Harper Talks Episode 52 - John Schippman
John Schippman, a Harper College alumnus and Emmy Award-winning executive producer of sports at WMAQ and Telemundo, shares his journey from being a “Scrappy C” at Harper College, transferring to the University of Illinois, and ultimately finding focus and launching a career in sports media that began with an internship at ESPN. He reflects on the power of patience, persistence, and a career covering Chicago sports at the highest level.
Harper Talks: The Alumni Podcast
Show 52: -- Harper Talks -- John Schippman
[00:00.900] - Brian Shelton
I'm Brian Shelton, and you're listening to Harper Talks, a co-production of Harper
College Alumni Relations and Harper Radio. Today on Harper Talks, I'm excited to speak
with John Schippman. John is a graduate of Harper College, a 2023 Distinguished Alumni
Award recipient, and an Emmy Award-winning media professional currently serving as
executive producer of sports at WMAQ and Telemundo. John and I met in the podcast
lab in Building D on campus. Thanks for being here, John. How you doing?
[00:28.950] - John Schippman
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.
[00:30.300] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, it's kind of a cold, rainy March day, but I'm looking forward to spring. How
about you?
[00:36.160] - John Schippman
Yes, it's not snowing, so that's good. It's not freezing, but spring is soon around
the corner.
[00:41.030] - Brian Shelton
Spring is coming.
[00:41.700] - John Schippman
We hope, yes.
[00:42.760] - Brian Shelton
Well, thanks for taking the time to come to campus today and taking some time off
to be here with us. Have you been back to campus much?
[00:51.830] - John Schippman
I've been a handful of times. Not ...More often in the past couple years than, than,
um, than, you know, I want to say like 10 years ago. But there's a lot of changes
going on here, and it's very impressive what's, uh, what's being built and, and renovated
and whatnot. So it's a very impressive campus.
[01:08.940] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, it changes quickly. Yeah, I've been here 11, 12 years, and it's amazing how
much construction we've done in that time.
[01:14.220] - John Schippman
That's right.
[01:14.840] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, I was just curious. Um, so you were a Harper student from '95 to '97, and I
have in my notes that that you weren't exactly sure what you wanted to do after high
school. Is that why you chose Harper?
[01:26.320] - John Schippman
Yeah, I think I was thinking about this this morning and, you know, did the whole
couple college stops with my parents, you know, junior and senior year of high school,
trying to figure out what I wanted to do. And, you know, did those options. And they're
also like, hey, you know, there's a Harper Community College, you know, down the road.
And, you know, I wasn't too sure, wasn't too familiar with Harper. So we came and
made a visit and, you know, it, with me being unsure of what I wanted to do, I said,
you know, maybe it's smart for me to stay home and sort of just, you know, maybe I
wasn't ready to leave yet. And maybe I just wanted to keep taking classes and that
would help me sort of figure out what my next step was gonna be. And also just to,
you know, I won't, I won't hide it. I was an average student in high school, right?
So when I got, I got into some schools, you know, like some of the universities I
applied to, but at the same time I said, hey, I'm gonna go to Harper, I'm gonna work
on my grades and see what's next and give me more time to sort of figure out, you
know, what life is gonna be.
[02:25.630] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. And that is an excellent reason to come to Harper College. We had a former president
here who used to refer to those students as the Scrappy Cs, and I always liked that.
[02:34.000] - John Schippman
Absolutely. Yes. I'm a Scrappy C.
[02:36.210] - Brian Shelton
I'm a Scrappy C, and I figured it out once I got here, right? So that's one that I've
always, that's a little thing that I always admired from him, that he understood that
we, that those were our students. And I think that's a really important thing about
community college. And I've talked about this on this podcast several times. I went
to a private school right out of college, lots of money, and was totally unprepared
academically when I got there. And I would've been much better off if I had gone to
my local community college and figured out how to be a student and how to go to college
and figure out what you wanted to do. But that was a costly mistake for me. So you
made the right choice for sure.
[03:10.090] - John Schippman
Right. Just figure, you know, take, general education courses, right? And then dabble
in some other things that you might be interested in. And then, you know, you're not—
you don't feel rushed. Because now looking back, it's like your senior year in high
school, it's like, okay, what do you do? Like, this is a big jump.
[03:24.640] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[03:24.970] - John Schippman
You know, and some people are ready for it, others aren't. And, you know, I just—
I was a little timid to jump in that pool.
