Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Heather (Aten) Mackowiak from Galesburg HS’s Class of 1993.
Heather was a great student and a great athlete at GHS. For me, I had the opportunity to coach Heather in basketball. She was a leader on a very good team. She was an undersized post player who knew how to compete.
She had gone on to have an outstanding career in education as a biology teacher in the Lincolnway school system. Heather has had a positive impact on many, many students in her teaching career.
Her energy and enthusiasm come thru as you read her profile. I am so glad she was willing to share.
Favorite Teachers
Mr. Peachy (Biology) & Mr. Hendrickson (Physics) were instrumental in me choosing to become
a high school science teacher myself.
Sports/Activities at GHS
Basketball, softball, NHS, Student Council, FCA
Best memories of growing up in Galesburg/attending GHS:
I have a core group of high school friends that still mean the world to me; Telicia Bunch, Shelley
(Conner) Gura, Heather (Booth) Pierce, and Michele (Mattson) Snyder. We would get together
every weekend, cruise the strip from McDonalds to McDonalds, spend the night at each other’s
houses, and have so many laughs together. We are spread throughout the country now from
with Telicia in New York, Shelley in Florida, and Michele in California, but Heather Pierce and I
often run into each other during ISU parents weekends. We used to call ourselves “Us-5”. We’ve
since changed our group text to “Us-50” after some milestone birthdays. Yikes!
I also have fond memories of Friday night football and basketball games where the entire town
came out to support our athletes. That sense of community doesn’t happen everywhere, and I
was fortunate to grow up in Galesburg and experience that.
Of course, basketball was a huge part of my life back then and took up most of my time. Some
of my favorite memories are the road trips we took together, especially our weeklong camp in
Michigan. We worked Railroad Days to help pay for our train ticket there. That was when the 3
on-3 tournament was at its peak, and it was the perfect chance to hang out with friends and
make great memories, even if part of the deal was handling garbage duty. The long train ride
there was filled with card games, sing-alongs, lots of laughs, and plenty of opportunities to drive
our coaches a little crazy. Looking back, I'm sure we took full advantage of that. Those trips
weren't just about basketball. They were about the friendships, the fun, and the memories that
have stayed with me all these years.
We were also lucky enough to play Maine West in the Chicago suburbs and we got to go to a
Bulls game when Michael Jordan was in his heyday. Although our seats were literally in the top
row of the United Center, we were ecstatic to get to experience that.
My basketball world and my family world came together when we started playing against
Carthage. They were a 1A basketball powerhouse at the time, and the connection felt especially
meaningful because of my family ties to the program. My cousin, Shannon, had been an All
State player there, and my Uncle Sci was a longtime coach who helped shape so many athletes
and teams over the years.
What I remember most about that experience was watching Coach Massey and Uncle Sci build
a lasting friendship. They shared a deep love and respect for the game, and it was special to see
two basketball legends connect not just as competitors, but as friends.
Playing for Coach Massey was such a valuable experience. I was a substitute player as a
sophomore and then a varsity starter during both my junior and senior years. He prepared us for
every game, instilled discipline in our team, and gave us every opportunity to succeed along the
way.
Coach was ahead of his time in providing us with statistics and game analysis that assigned
each player a “Team Value” score. This was especially meaningful for a player like me. I was
never one to top the charts in many statistical categories but seeing that my contributions still
brought value to the team gave me the confidence to embrace my role and perform it to the best
of my ability.
Because of that confidence and the lessons I learned under Coach Massey, I was fortunate to
earn All-Conference recognition and receive the Amy Chrisman award along with teammates
Ann Henderson and Christy Hickey during my senior year.
My parents (Rudy and Carol) were at every game supporting me along the way. Although I
didn’t always appreciate my dad’s “words of wisdom” at the time, boy I sure do miss them now
that he is gone! My mom has always been my rock and my best friend and I am so lucky to still
have her!
Education after GHS:
After watching my brother Lance play baseball at Eastern Illinois University for 4 years, I fell in
love with the school. So, I decided to go there myself. I had a double major in Zoology and
Botany with secondary education certification, graduating in 1997. I went on to receive my
master’s in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University in 2001.
Career:
I spent one semester at Knoxville High School teaching Chemistry, Physical Science and
Biology after I graduated from EIU in December of 1997. From there, I went on to teach Biology
at Lincoln-Way, first at Lincoln Way East in Frankfort as it was the freshman/sophomore campus
at the time. When our district split into 2–4-year high schools, I moved to Lincoln-Way Central in
New Lenox and have been there ever since. I am about to start my 29th year teaching there. I
have taught all levels of biological science and occasionally teach Forensic Science as a
semester elective. I have been the National Honor Society sponsor for the last 16 years and I
was fortunate to watch both of my sons graduate from LWC in 2022 and 2024.
What are you up to today:
I married my husband, Rob in 2001. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary, We have 2 sons,
Jake (22) and Ryan (20). Jake just graduated from the University of Cincinnati in May where he
was a long jumper on their track team until nagging injuries forced him to hang up his cleats.
Ryan will be a junior at ISU this fall and is currently the Rugby team president there. That has
been a lot of fun watching him and trying to figure out what is going on in that sport!
Life has sure slowed down since becoming empty nesters! We no longer have schedules jam
packed with the kids sports and activities, so we are figuring out what is next. Rob and I enjoy
traveling (occasionally meeting up with Shelley and her husband Dan), going to concerts and
comedy shows, and following the Bears and the White Sox. What fun it is to see those 2 teams
finally see some success! We also spend quite a bit of time in Wisconsin where my brother-in
law Jim now resides. The small-town life of supper clubs and Euchre games are a nice change
of pace for us.
Advice for present students/athletes:
If I could give current students one piece of advice, it would be to enjoy the journey. It's easy to
get caught up in worrying about what's next, whether that's the next game, the next grade, orlife
after high school. But don't forget to enjoy where you are right now.
The things I remember most aren't the scores or the awards. They're the friendships, the road
trips, the laughs with teammates, and all the little moments that seemed ordinary at the time.
Those are the memories that stay with you.
Work hard, be a good teammate, and don't forget to thank the coaches, teachers, and family
members who support you. Looking back, I realize how much time and energy so many people
invested in me, and I appreciate it now more than ever.
High school goes by a lot faster than you think, and one day you'll find yourself looking back on
these years with a smile, just like I do.
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