If you walked the halls of LCA in the early 1990s, you would find Kris (Doron) Calizo in nearly every nook and cranny of the school – practicing on the softball field, competing on basketball and volleyball courts, rehearsing in the band room, singing in the choir room, and studying in the classrooms. Even today, not only is Kris' picture prominently displayed in the LCA Hall of Fame, but you will also find her behind the desk in the front office as she manages all the nooks and crannies of LCA.
Kris left quite the legacy at LCA during her time as a student and her family continues to have an immense impact on the school today. Her husband Craig is the Assistant Athletic Director and a history teacher, and they have had two children graduate from LCA (Tori and Jessi) while their youngest three currently attend (Lani, Allie, and J.C). Following in their mother’s footsteps, you could find all five Calizo children on various courts, fields, and stages at any given time. However, just six years ago, their life looked much different (and a lot warmer).
After walking across the stage at LCA’s 1992 commencement, Kris enrolled at Grace College as an Elementary Education major and Music Education minor. She played collegiate basketball and held the record for most points scored in a women’s basketball game at Grace College for nearly two decades. In 2018, Kris was inducted into the Grace Athletics Hall of Fame. Earning her degree and playing basketball kept her plate extremely full, but the time management skills she learned at LCA as she juggled many activities prepared her for this workload. By the time she graduated from Grace, she had completed a total of 17 seasons in her athletic career. Now, it was time for a change.
Kris moved to Mexico to begin teaching at a missionary school for three months and then moved to Hawaii for the next school year. She would call the island of Oahu home for the next two decades as she met and married her husband and welcomed five kids into their family. Along with her own kids, Kris spent her days pouring into the lives of the children at their local private school on the island. Over the years, she taught Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade. Though her career playing on school sports teams was over, her passion for the game was far from it. Kris and Craig worked hard to start an athletic program at the school and were both coaches for many of the teams over their years of service. Kris’ passion had always been basketball and she loved coaching the 7th-12th grade team for 14 years. She developed deep relationships with her athletes – in fact, the team even visited her in the hospital for the birth of her third daughter, Lani!
In June 2017, the Calizos decided to move back to Winona Lake and a couple of years later both Kris and Craig both began working at LCA. Kris loves watching her children grow up in the same school that shaped much of who she is today. While the building and much of the faculty are different, she can see the teachers still truly care about each student’s academic and spiritual growth, no matter their age. Kris continues to coach the game she loves and keeps the whole school running as the Office Administrator.
Kris' life has been a juggling act, and she has dedicated much of her time to pouring into the next generation and sharing her love for the Lord through sports. Through the busy seasons of her life, it is evident that she has learned to live in the moment and to serve exactly where God has placed her. While teaching defensive strategy and shooting techniques, Kris has demonstrated the love of Christ to hundreds of kids who have had the opportunity to share the court with her.
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