Let’s begin with the start of it all. Mr. Lilly went to Lincoln, and he was popular. Mr. Lilly, a self-proclaimed extrovert, was a popular baseball player, honor student, and most notably, “Cutest Guy In School” according to the 2001-2002 yearbook. His first car as a teenager here? A bright yellow 1960s Ford Mustang, that he unfortunately no longer owns.

Mr. Lilly was not only popular in high school, but was a self-proclaimed jock as well, though current students would be surprised to see what he was a Lion the first time. Though he had frosted tips and long sideburns, which he described as “epic”,  more than just his hair has changed.

Age has brought him wisdom, and life since high school is certainly different. He’s now a dad with a young daughter, he traded in the Mustang for something with a car-seat, and though they were epic, no more frosted tips.

More than just his hair and fashion taste have changed over the years however, Lilly now is more cognizant of what he says at school as well, “I try to take time to think about what’s coming out of my mouth.” Lilly said.

And to anyone that says that kids have changed dramatically, Lilly disagrees. There are days where he comes to work and meets kids that remind him of students he interacted with while he was a student in the new mobile phone era all those years earlier.

While Lilly is popular around campus, there are some students who have yet to meet him. To those students Lilly remarked, “My job is to help students,” he said. 

Going on to say, “…I’m a helping hand and I do my best to help them.” The quote that arguably meant the most: “I could see myself working here long-term. Absolutely. That’s what I want to do.”

In short, Mr. Lilly, who’s favorite color went from red to blue and gold, is a busy guy. Even though he has countless tasks at school, he is always willing to offer a warm smile and in his referee-style voice, his final message: 

“Do right.”