[03:32.110] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. No, I think you made the right choice. And I see that now. I have a high school—
my daughter's in high school, and there's a lot of pressure to like figure out what
you want to do for the rest of your life when you're 15 or 16 years old. And I think
that's
[03:42.380] - John Schippman
That's a lot of pressure.
[03:43.260] - Brian Shelton
It's a lot of pressure.
[03:44.370] - John Schippman
And it's like, you know, people, if they make a decision, it's like, you know, you
can change your mind. It's okay. But sometimes if you jump to a college for a career
you want to do and then you're a year in and you decide you want to change things,
you know, does that, you know, does that sort of derail things and you have to take
a step back and almost start over? And that's why this is the choice to go to Harper
for me was like it was, it was like a puzzle that sort of came together when I walked
in up to this campus the first time, it's like, okay, this is, this is the right decision
for me.
[04:13.400] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Yeah. So you were not involved, uh, in media while you were here at Harper College,
but while you, you were here and then you went to the University of Illinois and you,
um, you majored in media studies there. Is that where you found the passion for sports
media, or?
[04:26.880] - John Schippman
So I grew up big sports fan. My dad had, you know, Blackhawks season tickets for 40-plus
years, so we'd go to, you know, every game. Even when I was a little kid, my mom would
still make us leave after the second period because I had the next day, right? Um,
but I always loved sports, but I always liked, um, like criminal justice, police,
FBI sort of thing. We had a neighbor who was, who was, um, in the FBI, so that sort
of like piqued my interest. So I was sort of going back and forth, and I took a couple
of criminal justice classes here, which I, I thought was very interesting. But I kept
coming back to like, I really like sports, I like playing sports, I like watching
sports. So while I was here, I was super focused on just working on my grades and
making sure they were, they were, um, you know, high enough to be able to have a lot
of options going to the next step, going to, going to a university or whatnot. So
I, you know, I wasn't, that's the one thing that I sort of kick myself for is I wanted
to get more involved while I was here.
[05:23.800] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[05:24.200] - John Schippman
And, but at the same time, I, I, you know, wasn't super involved in a lot of extracurricular,
but I really focused on my studies and took advantage of, you know, all the educational
type, like tutoring programs and whatnot, which helped me with my grades.
[05:38.560] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Well, so I guess that's a question. We must have done a good job here, right?
Because you got into the University of Illinois.
[05:45.540] - John Schippman
Right.
[05:45.780] - Brian Shelton
Which is not an easy thing to do.
[05:47.250] - John Schippman
And I tell people there's like, outta high school, I didn't even, that wasn't even
a thought. Yeah. And then I got through my first year and I feel like I was best friends
with my counselor here because I checked in, checked in with them often and he's like,
you know what, you know, if you keep your grades up, there's going to be more options
opening up. And I brought up University of Illinois because I had friends who had
gone there. I had friends, knew people who were going there. It was in-state. It was
close by, but still, you know, a couple of hours away.
[06:14.610] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[06:15.950] - John Schippman
And he's like, that could be a real option. So I sort of kept that in the back of
my mind and just sort of kept my head down and, you know, just kept to, you know,
grinding with the, with the classes and trying to just keep my grades up.
[06:28.050] - Brian Shelton
So you really found something to focus on, I guess.
[06:29.750] - John Schippman
Yeah, absolutely, 100%.
[06:31.660] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, and that's tough. I think a lot of people are missing that, right?
[06:35.400] - John Schippman
Right, right. It's, you know, it's like, it's— you have, you have to try to find like
a goal or be focused on something and say, hey, what, you know, what are you trying
to— what do you want to accomplish, right? And that's what's great again about here.
It's like you have sort of time to figure that out.
[06:48.790] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, that's cool. So you did media studies, uh, at U of I, but after college you
had what I would call a pretty pivotal pivotal— I can't speak today— after college
you had a pretty pivotal opportunity interning for ESPN.
[07:02.770] - John Schippman
Correct.
[07:03.630] - Brian Shelton
How did that come about? I mean, that's a pretty big deal, right?
[07:05.460] - John Schippman
Yeah. So, you know, when you're in college, you're applying for tons of internships,
right? And between my sophomore and junior year, I applied for the— um, I'm sorry,
junior and senior— for the— my— that summer I applied for an internship at ESPN, and
they sort of sent me a thing back that said, hey, appreciate your interest.
