Alumni Spotlight - Bradley Russ, Class of 2007

Name:  Bradley Russ

Brad Russ When did you attend Lamphere? What year did you graduate? What schools did you attend?: I was apart of the Lamphere school district the whole way from Kindergarten through high school graduation. I went to Edmonson Elementary, John Page Middle School, and graduated from Lamphere High School in 2007.


Where do you live now? This is a bit tricky, at the moment I am in Madison Heights. However by January 2017 I will be living full time in Zambia, Africa







Zambia Children
Tell us about what you've been doing since graduation: Since graduating high school my life has gone through some amazing highs and some painful lows. I went through a lot of changes in the 3-4 years following graduation in the sense of trying to figure out what I really wanted my life to look like. In the midst of all of this I went to a church called Kensington in 2009. It was the first time being in a church since I was about 12 years old. This was a small yet monumental moment in my life because this would spark a journey of faith, love and adventure with Jesus that has led me to the current place I am at. I am currently doing missionary work around the world. Most prominently in the central area of Africa. The work I am involved in is so powerful and transformational that a lot of times I am left speechless at the immensity of it. Through the organization I am with (Overland Missions), I get to be a part of taking hope, opportunity, faith and most importantly love to some of the most remote and forgotten people in Africa. It is a blessing to be able and willing to step into this exciting, yet uncertain opportunity.
Zambia Water WellTell us about your family and/or hobbies: I am currently a single young man. So I don't have a wife or children. I do have two older brothers and one younger brother. My two older brothers, (Alan & Sean) both went to Lamphere as well and my younger brother (Anthony) is a part of the class of 2021. My Mom (Laura) still lives in Madison Heights and my Dad (Tom) also lives in Michigan but travels a lot with work.

How did your years at Lamphere affect your life?  My years at Lamphere are full of life long friendships and times of growth and maturity that a lot of times in the moment it's hard to really grasp. After traveling to other countries and seeing the conditions and state of the 3rd world nations it really put into perspective how blessed we are to have the things we have in America. I could go on for days about small teachings, quotes and lessons that happened throughout the 13 years I spent in the Lamphere district, but I think the biggest impact it had on my life is that it gave me a basic foundation on the importance of community and learning that will be with me for the rest of my life.

If you had a message for current Lamphere students what would it be?  My message for current students would be to recognize the opportunity at hand. There are people in our schools, in our communities, in our country, and all over the world who are suffering, being mistreated, and forgotten about. You have an opportunity as the next generation to really change the landscape and the fabric of our society from one that is self indulged to one that is based around love, hope and forgiveness. It is times like the ones you are currently in during your younger learning years that you can gain life lessons and education that can be used to make the world we live in a better place and a world that looks a lot more like the one we want to live in and the one we want our future generations to live in. There is a message that the world needs to hear and understand. Are you brave enough and different enough to find out what that is and be someone who shares it with the world?

There will be a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to help Brad with his mission work. It will be held at the Madison Heights Senior Citizen Center on January 28.