Janesville

If you were to research the small city of Janesville, you’d quickly learn that it’s the county seat of Rock County, Wisconsin, nestled along the Rock River in the southern part of the state. With just over 65,000 residents, it’s the tenth-largest city in Wisconsin. Together with neighboring Beloit, it makes up the Janesville–Beloit metropolitan area, home to about 165,000 people.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that Janesville has a rich and fascinating history. Long before settlers arrived, the area was home to a Ho-Chunk village, and later became a gathering place for pioneers drawn to the Rock River and fertile farmland. The city itself was founded in 1835 and named after Henry Janes, one of its earliest settlers.

Janesville quickly grew into a hub of farming and industry. It played an active role in the Civil War, sending many soldiers to serve in the Union Army. In 1859, Abraham Lincoln even visited and spoke there, staying in the home of William Tallman—now a well-known historic landmark.

By the late 1800s, Janesville had become a manufacturing center. It was home to the Parker Pen Company, whose pens were used to sign major World War II documents, and later to a General Motors plant that produced tractors and automobiles for nearly a century. Known as “Wisconsin’s Park Place,” Janesville also earned a reputation for its beautiful park system, thanks to city planning efforts that made the Rock River a focal point for recreation and community gathering.

So, why am I writing about Janesville? Good question!

As many of you know, much of our family’s free time over the past 30 years has revolved around the sport of soccer. Our children all grew up playing, and though the games have slowed down as they’ve gotten older, our youngest, Jacob, still plays college soccer for Elmhurst University. Jennifer and I have made it our mission to get to as many of his games as possible. That means a lot of road trips—to Elmhurst near Chicago, and to away games all over the Midwest, which brings me back to Janesville.

On a recent trip, we were headed up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to watch Elmhurst take on the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. (In case you’re wondering, the game didn’t end as we hoped—but we did manage to talk the UW–Eau Claire mascot into a picture with us, so that was a win in its own way!) After the game, we decided to get a couple of hours of driving in before stopping for the night, and we landed at a Holiday Inn Express in—of all places—Janesville.

The hotel itself was perfectly ordinary. What stood out, though, were the people. The staff was kind and helpful, but it was the guests who really left an impression.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Little acts of kindness can go a long way.” That proved true for us in Janesville. On two separate occasions, complete strangers offered to help us with our luggage—and neither of them worked for the hotel.

When we arrived, a man in his 70s left his wife’s side to ask if we needed a hand. We politely declined, but Jennifer and I exchanged a look of almost disbelief. It wasn’t that we needed help—it was that he thought to offer.

Then, as we were leaving the next morning, two young men in the elevator—smiling and wearing shirts with the local fire department logo—asked if we needed help getting our bags to the car.

I turned to Jennifer and said, “Did you just hear that noise?” She looked at me, puzzled, and asked, “What noise?” I grinned and replied, “That was me hitting the floor. I think I’m going to pass out from shock—this is the nicest group of people I’ve ever run into at a hotel!” We both laughed, but we also both agreed.

That morning, we left Wisconsin in a good mood. The game hadn’t gone our way, but we found ourselves encouraged—reminded that kindness still exists, sometimes in the simplest of ways.

It may not be the most dramatic story, but in a world where negativity often drowns out the good, I think it’s worth remembering: empathy and kindness still matter. And sometimes, all it takes to restore your faith in people is a helping hand—offered freely, with no strings attached.

Moments like these remind me that leadership, community, and even education are built on the same foundation—kindness. Whether it’s helping a stranger with luggage, encouraging a teammate on the field, or supporting a colleague at work, these simple acts create trust and connection. In our schools and in our lives, we don’t always need grand gestures to make a difference. Sometimes it’s the small things—done with empathy—that truly shape a culture of care.