[07:23.290] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[07:24.170] - John Schippman
..If something happens, you know, we'll call you sort of thing. So it was April of,
2000, and I was getting ready to go back to Illinois for a master's in broadcast journalism.
And I got this postcard from ESPN saying, hey, we have this internship opportunity,
which is basically you go to Bristol, Connecticut, their headquarters, and you're
an intern for 6 months. And then if you basically do a good job and whatnot, you're
basically hired as a full-time employee. So I dropped everything and I said, you know,
I graduated in May of 2000. Instead of going back to school, you know, my dad and
I, we packed up a trailer and drove out to Bristol, Connecticut 3 months later. And
then I was out, then I started September of 2000. I was out there for just under 4
years. So I went through the internship program, got hired on full-time. And was out
there for 4 years and it was great. And people are like, you know, why did you leave?
And I, you know, if ESPN would have been in Chicago or maybe a bigger city than Bristol,
Connecticut, I might have stayed. I know a lot of friends out there from the East
Coast are still there, but I was, I was missing home.
[08:32.360] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[08:32.450] - John Schippman
So, yeah, but it was, it was the just how everything, you know, everything happens
for a reason and just getting the opportunity to go out there and get my feet wet
and really get trained up on the TV side of production was, was great.
[08:46.090] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Not bad having ESPN on the resume.
[08:48.830] - John Schippman
No, it's awesome. And everybody's like, hey, how are you? You know, how was working
with, you know, back then it was Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott and Chris Berman and
all these people. Like, they're great. Like, you know, like, but it was— you walk
in and you're like, whoa, you know, they're taking you around and your tour the first
day and you're going through the studio, what the studio I've watched growing up for,
you know, for 20 years. So that was a, a wow moment, and then you sort of get your
feet planted, like, okay, now I have to, now I have to work, right?
[09:16.190] - Brian Shelton
So stop being starstruck.
[09:17.380] - John Schippman
Yes, exactly. So, and it was great though, because when you got there, a lot of people
your same age, because they were doing the exact same thing you were doing. So, um,
it was a great experience, something I'll never forget, but glad I had the, the chance
to, to come back home.
[09:29.720] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Well, can we talk about a second though about internships? Like, we talk about
this with students all the time. So I, I would say from our discussion here that you
think people should go do an internship. Yeah?
[09:40.320] - John Schippman
For sure. Absolutely.
[09:41.520] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[09:41.920] - John Schippman
But I know they're also hard to get because now a lot of companies and whatnot, budgets
are getting tighter. And if they're paid internships, there's maybe less, less of
them per year and whatnot. So it's also, I feel like it's a, it's a harder, you know,
internships are harder to get a grasp on.
[09:59.770] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. That's something that I've seen in the media industry over the last 30 years.
I mean, it used to be I could place a student at an internship with a 30-second phone
call. And now it's like trying to get a full-time job, right?
[10:09.300] - John Schippman
Exactly.
[10:09.780] - Brian Shelton
It's very difficult.
[10:10.350] - John Schippman
Really? That's a great point.
[10:11.360] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, it's, it's tough. Yeah. But if you can do it, you should do it, right? That's
what you— that's your advice?
[10:15.160] - John Schippman
1,000%. Yes. And even if it's not exactly what you want to do, if it's, if it's in
the realm of what you're looking to do, like, I think any experience is good experience.
[10:25.160] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[10:25.420] - John Schippman
So you get that experience, you put it on your resume, and then the next internship
or opportunity, they, they might— oh, you did that? It's like, yes, it maybe it doesn't
match up perfectly of what you're trying to do next, but it's all about the experience
of being part of like the real world.
[10:39.950] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, I've told— I tell students this all the time. My experience working in college
radio when I was in college has gotten me every job that I've ever had.
[10:47.500] - John Schippman
There you go.
[10:48.290] - Brian Shelton
And it's all, oh, you did that? Oh, okay. You know, right?
[10:50.930] - John Schippman
Yeah, 100%.
[10:51.810] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, it's kind of interesting. So we're talking about you graduating and then going
and doing the internship there. Can you kind of walk through coming back to Chicago
and what that's been like for the career, the kind of steps that you've taken?
[11:03.920] - John Schippman
Yeah, absolutely. So just how I got back to Chicago, I was working on a show at ESPN
called NFL Live, a daily NFL show. And one of the guys I worked with, he went, he
moved back home to Philadelphia.
