. During her 4-H career she has held a variety of leadership positions, culminating in 2016 when she was awarded the Key Award, 4-H’s highest honor for youth leadership. 

Not surprisingly, however, Emilia’s activities don’t end with 4-H. She is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and volunteers for her school’s blood drives, Special Olympics, and Northfield Arts Guild, and also actively serves in multiple ways through her church. Possessing a passion for music, she also plays flute and piccolo in her high school concert and pep bands. 

Through all her involvement and accomplishments, Emilia has learned one of life’s biggest lessons - that through leadership, service, and perseverance she can, and does, make a difference. Fortunately for the world around her, when she heads off to college this fall at either the University of St. Thomas or University of Minnesota Duluth she will have even more opportunities to put that life lesson into practice.

Nancy Feltes

Citizen/Volunteer Legacy Award

Nancy Feltes, the 2017 Citizen/Volunteer Legacy Award recipient, owns an impressive record of volunteer service to her community.

Nancy volunteers at St. Michael’s Church in Farmington, where she is a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, and serves the Prayer Shawl Ministry. She leads a Bible study at her apartment building in Lakeville, and at least twice a year is a blood donor for Rotary-sponsored blood drives held at Crossroads Church. But her primary volunteer activity is as a Learning Buddy at Cherry View Elementary School, working with 1st and 2nd graders three mornings each week during the school year. In that capacity she has the opportunity to work closely with talented teachers who entrust her with providing teaching assistance to their young students.

But now, consider this about Nancy. In 2010 she was forced to retire from her position as a company comptroller when she was diagnosed with a spinal tumor. After three neurosurgeries, abdominal surgery, and two years in ICU’s, rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Nancy ultimately lost her job, her car, her home, and her 401k. She found herself on Social Security, living alone in a one bedroom apartment in a senior building, with her dreams of one day enjoying a debt free retirement filled with golf, travel, and family dashed. Nancy was both without a vehicle and many options in life.

Most people in a similar situation might retreat to a world filled with bitterness and fear. Undoubtedly, nobody would have blamed Nancy if her life had gone in that direction. But mindful of the many kind people who helped her through that time, Nancy looked around and asked herself, “what now?”

“Now” turned out to be a sign in her apartment building’s community room about volunteering for the Learning Buddy program. The opportunity coincided with her college elementary ed classes, her past experience as a foster parent and licensed home daycare provider, and her love of teaching children. And perhaps most importantly, transportation to and from the school was provided!

With one call, Nancy’s purpose in life was restored. Nancy’s willingness to volunteer has made her feel wanted and needed again…and Cherry View Elementary School students have found a true learning buddy!

Erik Peacock

Business Owner Legacy Award

People often walk into Puravida Fitness, a personal training studio founded in 2005 by this year’s Business Owner Legacy Award Recipient, Erik Peacock, feeling horrible about themselves because they are in poor physical condition.

While most personal trainers might regard these situations primarily as revenue opportunities, Erik regards them as ministry opportunities consistent with his Christian faith. Certainly, by focusing on individual and small group training as well as nutrition coaching, Erik and his staff of trainers help their clients transform their bodies as they lose inches and pounds and improve their overall health. But for Erik, the true transformation is in his clients’ lives as they regain their sense of self-worth, self-confidence, and their smiles.

But Erik also recognizes that it is difficult, if not impossible, to care for others if self-care is neglected. Taking care of and building up others can be both emotionally and physically draining, so Erik keeps a close eye on his trainers to ensure that they have appropriate work-life balance and do not burn themselves out. He approaches each day with a positive and supportive attitude, and goes out of his way to thank and praise his employees continually. And, to make certain that his trainers are the best-equipped they can possibly be, he provides them in-service and educational opportunities on a regular basis.

And his giving doesn’t just stop with his clients and employees. Giving back to the community that supports his business is important to Erik, and organizations such as Yellow Ribbon, 360 Communities, and Relay for Life have benefited from his community-minded attitude. Further, Erik and his staff provide significant “pro bono” work for people whose health challenges could be alleviated by using a personal trainer but who are unable to afford a regular training package.

To Erik, the financial return from Puravida Fitness takes a back seat to the opportunity it affords him to make a difference in the world in which he lives. As he puts it, “I am rich because I love what I do and treasure all the great relationships I have built over the years.”