Making people happy

DeKALB – Most people wouldn’t consider making people happy the primary goal of their job. But for Rachel Schmit of DeKalb, making sure that people are happy and are having fun is all in a day’s work.

Schmit is the recreation supervisor of the DeKalb Park District, a position she has held for about four weeks. Previously, Schmit worked for 14 years in a similar position with the Batavia Park District.

A single mother, Schmit single-handedly raised her college-aged daughter. Schmit said she personally understands the importance of affordable programs for the community. As recreation supervisor, she hopes to bring inexpensive, educational programs with an array of topics to DeKalb.

Schmit met with MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton to discuss her role as DeKalb Park District’s recreation supervisor and upcoming and new programs that will be offered this winter season.

Milton: What do you do in your role of recreation supervisor?

Schmit: I administer the park district’s programming that’s unrelated to sports. I’ve been in this position for three and a half weeks, but I worked for 14 years with the Batavia Park District.

Milton: What did you do at your previous job?

Schmit: Working in DeKalb is very different from Batavia. DeKalb has almost 20,000 more people. The population in DeKalb is 43,000 and in Batavia, it’s 26,000. In Batavia, the park district is the go-to for anything in the area. While I was in Batavia, I helped start the half-day kindergarten there in the six elementary schools in the school district. I also started before- and after-school programs for all six schools. I oversaw competitive gymnastics, fitness, yoga, pilates, parent-taught classes and arts and crafts programs. I hired musicians for the carnival and festivals. I ran the holiday fest in downtown Batavia and the summer fest, which is almost like DeKalb’s Corn Fest. I bring 14 years of that history into this position.

Milton: Are you from DeKalb?

Schmit: I live in DeKalb, and I have lived in DeKalb County for the last five years. I graduated from NIU, and my daughter is now a student at NIU. I love working in my hometown. In my spare time, I am on the dragonboat racing team Paddlin’ for MB. I’ve also helped at Feed’em Soup and was the vice president of the Cortland Lions Club. I love how supportive people are in the community.

Milton: What are some of your goals as recreation supervisor?

Schmit: Here in DeKalb, we have a fraction of the programming that I was used to running. I hope to bring some of those things to the table with the support of my supervisor, Amy Doll. I’ve already met several principals in the school district. It’s amazing how receptive the principals are to my ideas. They are very caring and considerate. They are supportive of my ideas of opening up programs to the community. ... We’re gearing up for growth and are ready to go in a really great direction.

Milton: Are park district programs free?

Schmit: Some community-based programs are free. During previous years, the Breakfast for Santa was free. This year, I would love to accept donations for Feed’em Soup. ... All of the programs are offered at a reasonable cost. For example, we offer an all-day summer camp. It includes swimming and non-stop structure, letting the children gain social experience. If you do the math, it’s less than $5 an hour for the program. You would be hard-pressed to find a babysitter for less than $10 or $20 an hour, and that would be without educational interaction. There is also going to be a change in the summer camp program next year. It will not be inside one of the schools. I’ve been here less than a month, and I’ve already begun working on that.

Milton: Why do you think it is important to offer programs at a reasonable cost?

Schmit: Well, I mentioned that I have a daughter at NIU. I had her when I was young, and I raised her myself. I took her to NIU with me, and now she’s there. There were so many experiences I wouldn’t have been able to give her without the park district. She wouldn’t have been able to do gymnastics, cheer or Irish dance. Reasonable and affordable programming is important because I want children to have those experiences. The park district should bring and provide this community the programming they deserve.

Milton: What new programs are you interested in offering?

Schmit: I hope to start programs with many different topics, including cooking, martial arts, painting, sign and foreign languages, and parenting. These would be more like three month programs on painting. So instead of taking a $120 class at Kishwaukee College, you could come here. ... I would love to offer programs like sewing, knitting and even car maintenance for women. I hope to improve and expand upon programs we already have, like dance, gymnastics and ballet. I want the park district to feature programs that are fun, but also offer simple educational development.

Milton: Do you think that it is important to have teachers from the community?

Schmit: I would love for the park district and the community to grow together. ... I’m looking for people with interest in teaching topics. So if you have talent and passion, the park district wants to talk to you. We could use people interested in helping take care of the buildings and help with before- and after-school programs. We are also open to ideas for programs and teaching.

Milton: Do you have any upcoming events?

Schmit: Our Breakfast with Santa is Dec. 5 in the Terrace Room of Hopkins Park. We are currently looking for sponsorship for that event. Polarpalooza will be held Feb. 6 in Lions Park. We hope to have reindeer at the event in exchange for donations to the Summerfield Zoo. The Daddy Daughter Date Night will be Feb. 20. We will also have a Lacrosse: Try It Free Day at the Sports and Rec Center on Nov. 12.