[11:15.060] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[11:15.320] - John Schippman
And back then it was called Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. And they were starting
up a Comcast SportsNet Chicago. So he let me know about that. And one of the guys
he was working with was actually heading up Comcast SportsNet Chicago. So by a former
friend employee at ESPN, I got an interview, drove to Philadelphia, interviewed, and
then I got hired to come back home. So it's just, you know, it's just networking and,
and making friends at work and just keeping in touch with them. That's what got me
an opportunity to come back home.
[11:43.050] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. The person sitting next to you is probably going to help you get your next job.
[11:45.700] - John Schippman
Yeah. And you have no idea, right? It's just crazy. So, yeah. So I came back home
in the, in the summer of 2004 and started as an associate producer at then called
Comcast SportsNet, which eventually evolved into NBC Sports Chicago.
[12:00.730] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[12:01.190] - John Schippman
And it was I had some experience from ESPN, so it was good. So I started as associate
producer working on the shows and whatnot. And I, similar to, you know, being in school,
I just kept my head down and kept working and went from working on shows to like producing
the nightly sports shows or the pre-games or the post-games and kept working. And
some— now I will say hard work, but it's also luck, right? Like there was a, you know,
there was a pileup of producers and it's like, hey, am I ever going to get that chance
to get promoted? Well, one producer said, you know what, I'm— I can't do the working
nights and weekends anymore because I have a family. So they left. So that spot opened
up. One other person said, I can't wait for this opportunity, so I'm going to move
to a different city and still work in sports. So a spot opened up. I was very patient.
And then I had that opportunity that I jumped to that producer role. And then I became
a coordinating producer and executive producer, you know, whether it's managing the
shows or working with the talent or approving scripts or whatnot.
[13:00.030] - John Schippman
And then, you know, before you know it, I was, you know, you know, assistant news
director, you know, in charge of overseeing the newsroom and everything going on.
So it's, it's this ladder that I just, I kept climbing up and working hard. And, and
I think one of the biggest things was I loved what I was doing. Yeah, right. I didn't
wake up in the morning like, oh, another day at work. It's like, what's going to happen?
You know, we always say, and nothing against people who work, you know, in places
like banks and 9-to-5 jobs and whatnot, but like, I'm glad I don't have a 9-to-5 job.
Every day is different.
[13:33.250] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[13:33.860] - John Schippman
And the experiences that I've had covering the teams I grew up watching, that's sort
of, you know, the, the thing I still sort of lean back and say, wow, this was, you
know, to cover knowing that I was a Blackhawks fan my whole life with my dad and them
winning all these Stanley Cups and me being able to call my dad before, you know,
I'm going on the ice in Philadelphia to interview players after they win. It's like,
this what's going on. So there's like a 20-minute wait before you get to do that.
So I'm sitting there like in the bowels of the arena and I call my dad and I said,
this is unbelievable. He's like, what are you doing? I'm like, we're waiting to go
talk to all the players. And he's like, that's unbelievable. I'm like, I know. And
it was like he really understood because he, you know, he sort of grew me as this,
as a sports fan and whatnot. So that was— I will say that was a full, like, coming
to just like, wow moment. It's like I was able to call my parents to talk to my dad,
and he was just like, this is very cool.
[14:30.060] - John Schippman
I'm like, this is unbelievable.
[14:31.330] - Brian Shelton
That's really awesome.
[14:32.350] - John Schippman
Just, you know, working hard and making good friends at work, you know, I think is
also really important. And, you know, that's— I just, like I said, I slowly worked
my way up the ladder over, you know, 20 years at NBC.
[14:46.550] - Brian Shelton
So network, be passionate, be patient. Yeah. Work hard.
[14:51.670] - John Schippman
Yeah.
[14:51.980] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Okay.
[14:53.100] - John Schippman
And like, exactly. And it's easier said than done.
[14:56.870] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[14:57.170] - John Schippman
But you all, you just, yeah, I think you sort of have to like what you do.
[15:00.740] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[15:01.040] - John Schippman
You know, and if you don't, sometimes like it's okay. You can, you know, you can make
a left turn and try to find something new and whatnot. But, 'cause that's what life's
about, right? You don't have to stick to the same thing even after a handful of years.
You, after a decade, you know, people switch careers all the time.
[15:15.820] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, absolutely. Now you're very passionate about sports. This is, this is an audio
podcast, so people can't see you, but you light up when you talk about sports. Yeah.
