OUR TEAM
Michael Petrella
ISR Senior Master Instructor Candidate
My ISR Story:
In October of 2007, my father sent me the video of Miles, the toddler in the blue cotton jumper that falls into the water and then rolls back to float, and maintains his float for five minutes, fully clothed. I was absolutely amazed that a 14 month old child could save himself from drowning. Having a backyard pond and a 2 year old that couldn't swim lead me directly to the ISR national website. At the time, I noticed there were no ISR Instructors in Michigan and the nearest Instructor was Cindy Favorite, located in Toledo, OH. I came to the conclusion that I would not be able to enroll my daughter, Merlot, in the aquatic survival lesson due to the three hour drive, each way. Seeing a need for this important program in Michigan, I began to research becoming an ISR instructor. In April of 2008, I became the first Certified ISR Instructors in Michigan.
In May of 2012 I became a Master Instructor. This allows me to teach other instructors, and special needs student, thus reaching more children. In January of 2016 I will train my first two Team Instructors to work with ISR Grand Rapids to reach more young lives before they reach the water alone.
In September of 2018 I started my training as a Senior Master Instructor.
Rebekah Milito
ISR Certified Instructor
My ISR Story:
In 2013 my 1st daughter was born. She is a little ball of fire. Eager to see, do and learn all she can as fast as she can. She was crawling by 5 months old and I knew she was going to keep me on my toes. I saw an ISR video of a little boy crawling outside and falling in the pool after a toy and watched in amazement as he turned over and floated!! We lived on a lake full time and it always concerned me that she would get away from me and that’s where I would find her. The closest lessons were a 50 minute drive one way, but I had to take her for my peace of mind. My husband was skeptical about the lessons and the cost but after the first week his words were “totally worth every penny”! So at 8 months old she learned how to float on her own. I was hooked on ISR. Watching my little girl learn how to self-rescue was amazing! ISR gave us peace of mind knowing that we had given her everything she needed for “just in case”. Our 2nd daughter came in 2014 and she also went through lessons at 7 months. We are very active water people and ISR is the best part of that. Both of our daughters know how to swim and float and that they don’t get in the water without mom or dad. I love watching each of my children explore the world around them.
Kim Culver
Scheduler
My ISR Story:
I grew up spending a lot of time at beaches and pools and always loved being in the water. I wanted my children to have confidence and skills to be safe in the water and to enjoy swimming like I did. I knew Michael prior to him becoming a Certified Instructor and our daughters, then ages 1 1/2 and 4, were some of his first students. I was amazed at what they learned! My younger daughter was floating after a few days of lessons and my oldest went from hating getting her face wet in the bath to swimming across the pool in a few weeks. The girls grew to love swimming and seeing their confidence soar as their skills increased was incredible. I remember telling Michael I was glad that my kids now liked playing in the water. He said "more importantly, they now know how to respect the water and be safe!" In 2015 our youngest daughter was born, and by 8 months of age she was in lessons. We are so grateful that she started at such a young age! She is an extremely active child and has no fear. At 2 1/2 years old she was learning to snorkel and could swim across the pool several times, floating for as long as she wanted. Taking her on vacation to a water resort that year was so fun to see the amazed reactions of others when they saw her jump in the deep end without floaties! My family has always been huge advocates for ISR, referring many friends. When Michael approached me to be his scheduler, I was thrilled to be a bigger part of ISR. I love my job and it is an honor to support the Instructors, encourage parents and help all the students get scheduled. I may not be in the pool with our students, but I am invested in seeing them accomplish their skills. I love when I get to see pictures and videos on social media or when parents email me.
Laurie Thompson
ISR Certified Instructor
My ISR Story:
I grew up on the shores of Lake Huron and am a true child of the Great Lakes. When I met my future husband, we both shared a love for scuba diving and eventually became scuba instructors and public safety divers. My family spends a lot of time in, on, and under the water. When we had our daughter, Cora, in 2017, we knew we had to do as much as we could to ensure she would be safe in and around the water. We were quickly introduced (by fellow divers) to the ISR program and were referred for lessons with Michael Petrella. Seeing the impressive results of those lessons while learning more about the program made ISR an obvious choice for our family. We enrolled Cora in ISR lessons for the first time when she was just sixteen months old. Watching that first lesson blew me away! As a school psychologist, I have training in behavioral principles and learning, and I immediately recognized that Michael was using science-backed methods to reinforce behaviors related to swimming and floating. I was sold. By the end of that first six weeks, Cora was swimming and floating independently. By the time she was 2.5 years old, she was snorkeling independently. After watching Cora’s skills and confidence increase so dramatically, I knew I wanted to learn how to help other children become aquatic problem solvers, too. ISR seemed like a great intersection of my skills and interests. As a school psychologist who works with infants and toddlers, I have training in many of the same foundational skills that help make ISR so successful. As a scuba instructor, I teach older children and adults how to use their buoyancy and motor skills to safely navigate the aquatic environment while diving, and as a public safety diver, I know just how dangerous the water can be. In 2020, I completed my training to become an ISR instructor with the same passion and commitment that I had when I showed up to my daughter’s first lesson as a parent dedicated to their own child’s safety!