An Illini love story, Levis Faculty Center edition ...
“The fourth floor of the Levis Faculty Center completely changed my life,” says Jeff Kibler (BS ’04/computer science; MBA ’10), VP of solutions and customer success at Flybits, a Toronto-based computer software company.
“In December of 2000 in my undergrad days, I started a new job as an orientation student leader as part of the dean of students office, and our first training session brought me to this unforgettable place. I climbed the multiple flights of stairs; I was nervous about starting a new role while trying to focus on grades and school.
“I entered the room like a deer in headlights; the room was filled with talented, compassionate student leaders. I quickly chose a seat. As I looked up, I was a bit starstruck; the most amazing woman, a fellow OSL, sat across from me. It was the first time in my life I couldn’t even talk; I honestly could not have cared any less about learning any material that day.
“It took me two years to finally convince her to go on our first date, and we’re now married with three kiddos.
“I honestly could speak about U of I for hours, if not days. A surreal experience includes:
“As a member of the Block I and Orange Krush, I was typically one of the first to enter any game. I never missed one; it was nearly a religion.
“During the glory days of Cory Bradford and his three-point madness, I sat below the basket for the unfortunate end to that streak — a buzzer-beater victory, though. As the excitement of the crowd built throughout the game, the Krush’s excitement increased ten-fold.
“Then, the most peculiar event occurred. The referee began talking to me. He wanted to know if I wanted to ref the rest of the game.
“While an interesting proposition, I realized the referee may not have appreciated some of the assistance/guidance/recommendations that the Krush, including me, had been providing throughout the game. I learned a valuable lesson — referees maintain amazing poker faces.”
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