Leigh Alum Cody Hillen Speaks to LHS Students
“It’s all about finding something you are passionate about.”
This is the message Cody Hillen reiterated several times to the students of Leigh High School when he came to speak earlier this semester. And Hillen’s love for what he does was evident to Leigh students.
Hillen became the sixth LHS graduate to speak to the sophomore careers class as part of the “Successful Leigh-ders” program this semester, joining Kamin (Hillen) Held, Austin Bruhn, Ryan Kumpf, Mike and Ty McMullin, and Lauren (Settje) Stoklasa. Juniors and seniors interested in the career field were also in attendance.
As part of the “Successful Leigh-ders” project, 16 Leigh graduates are scheduled to speak to high school students this semester, one for each of the 16 career clusters designated by the state of Nebraska.
Hillen spoke on his experiences in the Architecture and Design career cluster. He said he first decided he wanted to be an architect after his dad took him to meet with a guidance counselor in Norfolk. He wanted to design things, but math scared him. He liked the artistic side of architecture over engineering.
After graduating from Leigh in 1997, he studied at UNL and even completed a London study abroad program in 2002. He graduated from UNL with a Bachelor’s of Science in Design and a Master’s degree in Architecture in 2003.
Hillen now works in Omaha for DLR Group, a full-service architecture and engineering firm that employs 700 employees worldwide.
In addition to his stress on finding something you are passionate about and making it your career, Hillen emphasized the importance of creative problem solving in today’s workforce, for his job or any job.
He also stressed the importance of taking challenging classes in high school and college. “In those tough classes,” Hillen stated, “it’s not about getting the final answer correct. It’s about the process. It’s about developing determination and perseverance by tackling something that is hard for you. That’s important in any job.”
“We don’t currently have any students who are dead-set on going into the architecture field,” Mrs. Fischer said, “but they all loved listening to Cody anyway. He was overflowing with passion and excitement about what he does, and I think that is the main message kids will take away from him. I was inspired, and I know they were too.”