Take 5 with Tracie Featuring Travis Schmidt of Winterrose Crusade

Some conversations are difficult, but that does not make them optional. Domestic violence is one of those topics. It is deeply personal, often hidden, and far more common than many people realize.

When I sat down with Travis Schmidt of Winterrose Crusade, the heart behind the conversation was impossible to miss. This organization was created in honor of his daughter, Winterrose Destiny Wright-Schmidt, and its mission is centered on awareness, education, and hope for those impacted by domestic violence.

What stood out most was this: the work is not only about responding after harm has happened. It is about helping people recognize warning signs early, speak up sooner, and understand that support is available.

The story behind Winterrose Crusade

Winterrose Crusade began from profound loss and a desire to continue one young woman’s legacy of helping others.

Travis shared that his daughter Winterrose was a fighter. In her 23 years, she overcame tremendous challenges and persevered through difficult circumstances. But she became trapped in a domestic violence relationship. While her death was ruled a suicide, Travis believes that if she reached that point, it was because she felt there was no way out.

In the middle of grief, her family was met with story after story about Winterrose’s selflessness and the ways she had shown up for other people. That became the spark for the organization. Rather than letting her impact end there, they chose to carry that spirit forward by creating Winterrose Crusade in her honor.

In our grieving, we were overwhelmed by stories of her selflessness in helping others that we wanted to continue that spirit.

That purpose shapes everything the organization does today.

What more people need to understand about domestic violence

One of the most important points Travis made is something every parent, partner, friend, teacher, and young adult needs to hear:

Abuse does not always leave a bruise.

Domestic violence is often misunderstood because people tend to look only for physical injury. But abuse can begin long before there is visible violence, and in many relationships it starts with patterns of control.

Among young adults especially, that control can look highly digital and highly normalized if no one has been taught to recognize it.

Examples of early controlling behavior

• Tracking someone’s location through GPS
• Demanding passwords to phones or social media accounts
• Monitoring constant communication
• Using technology to keep tabs on where someone is and who they are with
• Gradually increasing controlling behavior as the relationship becomes more serious

These behaviors are sometimes dismissed as jealousy, protectiveness, or intense love. They are not. They can be signs of an unhealthy and potentially dangerous relationship dynamic.

One of the biggest warning signs: Isolation

When I asked what loved ones should look for, Travis pointed to one warning sign in particular: isolation.

Looking back at Winterrose’s experience, isolation was one of the clearest patterns. Her abuser began separating her from the people and resources that could have supported her. Family, friends, and outside connections became harder to access.

That matters because isolation is not just a relationship issue. It is a control strategy. When someone is cut off from trusted people, practical help, and emotional support, it becomes much harder for them to recognize abuse clearly or feel capable of leaving.

If someone you care about seems increasingly disconnected, withdrawn, or difficult to reach, pay attention. Especially if the change seems tied to a partner’s influence.

Signs a loved one may be experiencing domestic violence

• They are suddenly isolated from family or friends
• Their partner seems controlling about time, communication, or access
• They become less available, less open, or more guarded
• The relationship appears to be shrinking their support system
• There are red flags, but people around them hesitate to say anything

Silence can be costly. A key message from our conversation was simple: do not ignore what may be a red flag, and do not wait to speak up later if concern is already present now.

Resources that can help

Winter Rose Crusade connects people to both digital and local support resources, which is especially important because not everyone is ready or able to seek help the same way.

Travis highlighted several organizations that provide education, screening tools, and support for people in unhealthy relationships.

National and online resources

• loveisrespect.org for warning signs, healthy relationship information, and quizzes
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline website for access to support and resources across the United States

These online resources can be especially helpful for young adults, for people who are unsure whether what they are experiencing is abuse, and for those who may be relocating away from their local support networks.

That last point is important. Support is not limited to one town or one zip code. Even if someone moves away from family and friends, there are still resources available.

Local organizations mentioned

• Montgomery County Women’s Center
• Family Time Crisis & Counseling Center
• H-Town Dream Center
• Hopeful Hearts Ministry
• HAAM Social Services

Community partnerships matter because domestic violence prevention and response require more than one organization working alone. It takes education, trusted relationships, and clear paths to help.

Why these conversations must start early

One of the most urgent parts of our conversation focused on schools and young people.

Travis explained that many adults do not realize the depth of abuse happening in high schools. The numbers are deeply alarming. He cited that 1.5 million students report being in an abusive relationship or being victims of sexual assault.

That reality changes the question from whether we should talk about healthy relationships early to how quickly and consistently we can start.

If we wait until adulthood to talk about domestic violence, we miss years when harmful relationship patterns may already be forming. Early education can give teenagers and young adults language for what they are experiencing, help them recognize unhealthy behavior sooner, and increase the odds that they will reach out for support.

Why early education matters

• It helps young people recognize red flags before abuse escalates
• It normalizes conversations about healthy relationships
• It gives peers tools to notice when a friend may need help
• It challenges the idea that abuse only happens somewhere else
• It can lead to earlier intervention and greater safety

Awareness is not about causing fear. It is about replacing confusion with clarity.

Education plus empowerment equals prevention

There was one framework Travis shared that captures the mission of Winterrose Crusade beautifully:

Education in power equals prevention.

The meaning behind it is straightforward and powerful. When people receive the right education, they are better equipped to empower themselves. They can identify unhealthy behavior in their own relationships. They can recognize danger signs in the relationships of friends or family members. And they are more likely to act before the situation becomes even more dangerous.

This is why awareness efforts matter. This is why school partnerships matter. This is why community conversations matter. Not because they solve everything overnight, but because they give people the tools to see clearly and respond earlier.

Domestic violence is not happening somewhere else

Another point I wanted to emphasize in this conversation is that it is easy to assume these situations happen elsewhere, to other families, in other communities.

But domestic violence is not a distant issue. It is happening here. It may be affecting someone you know and care about right now.

That is why awareness cannot stay abstract. It has to become personal enough for us to notice, compassionate enough for us to ask questions, and informed enough for us to connect people with real help.

A final word of hope

The work of Winterrose Crusade is rooted in tragedy, but it is also rooted in hope. Hope that education can prevent harm. Hope that people in dangerous relationships can find support. Hope that communities can get better at seeing what is often hidden. And hope that one life remembered with love can still change many others.

If this topic resonates with you, or if someone in your life may need support, do not wait to ask for help. There are people, organizations, and resources ready to respond.

Winterrose Crusade exists to keep an important conversation going, and that conversation has the potential to save lives.

Key takeaways

• Domestic violence is not always physical. Abuse often begins with control, including digital monitoring and demands for access.
• Isolation is a major warning sign. When someone is being cut off from family, friends, or support, take that seriously.
• Young adults need education early. High school and college age relationships can include serious abuse that often goes unrecognized.
• Resources are available. Online tools and local organizations can provide guidance, safety planning, and support.
• Awareness can lead to prevention. Education empowers people to identify red flags and respond sooner.

I am grateful to Travis Schmidt for sharing Winterrose’s story and for the work Winterrose Crusade is doing to bring awareness, education, and hope to those impacted by domestic violence.

And I am grateful for every person willing to have this conversation, because speaking up may be the very thing that helps someone find a way forward.

To inquire about being a guest on Take 5 with Tracie, email Tracie@gemcchamber.com.