metro >> on the cover

Following Their

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Delving into one's passion — later in life.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman I Contributing Writer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Kohen sees those who have found some-
thing they are passionate about as "feeling
energized, looking forward to their day,
becoming more focused and suddenly
having deeper meaning in life."
Rogow has found all that in ways she
never expected since getting back into ten-
nis four years ago.
"Besides the amazing physical feeling
and overall health benefits, tennis has
given me lessons I use in life she said.
"Patience, respect, dedication and focus
are the skills I use on and off the court. I
take great pride and I am very grateful to
be able to play as much as I do, at the level
I do and with wonderful people who share
my passion."

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Jay Levine turned a continuing interest in
coaching into the reality of becoming a
high school boys' varsity basketball coach
after retiring from his position as presi-
dent and COO of the Harvard Drug Group
in Livonia, which he co-founded 23 years
ago.
"I played basketball my whole life, and
I was always interested in coaching but
never had the time because I traveled a lot
for work and couldn't make the commit-
ment:' said Levine, 59, of West Bloomfield
and Parkland, Fla.
"I have a friend, Harry Glanz of West
Bloomfield, who has been a part-time
volunteer coach at Walled Lake Central
High School for almost 10 years:' he said.
"When I retired five years ago, he asked
if I wanted to work with him and the
school's paid coach."
After a year of volunteering as the
team's assistant coach, Levine coached at
Hartland High School for three years and
went back to Walled Lake this past year.
"I am very committed to this opportu-
nity:' he said. "I travel back and forth to
Florida every week so that I don't miss any
practices or games. The biggest reward for

8

July 9 • 2015

me is watching a young man grow from
ninth grade to a senior and the maturity
that goes with it. It's fun to see them after
they graduate and they greet you with, 'Hi,
Coach: and they give you an update on
their post-high school life."

Anyti.
A real estate agent for 20 years, Carol
Shapiro Havis turned a necessary career
change into the chance to catch a dream.
"I worked mostly for builders and
they all went down in the recession
around 2009:' said Shapiro Havis of
Bloomfield Township. "It was around that
same time that I was turning the big '5-0'
and knew in my heart that it was the right
time to follow my passion if I was ever
going to do it."
That passion was to blend both busi-
ness ownership and a mission to promote
health and well-being through vegetable
and herb gardening. In 2010, she created
TheraGardens (www.theragardens.com ),
named for the therapeutic benefits derived
through gardening.
"When my real estate clients disap-
peared, I finally had time to put some real
energy into growing my own pesticide-free
veggies at home Shapiro Havis said. "At
the time, I was extremely stressed about
finances and my uncertain future, and
all I wanted to do was to be in the garden
because I found it to be extremely reward-
ing and incredibly therapeutic.
"I always wanted to have my own busi-
ness and I knew it would involve helping
others, and that anything in the 'green'
sector would be timely and also help
the planet:' she said. "I also understood
that whole foods nutrition would have a
comeback in popularity for preventing and
treating obesity and disease in the coming
years, and it has."
Shapiro Havis was aware she needed
some training. So she turned to the
Women to Work program at JVS in West

Bloomfield, whose
focus is to help women
who have been out of
the workforce obtain
emotional support and
receive the confidence
to successfully find
employment. The pro-
gram also evaluates and
matches job skills with
interests and abilities,
providing financial edu-
cation, instruction on
Carol Shapiro Havis in the garden
resume writing, inter-
viewing and job search-
ing, referrals to support
services and computer
training.
"I learned to use the
computer through JVS,"
Shapiro Havis said.
In 2012, Shapiro Havis
was honored with the
annual JVS Women to
Work Award.
"The program often
results in a life-altering
experience for the par-
ticipants:' said Judy
Richmond, Women
to Work coordinator.
"Often the women are
experiencing a sud-
den loss of confidence
and self-esteem due to
abrupt changes in their
personal lives.
"When a woman finds Jay Levine with Harry Glanz on the basketball court
employment in her field
of expertise and is able
to use her exemplary skills, she seems to
serving clients with special physical and
`blossom: knowing she has reached a goal
emotional needs.
that seemed only a dream, and then real-
On June 15, she launched a KickStarter
izes her dream has come true."
campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/
A master gardener, Shapiro Havis now
projects/theragardens/theragardens-
designs gardens at homes, offices, res-
urban-learning-farm) to create a
taurants and agencies, including those
Dreams on page 10

