About Keith: I grew up in St. Joseph, Illinois. I graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University for undergrad and went on to complete my law degree at Washington University in St. Louis. I practiced law for seven years before getting my teaching certificate. I am a social studies teacher at Mahomet-Seymour High School and coach football and track and field. I am married to Christi and we have four children – David is junior in engineering at the University of Alabama, Carly is a sophomore in business/finance at Carnegie Mellon University, Steve is a junior at MSHS, and Keegan is a freshman at MSHS.
1. How long have you lived in Mahomet, what has your experience been like and why did you move here?
We moved here in 2002. I have coached football at MSHS since 1995 and began teaching at the high school in 1999. We began looking for a home in Mahomet in 1999 and it just took a while to find a house in our price range that we liked. I love Mahomet and I am 100% Bulldog. It’s a great community and the finest school system in downstate Illinois. My kids have really benefited from their education here. The funny thing is in high school I hated Mahomet-Seymour. Mostly because Frank Dutton’s football teams used to stomp us every season!
2. If you or a family member has been working from home, taking classes remotely, etc… what is the greatest benefit?
My younger boys have had to do some remote learning, and I have had to teach a lot of remote students. The greatest benefit is it made me realize how critical face-to-face instruction is in education. I was concerned remote learning might phase out a lot of traditional instruction. However, the remote experience has reinforced the value of having students present.
3. How did you cope with the freezing temperatures we had in February 2021? I hate cold weather. Increasingly so as I get older. I stayed inside and read a ton of history. Played a lot of games.
4. Did you or your family do any kind of winter activities, if yes what was it? My son, Steve, did a little ice fishing, but that’s it. Winter is the prime time for us to play a lot of indoor games.
5. What are your thoughts on the pandemic after having experienced it for a year? I have gone through grief for the lives lost and lives irrevocably changed by the pandemic. I am grateful for my privileged life and strong family structure. I cannot see us ever returning to the old normal, and that is hard. However, we can use some of the lessons learned during this time to be better.
6. What’s the most important thing you have learned from 2020?
Our democracy and republic are far more fragile than we, as Americans, would like to admit. I don’t know if we have the same grit and resilience as the greatest generation that faced the
depression and world war two. Time will tell. I am a talker by nature, but I have endeavored to be more of a listener and practice empathy.
7. Do you have a bucket list? If yes, what are the top three items?
Go Peacock Bass fishing in the Amazon River basin. Attend the Essen Game Fair. Tour Athens, Rome, and Egypt.
8. What’s your favorite time of the day and why?
Late night. I am a night owl and I enjoy the solitude of late night and early morning hours.
9. What’s your favorite book/tv/movie?
Book – Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Although I do not agree entirely with his thesis, the book forced me to critically consider how I view history.
T.V. – Deadwood
Movie – Gladiator, it is a cheesy choice, particularly for a historian, but there it is.
10. What’s your definition/meaning of life?
In 100 years, no one will remember me and few will even know my name. Any legacy will come in the form of positive experiences and influence I provide for my children, community, and the wonderful students I teach and learn from.
