Written by Stephanie Gordon
Zoe Hopkins Tracey, ’16, came to Hillsdale as a motivated student with a passion for swimming. Today, she calls Hillsdale home with her husband, Aaron, ’14, and their growing family. From a standout swimmer for the Chargers to a coach to a jewelry designer, Zoe’s path continues to evolve with the same passion and creativity.
As a high school student, Zoe knew she wanted to attend Hillsdale. In fact, she only applied to Hillsdale College. She visited Hillsdale’s campus as a junior, and admitted to sneaking away from the tour to “hunt down” Head Swimming Coach Kurt Kirner. “We found Coach Kirner,” laughed Zoe. “I chatted with him for over an hour. After that, I knew Hillsdale was the school I would attend.”
Zoe grew up in Temperance, Michigan, and graduated from Bedford High School. She also grew up next to the community pool. “My mom told me if I was going to hang out at the pool, I had to learn how to swim,” said Zoe. “My swimming journey began at age four. I was put on a swim team, a winter league, and a club team. I just loved swimming.”
When Zoe became an official Chargers athlete and arrived at Hillsdale, Coach Kirner had great plans for her. “I was never a distance swimmer, but I broke the school record for the 1,650 as a freshman,” Zoe said. “That was the first time I ever swam that event. I was originally recruited for backstroke and mid-distance freestyle, but Coach Kirner confirmed that I was actually a distance swimmer. I held the school records in the 1,000 and 1,650 from 2014 – 2021.”
According to the Athletic Department, Zoe holds three of the College’s top times as well as the school records in the 1,000 free (10:18.52) and 1,650 free (17:18.95) events. She was a two-time team captain and was named Scholar All-American by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association in 2015 and 2016. Zoe also earned Academic All-GLIAC honors three times in her career.
The close-knit community among the women’s swim team made the experience unforgettable for Zoe. “We were just so supportive of each other,” she said. “You automatically get 20 friends who are aligned with you. We bonded over swimming, and it was easy to form meaningful relationships.”
Coach Kirner eventually became Zoe’s academic advisor, and he encouraged her to pursue a degree in sports management and motivated her to dive into the coaching world. During the summer months, Zoe would assist Coach Kirner with Hillsdale’s swim camps. Eventually, she assisted Coach Kirner with swim camps at the University of Michigan. It was during this time that Zoe realized she wanted to be a coach. “These experiences really influenced me,” she said. “I knew I had a knack for coaching.”
As a coach, Zoe found great joy in the relationships she formed with athletes. “It’s great to see an athlete improve in their sport, but seeing them improve as a whole person is a unique and special experience,” she said. “I was blessed to have great coaches growing up and to experience the significant influence a coach can have on an athlete.”
Zoe’s swim experience at Hillsdale was so positive, she hoped to work with Coach Kirner and assist the Chargers women swimmers after graduation. However, the opportunity wasn’t available just yet. She took a full-time coaching job at the Grand Traverse YMCA club in Traverse City, Michigan. There, she was the director of competitive swimming. After nine months, Coach Kirner called Zoe with a job offer.
“Coach Kirner offered me the assistant swim coaching position in February of 2017,” she said. “Of course, I accepted. We work great together, and I excelled under his program and believed in his philosophies.”
When Zoe moved back to Hillsdale to take on the new role, she met her husband, Aaron, who was an admissions counselor for the College at the time. Ironically, Zoe and Aaron did not know each other when they were students at Hillsdale. “We just hit it off right away,” Zoe said of their first date.
Zoe and Aaron married in April of 2018. “We felt so blessed about everything,” she added. “We loved our education, our jobs, and everything that was happening with our lives in Hillsdale. We knew Hillsdale was going to be home for us.”
A month following their wedding, Aaron took on a new role at the College as the director of hospitality at the Dow Hotel and Conference Center. Both Aaron and Zoe settled into their jobs and enjoyed small-town living. Soon, 2020 presented opportunities during difficult times.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, students didn’t return to campus after spring break,” Zoe recalled. “I was a non-essential worker, and I didn’t have much to do. I could only take my dog for so many walks. I’ve always been crafty, so I started making earrings with beads and tassels.”
Her business, Zoe Ray Designs, quickly took off in the Hillsdale community. She joined other Hillsdale alums at the Hillsdale Farmers Market with Hillsdale Art Mart, and her earrings sold “really well.” “Customers loved the beads and tassels, but I decided to experiment with resin,” she said. “I was researching techniques, styles, and trends, and at that time, resin was ‘up and coming.’”
So, Zoe started creating earrings made with real flowers and resin. “They sold so well, and I listened to what people were saying at the market,” said Zoe. “At that time, we had so much space in our house, so I expanded my studio to create more jewelry.”
In the fall of 2020, students returned to Hillsdale’s campus. Zoe returned to her coaching job, but still kept up with her jewelry business. In 2021, Zoe and Aaron welcomed their first child, Asher. “Asher came, and I was still coaching, and my jewelry business was growing, and it was all more than I could keep up with,” she said. “Coaching happens at dinnertime, the most family-oriented time of the day. This is why coaches are the best, because they sacrifice so much. In June of 2022, I submitted my resignation so I could stay home with Asher and support my jewelry business.”
Soon after, Zoe and Aaron welcomed their daughter, Shiloh. Zoe kept up with her booming business. Beyond the farmers market, Zoe began attending art fairs around Michigan and Ohio. Her social media page grew, too. Millions have watched her enamoring Instagram reels that show her creative resin jewelry-making process.
“I used store-bought flowers in my jewelry when I first started working with resin,” Zoe said. “I’ve always loved gardening. I grew up with gardens and tending to them, and I learned a lot from my mom. With the floral jewelry selling well, I knew I could grow flowers of my own. I learned how to dry them. I love the art and novelty of flower preservation.”
Zoe continues to grow her own flowers for her jewelry pieces. She sometimes purchases flowers from Smith’s Flowers, a local flower shop, because not all flowers grow in southern Michigan’s climate. “I also purchase unique flowers from small businesses that like to preserve flowers,” she added.
Outside of raising a family and making jewelry, Zoe and her family enjoy being part of Pine Ridge Bible Church, and she loves playing violin in the worship band.
Zoe calls living in Hillsdale “easy.” “It’s a simple life living in Hillsdale,” she smiled. “There’s not a lot of distractions. It’s safe and quiet, and the people of our community have everyone’s best interest in mind.”
As for the future, Zoe said her priorities are in the home, but she will always have a passion for swimming and sports because of the unforgettable impact they have had on her life.
Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children – Eloise, Flora, and Jack. She enjoys baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, Detroit Lions football, and breaking a sweat at the gym.
Published in April 2026