And talk about your relationship to it. And I was I'm curious, sports gets so much
local media attention, right? Like, that's like, that's the big, that's the big story
all the time. And why do you think it garners so much media attention? Why do we spend
so much time on it? What's the reasoning?
[15:38.960] - John Schippman
So I always talk about how I love working in sports because it takes people away of—
it takes you away and takes the worries away of other things going on.
[15:49.860] - Brian Shelton
Sure.
[15:50.670] - John Schippman
Politics, crime, war, even, even bad weather, right? Like sports, I feel like, is
this release for people. And we always feel like, hey, if we're, you know, back in
the day, if we're producing a pre and postgame for Blackhawks or, you know, White
Sox or, or Bulls or whatnot, it's like people are coming to you to kick their feet
up and they worked hard all day and they just want to watch their favorite sports
team. And that's what I think about. It's like we're, we're sort of this outreach
to people who are going through the grind and it's like we want to deliver a good
product to these people who want that sort of release.
[16:27.670] - Brian Shelton
Okay.
[16:27.830] - John Schippman
And that's why I think there's so much coverage of it and so much hype about it, because
I do think people are, especially in Chicago, fans are so passionate about it. Like
they want to hear what's going on separate from what else is going on in the world.
And that's, that's sort of where my head's at a lot when I'm— when we're working as
a group to try to do things. It's like, all right, what do people want to hear about
from certain teams or certain fans? And I think especially in Chicago, market 3, like
a great, great sports town. Like I said, that's why there is so much coverage. I know
you go to other towns and there's, you know, in the newscasts or whatnot, the sports
segments might be very short. Right. Well, you know, here in Chicago, we're fighting
for extra time into the newscasts and whatnot every day because we want to make sports
relevant every day.
[17:12.270] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[17:12.590] - John Schippman
And I think we do a good job of it. But I think that's why, you know, locally, especially
like I said, in Chicago, you just have really a huge sport. You have a, you have a
big population of sports fans.
[17:27.410] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[17:27.660] - John Schippman
And we're trying to, you know, deliver as much content as we can to them every day.
[17:31.340] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. I guess even if your favorite team is doing bad, hearing about them makes you
feel good, right?
[17:36.470] - John Schippman
Yes. I will say, you know, sometimes, you know, if the Blackhawks are winning Stanley
Cups, everything is rainbows and puppies, right? And when you, you know, You know,
when you've had some speed bumps the past couple of years, is it tougher to cover
them? Sure. Right. Because the struggles and whatnot. But it's still— people still
want to hear about their teams. And even if they're doing poorly, they can be like,
oh, like, you know, they can get frustrated about that. But they'd rather get frustrated
about that than like something at work and whatnot. Right. And then you're able to
talk to your friends about it. Like, it's still— it's still conversation whether they're
winning or losing. So that's why I think delivering the content, whether it's a win
or a loss, you know, the, the, the fans and the, and the viewers still want to still
want that information.
[18:18.090] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, that's awesome. So you've won like 7 Emmys.
[18:22.590] - John Schippman
Yes. A handful. Yes.
[18:24.020] - Brian Shelton
A handful. So, you know, those are obviously career highlights, I would imagine. So
what are some of those career highlights for you? Like, what really stands out to
you?
[18:31.980] - John Schippman
So, yeah, personally, I won a national Emmy at ESPN for, for SportsCenter, The Daily
Show back in 2003. So that was a long time ago. And that was cool just being part
of a team. Right. And it was sort of like, we won what? You know, like that didn't
really register right away. And then I got the, you know, Emmy statue and brought
it home and showed it to my parents. And they're like, wow. Yeah, yeah, that was a
pretty big deal. That's still on. That's on their, that's on their mantel. So.
[18:59.930] - Brian Shelton
Oh, it's on their mantel. Yes.
[19:01.150] - John Schippman
That's, that's— I have two of them at my parents' house because they always like it
when their friends come over and they're like, this is, you know, they're like, what
is that? And they explain what it is. But yeah, so I will say, you know, the— a handful
of regional Emmys working at NBC Sports Chicago. And it's, you know, it's a, it's
a, it's a tough, competitive world when it comes to— when it comes to, you know, winning
awards. But you don't do it to win awards, right? But when it happens, it's like,
wow, that was really cool. And it was really it was really great to be recognized
by your peers. Right. And I know you people hear that all the time, but it truly is
when you're getting judged by people in different regions of the country and they're
judging you, you know, with other entries of this, you know, in the same category
and whatnot. So it's, it's a great feeling. It's cool. Like even talking to my buddies,
like, you know, they're like, that's cool. I'm like, yeah, like it's a good feeling
to be recognized, like I said. And then really, you, you, these bonds that you make,
you know, at work, working on projects like that really means a lot.
