Crystal Williams was honored as the 2025 recipient of the Shellie-Ann Braswell “Shine Brighter” Award on April 11, which recognizes exceptional charter school volunteers who lead with love, service, and impact.
Building Hope created this award to spotlight volunteers who are the heartbeat of their school communities, individuals who go above and beyond to support students, families, and the overall culture of their charter schools.
This year, the celebration was brought directly to Crystal’s hometown of Mancelona, Michigan, where each class of students shared their own special thank you messages in song, art, and heartfelt tributes.
Students were encouraged “Shine Bright, and they committed to “be kind,” “share,” and “give hugs” to people in need to increase the impact of “Grandma Crystal’s” generosity.
In addition to the $5,000 award Crystal received as the individual honoree, North Central Academy was presented with a school-wide monetary award. To support the continuation of her work, School Food and Wellness Group and Boelter also donated a commercial refrigerator, expanding her capacity to serve the school and the community.
Crystal’s journey began as a dedicated parent and evolved into a steady, transformative force at North Central Academy. She became known as Grandma Crystal as she provided food to families, shower cards to a local truck stop to a family who had their water shut off and during the winter, provided multiple outdoor items to classroom teachers such as winter coats, hats, gloves and boots so students would have warm clothing to wear during recess and PE.
In 2022, Grandma Crystal and NCA officially launched “Grandma’s Place”. Grandma’s Place is a warm, welcoming space filled with clothing, hygiene items, essential supplies and food for students in need.
Crystal’s efforts have created a ripple effect, rallying parent engagement, driving fundraising, and fostering a school culture rooted in care and compassion. She exemplifies every pillar of the Shine Brighter Award: measurable impact, leadership with integrity, program sustainability, and deep community support.
Your leadership and heart continue to shine bright on North Central Academy and beyond.
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