Lorri Batsie Recognized as Career Connect Superstar

Whether she is launching lemonade stands or mapping out 'personality superpowers’, Lorri Batsie is redefining what career exploration looks like. As a Career Awareness & Exploration (CAE) Consultant at KRESA, Lorri has been named the Career Connect Superstar for February 2026.  

This award recognizes team members whose work reflects our core values and embodies our shared vision: a community transformed by empowered learners, building fulfilling careers.  

Lorri has been a teacher for most of her career; she has taught everything from computer science to business classes. That’s where she discovered her passion to create lessons that are engaging and fun.  

Since returning to KRESA in 2020, she has combined her love for curriculum design with her passion for student self-discovery. 

"I love my job because I get to do the coolest things with amazing people," Lorri said.   

Her "office" changes constantly. She might be helping third graders learn entrepreneurship through Lemonade Day, guiding students through Xello and Educational Development Plans (EDPs), or even presenting  "Gamifying Career Exploration" to educators nationwide.  

For her, success isn't just about finishing a lesson; it's about building excitement and curiosity.  

"I want to inspire a sense of hope in students," Lorri explains. By showing them the connection between their interests and their future careers, she’s helping the next generation move from "what if" to "what’s next”. 

While Lorri makes an impact in classrooms every day, she actively plans for the future. Through her collaboration with Dr. Tracy Miller, the Kalamazoo Public Schools Coordinator of Postsecondary Pathways, Instruction and Student Services, Lorri learned that lessons need to include opportunities for students to build self-efficacy. She is continuing to dream about what that looks like for our partnering school districts.  

"I feel successful if we're having fun while learning," Lorri said, and at KRESA, that fun is the foundation for a lifetime of success. 

Thank you, Lorri, for transforming students’ futures each and every day.