[20:03.860] - John Schippman
And then when you see all the hard work pay off, you don't have to get an award to
know you worked hard.
[20:09.010] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[20:09.110] - John Schippman
But at the same time, you know, it's, it's, it's very satisfying. And I will say the
last one we won. So NBC Sports Chicago, I was, I was with for 20 years before moving
just to NBC and Telemundo. Locally in Chicago, the Regional Sports Network that went
dark at the, at the end of September 2024. And that's when the new Regional Sports
Network started. But they had a new award called Sports Excellence for the first sports
station. And so that was the last one we won for NBC Sports Chicago. So that definitely
meant the most because it was like basically, you know, capturing 20 years of hard
work and you're with these people for 20 years and it's like there was a handful of
people who worked on the show. But really, that award was for everybody because it
just showed, you know, the friendships that you made and, and all the hard work we
put, we put into it. So, you know, that one meant a lot. And I do want to point out,
we talk about making friends and keeping them for a long time.
[21:11.810] - John Schippman
Actually, I met my wife for the first day of work at Comcast SportsNet back in 2004.
[21:17.280] - Brian Shelton
That's great.
[21:17.810] - John Schippman
Yeah. So we worked together for a handful of years and she got out of the business.
But, um, you know, that, like, that's a, that's a bond that's not going away either.
So it's, it's good. It's, it's been, uh, it's been a, it's been a wild ride.
[21:29.200] - Brian Shelton
That's cool. That's really cool. It's always great to be recognized, uh, by your peers.
I was actually going to ask, uh, about your wife. She runs an organization called,
uh, Live Like Roo, which assists families whose pets have been diagnosed with cancer.
And yeah, and you volunteer for that because you have to, right? Because you want
to as well. Tell me about that organization. That I was really fascinated when I read
that.
[21:46.940] - John Schippman
Yeah, so she was, uh, she— we both love animals. She was a dog lover her whole life.
I never had a dog growing up, but we always had cats. And when we got together, she
went, she would volunteer at Chicago Animal Care and Control down on the South Side.
And there was a dog, a pit bull mix there named Roosevelt. And she brought it out
and she was going, or she fostered and she was gonna adopt it. And they noticed something
was going on physically with the dog. So found out it had a bone, inoperable bone
cancer.
[22:17.730] - Brian Shelton
Oh goodness.
[22:18.240] - John Schippman
So they said, you know, he's got a— so Roosevelt, Roo for short. And basically she
made up a bucket list not knowing how much time he would— he had left. So she spoiled
him and I jumped on board, taking him to dog-friendly hotels and, you know, trips
downstate. And he loved ice cream cones from McDonald's and Dairy Queen and whatnot.
So he passed away, unfortunately, like 5 months later. And then what was born out
of that was Live Like Roo, the foundation that Sarah's like, this is horrible that
animals get cancer. And you realize the expense of this is, you know, comparable to
people going through treatment and whatnot. So she, she did a lot of research and
she said, you know, I'm going to start this organization. And that we were just celebrating
the 10th birthday of Live Like Roo. Couple weeks ago, and they've given out over $3.5
million of grants.
[23:17.070] - Brian Shelton
Wow.
[23:17.430] - John Schippman
For— and basically it's, it's if your pet has, you know, if it's a mass, if it needs
to get a test, if it needs to get an amputation, or if it's chemotherapy or, or whatnot,
they have a med— you know, it's, it's all very complex. She has a medical director
who goes through applications and says, we can help this dog, we can help that, you
know, dog, cat, guinea pig, horse, pig. Like, it's, it's not just a dog or cat. So
that it is very, it's very wide range of the animals they help or she helps. And so
she's the founder and it's been going 10 years strong. And I don't think if you said
15 years ago, if she said, I'm going to be doing this in 15 years, but it's, it's
a— when I say it's a passion of hers, it is her life in a, in a, in a great way. And
I'm, I'm just happy to be along for the ride and help her out. And I will say, like,
being able to give away, grant all this money. It's through fundraising and monthly
donors and whatnot. So it's— she, she does a great job, but she has a lot of support.
