by: Michelle Barnhart
Kerry Lippold is a reporter for the Prospectus. Born in St. Louis, he has lived in the Champaign area for most of his life, attending Mahomet schools starting in second grade. He played soccer from third grade all the way through high school and has been coaching, volunteering, and mentoring since the age of 12. He is currently the head coach of a boys’ soccer team in Mahomet. Lippold also enjoys playing pool from time to time.
Something that most people don’t know about Lippold is that both of his parents were speed skaters; his father even has a world record! He started skating the day he could walk. His mother, who is originally from the Champaign area, has been a police officer for around 11 years. She is also a Control Tactics and Firearms instructor at the University of Illinois.
Lippold is a part of Parkland Pathways, a program in which students are granted dual admission to Parkland and the University of Illinois. Pathways students can take up to two classes at the University of Illinois while attending Parkland for four semesters. Lippold is a second-year student in the program studying Engineering Science. He will be continuing at the U of I next semester to study Mechanical Engineering.
Lippold joined the Prospectus in Fall of 2019 as a reporter. “I thought it was a great opportunity for me to get involved, build my resume, and get out of my comfort zone within all my technical work.” Last semester, he wrote many articles about opportunities for community involvement, but this semester he is tackling sports and athletics.
“I have always been a sports fan, so I enjoy reading about all my options when looking for article ideas,” he said.
Lippold’s favorite thing about being on the Prospectus is seeing the final product. He compared the process to that of his passion, which is engineering.
“In engineering, you start at a computer and eventually see all of your work come to life as a physical object which is really satisfying,” he said. Lippold also gave a shout out to Scott Landells, the Prospectus’ very own design editor. “I have a great respect for Scott and all he does laying out the paper.”
Lippold’s favorite article that he wrote took place last semester, when he wrote about NASA offering internships to community college students. Parkland student Sean McCloskey, who serves as President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, was able to participate in one of these internships himself. For this article, which can be found on the Prospectus website, Lippold got to speak with McCloskey about his experience and write about upcoming internship opportunities. Lippold himself will be taking advantage of one of these opportunities a week after this edition is published. He said this would not be possible without that article.
…working for the Prospectus has helped him realize and appreciate just how much work goes into making Parkland a great school”
When asked how the Prospectus has influenced him as a person and a student, Lippold said it has opened his eyes to lesser known events and occurrences at Parkland. He also said working for the Prospectus has helped him realize and appreciate just how much work goes into making Parkland a great school. Lastly, he said the Prospectus has made him a better student and improved his teamwork skills.
“Everything we do is collaborative, and I think it’s a great skill to have,” he said.
If you’re interested in reading about sports and athletics here at Parkland and in the community, be sure to check out Lippold’s articles in this and future editions of the Prospectus.
