John and Jenny Hall were awarded the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award at the Kishwaukee College Foundation Annual Gala on Saturday, Nov. 5. The award honors established alumni who have demonstrated service or outstanding contributions within the Kish community.
“It is a wonderful honor to be recognized for this award. Our time at Kish provided a platform to learn and grow as young adults and certainly inspired our pride in our community, which has carried over to our work with DeKalb County United Soccer Club,” John said. “Kishwaukee College creates impactful opportunities for students, and we are proud to be members of the Kish family.”
John Hall graduated from DeKalb High school in 1999 and chose Kish for the next chapter in his educational journey. John describes his time at Kish as influential because it allowed him to grow and determine what he wanted to do with his life while continuing to play collegiate-level soccer. It was also the romantic setting where he met his wife Jenny, a 1999 Sycamore High School graduate.
Jenny started her higher education journey at a private college, where she was a student-athlete on the women’s soccer team, which Kish did not have at the time. After a year, Jenny transferred to Kish to move closer to home and save money.
After Kish, John joined Area Erectors, where he has been involved with many facets of the business and currently works in sales and project management. John later returned to Kish as the Assistant Coach for the men’s soccer team from 2011-2013.
Following his time as a coach at Kish, John became involved with regional soccer programs, where he witnessed numerous athletes being recruited to play on semi-pro teams located outside of the area. Seeing an opportunity to build a club in their home community, John sought the input of Jenny, who simply said, “Do it!”
In 2016, they worked with area partners to create a semi-pro team that would bring the local community together through the game of soccer, and in 2017, DeKalb County United (DKCU) was launched.
In 2022, the two leading area youth soccer clubs joined forces with DeKalb County United to create the DKCU Academy. The new youth academy provides a comprehensive player development pathway from ages under eight youth soccer to college, semi-pro, and more, all under the DKCU umbrella. The academy utilizes the support of the DKCU adult club structure while maintaining a local focus that meets the needs of all youth players in the community.
In addition to their day-to-day careers, each serves as a member of the club board, with John as the President and Jenny as the Secretary.
John and Jenny’s leadership and contributions have made a widespread impact in DeKalb County with their soccer club and youth initiatives.
Built on uniting the communities through the love of soccer, they are paying it forward for future generations. “Their selfless dedication to the residents of our district, youth in our community, and the support of Kish makes them great representatives of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award,” said Dr. Kayte Hamel, Executive Director of the Kishwaukee College Foundation.
To learn more about the Kishwaukee College Foundation and the Distinguished Alumni Award, including nominating an alum, visit www.kish.edu/foundation.