Love at First Sight: Jennifer Link Lippus Continues Her Relationship with Hillsdale College
Written by Doug Goodnough
It was love at first sight for Jennifer Link Lippus, ’91.
When she first stepped onto the Hillsdale College campus as a high school senior from Sandusky, Ohio, she knew this was the place she wanted to be.
“I already felt a sense of home there,” she said. And when then-Hillsdale admissions counselor Pete Lennington mentioned the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program during her campus tour, the final decision was made.
“I was interested in civics, government, and politics from the time I was very young,” said Lippus, whose father was the longtime city manager of Sandusky, Ohio. ”I applied to a few other schools, but my ultimate goal at that point was pursuing Hillsdale’s poly sci (political science) major and having the opportunity to do WHIP.”
During her high school trip to Washington, D.C., she said she became “fascinated” with the city and wanted to return. In the spring of 1990, she got her opportunity as a member of the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program.
She landed an internship in the office of Indiana Senator Dan Coats. Coats, who had a strong relationship with Hillsdale College, was a prime example of a servant leader, Lippus said.
“From the moment I walked in, I knew it was going to be more than just seeing the office in action,” she said of her experience. “It was an opportunity to get involved. They really wanted the interns to have as much depth to their experience as possible.”
In Senator Coats’ office, she worked the front desk and answered phone calls from constituents. Eventually trained as a tour guide on Capitol Hill, she said that experience was one of many that made the program special.
“I was assigned a particular project, and what I wrote ended up in the Congressional record,” she said. “ I look back now and remember those accomplishments and all the life lessons I learned. Being on my own and responsible for something outside of school work was just incredible.”
She said Monday night classes often featured guest speakers who were from all parts of government and greatly “enhanced” the experience. But she said working for Senator Coats made a lasting impression on her.
“He was just one of those guys who went to bat for his constituents,” Lippus said. “He was truly there to serve the people.”
After finishing WHIP, Lippus completed her senior year at Hillsdale and was considering law school. But her WHIP experience gave her pause, considering many recent college graduates struggled to make a living in high-priced D.C.
“I wasn’t quite ready to take that step,” she said of moving to D.C.
So she returned to her “first love,” working in the Hillsdale College Admissions Office for two years.
“It’s so critical for admissions counselors to have had a truly transformational experience in college so they can sell that to prospective students,” she said. “I felt like I was in a really great position to share what Hillsdale had done for me as a student.”
After selling Hillsdale, she eventually went into a sales and marketing career in the private sector. However, she said something was “missing,” and took a job in nonprofit fundraising. She served as the director of foundation relations for the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio for 12 years, and in July of 2023, she started as the director of development for Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo.
She still occasionally ponders a career in politics and works on local political races from time to time. But she said watching her father in his work as a city manager has made her hesitant.
“I saw the toll it took on him on a very small local scale,” Lippus said.
She did not hesitate, however, when close college friend and Kappa Kappa Gamma sister Allison Brodbeck Hill, ’91, asked her to join the Hillsdale College Women Commissioners in 2020.
“(Allison) said one of these days I’m going to be doing the outreach,” she said of the volunteer group that has served the College for more than a century. “Three years ago, I got the phone call that there was a space available. To be involved more directly with the College has been great. Also, as a scholarship student when I was at Hillsdale, I very much understand the importance of providing financial assistance for our students. We are raising money for scholarships. We’re raising money to assist the ability of the preschool program. Being a part of all of that has been great.”
In fact, the fourth annual Charger Derby fundraiser is scheduled for November 4 in the Searle Center. The Women Commissioners event fashioned after the Kentucky Derby has been a hit with the community.
“It’s an incredibly fun event,” Lippus said of the Derby, which features 10 simulated horse races. “That’s the core of the event—to get everyone up and out of their seats. You can buy a horse and name it. We have had some really fun names over the years. This past year we raised more than $100,000.”
An online silent auction offers many unique items, with all proceeds raised going to Hillsdale College scholarships. Lippus, who is using her fundraising experience to help the cause, said she tries to connect with alumni business owners to feature their items in the auction.
“It’s a great way to reach out to our alumni to say, we can highlight you and your business through this event,” she said.
Lippus, who is involved in her hometown of Sandusky in a variety of community organizations and causes, said she loves to boat on Lake Erie with her husband, John. She said she has never lost her sense of community, which was fostered during her WHIP and Hillsdale College days.
“I encourage people to get behind the Kirby Center and WHIP specifically, because I’m seeing it grow. To think about what a great experience I had and to have that open and available to a broader group of students—to me, that says it all,” she said.
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in October 2023