[24:15.340] - John Schippman
It's got a great, a great team she works with that's on her board for the, for the
foundation and a lot of people who give their time and donate to make it all happen.
So I will say, no matter what's going on, people like love their animals and love
pets. You know, I was getting a coffee this morning. There's a dog in the coffee shop
and like, 10 people came up to pet the dog. Right, right. It just puts a smile on
everybody's face.
[24:36.610] - Brian Shelton
So dog is always a good time.
[24:37.870] - John Schippman
Yeah. So she, she's amazing. And, um, and I'm just— I'm, I'm blown away by what she
does. And I'm, I'm— I love that I'm able to, you know, um, contribute and help out
whenever I can.
[24:48.880] - Brian Shelton
I think it's really awesome. I think, uh, you know, if you have a pet and all of a
sudden you get a cancer diagnosis, you feel helpless because, you know, right, first
off, it's your pet and you love them. But second, you, you— I mean, you do— you have
to think about the cost, right?
[24:59.000] - John Schippman
Immediately you're like, that's a thing.
[25:00.340] - Brian Shelton
Like, am I gonna go broke taking care of this dog, right? It's like, are you thinking
with your head?
[25:02.510] - John Schippman
Are thinking with the heart. And it's like, I'm— so I will always say, she's like,
we're doing this and this. I'm like, just make sure you're thinking with your head
because, you know, there's other— there's so many things, you know, further down the
line. And I will say, before Rue had cancer, like, I didn't hear a lot about animals
getting cancer. You just don't think about it. And once this happened, now it's just
like we're inundated. It's just— it's, it's, it's super sad. But to see the people's
reaction when they're able to get help from the foundation is just it's, it's moments
you never forget.
[25:32.520] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, that is, uh, a super unique organization and very cool.
[25:36.700] - John Schippman
Unique is a great word.
[25:37.500] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, that is really cool that that's happening. That's awesome. Good stuff. Um, so
we talked about your Emmys, but in 2023 you were named a Harper College Distinguished
Alumni.
[25:46.500] - John Schippman
Yeah.
[25:46.810] - Brian Shelton
What was that like for you?
[25:48.010] - John Schippman
That was surprising.
[25:48.990] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[25:49.540] - John Schippman
Um, yeah, so I got, I got the call and, um, I was, I was very surprised, but like
just like very— I was excited. I was thrilled about it because, like, I think we mentioned
before we started, you know, I— or maybe earlier, I wish I would have been more involved,
you know, immediately after college. But also at the same time, you're trying to get
your career started. It's hard to get back and figure things out. And when I got that
call and found out who nominated me and whatnot, then my, my wife was involved. And
then, you know, during the actual during the event, during the ceremony, I guess she
was part of a video and this whole just process I was blown away by and I felt very
honored. And being back to each one, you know, each year, knowing that it's only a
handful of people each year, I think even every year goes by, I'm like, wow, this
is, you know, it's still sort of a wow moment for me because I know that it, not everyone
has this opportunity to be recognized like that.
[26:52.050] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. Yeah. It's pretty cool. I mean, we interview a lot of the distinguished alumni
winners on the show. Not everybody who's on the show is one, but we interview a lot
and the reaction is very similar. Everybody's like, this is so cool.
[27:02.170] - John Schippman
Right. Right. And when Shannon's like, hey, do you want to come back? Like 100%. Like
definitely want to come back and support as much as I can.
[27:08.100] - Brian Shelton
Yeah. We, we appreciate it. That's awesome. So we talked about this a little bit already,
but what I ask everybody is kind of the last question on the show is is that, uh,
what advice do you have for current Harper students? Like, if you could sit down with
a room of Harper students, what would you, what would you tell them to do to help
them with their, their future, either from education or career or that sort of thing?
[27:27.770] - John Schippman
Sure. I'd say when you're here at Harper, like, get involved, right? Or at least be
aware of what's being offered. I think, you know, I took, like we talked about, a
little bit of a different route. Like, I was very head down, did my, um, you know,
did the work, I did a lot with the counselors, a lot with tutoring and whatnot. Like
the, I will say the smaller classrooms here. I wasn't the best student taking Spanish
in high school, so I started over in Spanish 101 here, but like the classroom of 20
people and the attention was like something that I needed. I couldn't go to a big
lecture hall at a university and do Spanish 101. I would've never, never made it.
