Where Are They Now?: Dennis Frazee

Former Calumet and Wabash College cross country and track star Dennis Frazee takes his interest in science and dentistry from his older brother John.

John is a dentist in Michigan City, but it was while he was an undergraduate student at IU Northwest that Dennis saw something that he laughs about now. Dennis is in his fourth year at Indiana University's School of Dentistry in Indianapolis.

"I opened the refrigerator door and there was a dissected pig in the refrigerator," the younger Frazee said. "My interest in science went up quite a bit."

Frazee majored in biology at Wabash and minored in chemistry. He also got a master's in biology at Purdue. In the athletic arena, he had great careers at the prep and collegiate levels.

At Calumet, he finished 18th at the 2002 state cross country meet and made academic all-state. At Wabash, he twice earned All-Great Lakes  Region honors.

What he would like to do is return home, particularly to the specific area in which he grew up and practiced.

"That area around Calumet High School, there are like three dentists practicing and there are 32 or 33,000 people," Frazee said. "I want to come home and give back to the community that was good to me.

"I got a Lilly Endowment to go to Wabash and I am very fortunate for that. That really helped because it is expensive, but through the Lilly community scholarship, I could go there."

While he said he will go wherever there is an opportunity, home is where his heart is. He and his wife and high school sweetheart, Kristina, have a son, Tyler.

"I want to give back," Frazee said. "I want Calumet kids to know there are opportunities for them. You cannot just stop at high school, you have to get some kind of college degree. There are a lot of great kids at Calumet High School and they need to see that (alumni) still care about them."

He said his life is busy between a family and school. He credits his wife, who is a nurse, for keeping it all together.

"Kristina is the rock, that's for sure," Frazee said. "She takes care of everything and I am so grateful for that. It has allowed me to pursue everything I have wanted to, academically."