Cara Marker has come a long way since her days as an outstanding scholar-athlete at Lake Orion High School.
In the early 1990s, Marker combined academic excellence with prowess on the volleyball court, demonstrating superiority in both areas.
Besides being a team leader on a fine Lake Orion volleyball team, the 1992 graduate played flute and was drum major for the marching band, and ran track and cross country.
But It was Marker’s talent on volleyball court that led to a scholarship and successful athletic career at Kalamazoo College, culminating with her recent induction into Kalamazoo’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Now a licensed pediatric psychologist at Cleveland’s Fairview Hospital, a member of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital System, Marker fondly recalls her time in Lake Orion.
‘Lake Orion was a great place to learn,? said Marker, whose parents, Tim and Joyce Marker, still reside in the community. ‘It is where I began to develop my qualities as a leader.?
Following an illustrious high school career, Marker assumed a leadership role as a setter on a Kalamazoo volleyball team that was ranked fourth in the nation.
A four-year starter, she was named All-MIAA First Team in 1993, 1994 and 1995, and was All-Great Lakes Region First Team in 1994 and 1995. At the time, she was only the third All-American in Kalamazoo College volleyball history.
Marker was team captain in 1995, and her career assists record was the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division III history at the time. She ultimately played 445 games, with an average of 10.27 assists per game.
Off the court, she earned a spot on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and graduated with a major in Psychology and Secondary Education.
She later received a Ph.D in School Psychology at the University of South Carolina and completed an internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.
Currently a resident of Cleveland, Marker is the founder of Inner Health Ministries, a Christian-based behavioral health psychology practice.
Marker downplays her role on Kalamazoo College’s successful volleyball team, preferring to give credit to her teammates.
‘It is a huge honor to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame,? she said, ‘but this award should go to the whole team. I was just the setter and one individual on the team.?
She also offered plaudits to her former college coach, Jeanne Hess.
‘Coach Hess was such a positive role model for all of us,? said Marker. ‘She taught me a lot, and I learned a great deal about being a leader from her.?
While it was Marker’s assists on the court that garnered attention at Kalamazoo College, she continues to assist others in her professional career.
‘Today, I work with autistic children and kids with special needs,? Marker said. ‘I have found my life’s passion. My career and my faith in God.?
Marker continues to play volleyball and competes in triathlons. She also maintains a relationship with Kalamazoo College, hosting students in the college’s career development Summer Externship Program.