So I will say, you know, when you're thinking about places like Harper, it's like,
take advantage of the resources they give you. And it's, hey, go to the classes, obviously
talk to the professors, you know, it is separate from, you know, the counselors they
have for, you know, what next steps in your education and your career and the tutoring
and helping you with classes, like what else is going on around to get involved in.
[28:30.390] - John Schippman
And it's like, you might discover something. You're walking past the radio station.
Hey, I'm not really a comms person, but that seems cool, I'm going to go check it
out. The next thing you know, 3 months later, you might be like, I want to get into
media.
[28:43.600] - Brian Shelton
Yeah.
[28:43.780] - John Schippman
So I want to say like dabble in everything, check out things and definitely step out
of your comfort zone just to go check some out because it's not going to hurt.
[28:53.150] - Brian Shelton
Right, right.
[28:53.650] - John Schippman
And there's so many things. Everything's always evolving with whether it's like technology
or just like other new opportunities. And I think that it's really important that
people you know, take advantage of them or at least know what's offered. The last
thing you want to do is, is leave a place and be like, oh, I didn't know that was
going on.
[29:10.630] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[29:10.960] - John Schippman
And that's why you talk to the counselors and professors and, and people, and they'll
make sure you have a table of contents of all the things that are, that are offered.
[29:18.270] - Brian Shelton
We experience that a lot. We'll have students come to the radio station in their last
semester and like, I had no idea this was here. I would have loved to have done this
the whole time I was at Harper. And I'm like, where were you? Right.
[29:26.600] - John Schippman
Right. And I think that was me. I think I was in, I can't remember what building I
was in. I walked past the old radio station and I was sitting there eating lunch.
I'm like, that's really cool. And then I ended up, when I went to University of Illinois,
ended up working at the radio station. But I think just seeing it here, like, definitely
piqued my interest a little bit.
[29:45.470] - Brian Shelton
Right. That that's a possibility.
[29:46.740] - John Schippman
Yeah.
[29:46.900] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[29:47.220] - John Schippman
Yeah.
[29:48.040] - Brian Shelton
Very cool. Well, it has been absolutely fantastic chatting with you today. I really
appreciate you coming in and talking about this and talking about our students and
appreciate the giving back that you're doing by continuing to be involved with the
college is very much appreciated. And of course, the organization that you're working
with as well for volunteering for the— that just breaks my heart, the dogs. I'm sorry.
[30:06.530] - John Schippman
No, it's okay. No, I appreciate the invite being on. I really enjoyed the conversation.
And yeah, it's like when you get a chance to sort of exhale and you get a little bit
more time, it's like, okay, what can I do to help out and give back? And, you know,
whether it's— whether it's like, you know, financially, but like, you know, some people
can't give back financially. So what can you do?
[30:25.220] - Brian Shelton
Right.
[30:25.540] - John Schippman
You know, just, you know, to, hey, talk to students or come in and just And if someone
reaches out from the Alumni Association, said, can you do this? Can you do— it's like,
hey, you can give your time, right? It doesn't always have to be about dollars. It's
about giving back. And I will say, if you haven't been back here, the renovations,
the construction, it's ever-changing, but it's very impressive.
[30:47.260] - Brian Shelton
It's very impressive. Well, an aside, folks, before we came on, John met the general
manager for our radio station, Blue Bailey, out in the hallway. And Blue said, oh,
well, what are you doing here? It was kind of funny. So I'm going to tell you, as
soon as we walk out of the studio, I'm going to see Blue again and they're going to
be like, it was so cool that he was here today. What a great thing, you know? So it'll
be a story that, that they tell.
[31:09.390] - John Schippman
I love it. That's great. So that's great.
[31:10.990] - Brian Shelton
You just being here makes a difference.
[31:12.400] - John Schippman
So I appreciate it.
[31:13.400] - Brian Shelton
Yeah, it's great. John Schippman is a graduate of Harper College and a 2023 Distinguished
Alumni. If you're enjoying Harper Talks, please subscribe. Subscribe, and while you're
at it, rate and review us so that others might find us. Harper Talks is a co-production
of Harper College Alumni Relations and Harper Radio. Our show is produced by Shannon
Hynes. This episode was edited by Coby Pozo. Our online content producer is Blue Bailey.
Our theme music was created by Aiden Cashman. I'm Brian Shelton. Thanks for listening.