Have you ever wondered what your teachers do outside of school? Many Skyline staff have businesses on the side that are really some creative crafts.
Teaching assistant Penny Hedman runs a business selling salsa.
“I got a salsa recipe some 30 plus years ago, and I started making it because I had a huge garden on the property I lived on. So I’ve been making it and tweaking the recipe and changing this and changing that, and getting it to the flavor profile that it’s at today. I gave it away for a long time, and a friend of mine said, ‘This is so good, you need to sell it,’” said Hedman. “I always knew that I wanted to do something in food. So mixing the salsa with the cooking and all the things, it just came together.”
Psychology teacher Kristen Winter owns a property “[My business] is called Sherwood Place Properties LLC, and it’s a short term rental business for vacation in Traverse City. My grandfather, who lived on Sherwood Place his whole life, was near and dear to me. That’s why it’s named Sherwood place, because it’s for my grandfather’s Street,” said Winter. “I have a management company but I do most of the talking with clients, decor, all that kinds of stuff. So it’s promoted on Airbnb, VRBO, [and] social media.”
Winter’s property is in northern Michigan. “We wanted a place close enough to be able to drive to, but a destination that people like…Traverse City is one of the most traveled places in Michigan. It’s on 10 acres. It’s gorgeous in the woods,” said Winter.
Special Education resource teacher Carrie Halliburton has a business in photography. “I started doing photography when I was in high school as a hobby. Then when I was in college and I took my first introduction class to special ed, my professor said, ‘find something to do that has nothing to do with teaching, or you’ll never survive or burn out too fast.’ It became more of a focus,” said Halliburton. “This was my hobby, and it kind of took on a life of its own, and I started making enough photographs that I could pay tuition for my master’s degree. Now it’s something I do as extra income to cover my bills. I love photographing concerts and plays and musicals and shows.”
