By Isabella Zarate
As a way to honor, recognize, and inspire success, Heritage High School has recently created their very own Heritage Hall of Fame. By featuring alumni and inducting them as honorary members, the school hopes not only to acknowledge the nominees, but also to encourage current and future students of the potential they have to accomplish such feats.
Recently, at the school’s awards banquet on May 4, Heritage inducted the first ever members into the hall of fame. This year, Tiffany Aden Paul, Major Justin C. Minick, Jacob R. Hubert, and Jessica D. Jenkins were named as the honorary individuals.
Tiffany Paul graduated from Heritage High School in 1995, following she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Concordia University in 1999. From there, Paul went on to work as a registered nurse at Carleton Hospital. It was at Carle that Paul really shined.
Developing and organizing a Partnership Council on her unit, in 2008 Paul was nominated by peers to be honored as a Carle Foundation Exemplar Nurse – an acknowledgement which honors nurses who “exemplif[y] professional nursing practice every day.” Later, in 2009, Paul decided to further her education as she received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Since then, Paul has been a nurse practitioner at Carle as of 2010.
In 2018, Paul was awarded with the honor of being named Carle’s Advanced Practice Provider of the year. She now serves as the APP lead for the Carle Medical Specialties Group in addition to being a member of the APP Practice Council. Paul also has some experience in presenting research. For one, she presented her Evidence Based Practice Project at a conference hosted by the University of Iowa. She has also presented her specialty of Bone Health and Osteoporosis to multip;e Carle hosted conferences as well as the Illinois Society for Advanced Practical Nursing Midwest Conference.
When she isn’t busy with research, Paul serves as a preceptor for a number of students. In her spare time, Paul also works as a volunteer leader for the Philoh 4H club – even being presented with the C hampering County 4H Alumni Award in 2015.
Currently, Paul leads the Visual Arts Project group, as she has been behind the organization and reaction of the Philo Butterfly garden.
Heritage’s next inductee is Major Justin C. Miick. Graduating in 2003, Minick was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. Upon his graduation from the academy in 2007 (where he earned a Bachelor of Science in History), Minick was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Leaving Annapolis, Minick attended the Basic Officer Course at Quantico, Virginia. There he was trained on basic infantry tactics and small unit leadership. Minick received his orders from Florida where he attended flight school at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field from 2008-2010.
In April 2010, Minick earned his wings as a Naval Aviator and was selected to fly the AH-1W Super Cobra. He also received orders to Marine Corps Air Station at Camp Pendleton in California where he would be trained as an attack helicopter pilot. Following training, Minick was sent to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC where he would serve with the “Sabers” of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 467. In 2011, Minick was promoted to the rank of Captain.
Years later, in 2013, Minick was deployed aboard the USS KEARSARGE as a CObra pilot with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. During this time, Minick was a part of conducting forward presence missions in the Middle East. Returning from deployment, Minick graduated from a Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course in Yuma, AZ where he then went on to become a top-level instructor in the Super Cobra. This course is the Marine’s equivalent to the Navy’s “TOP GUN” school.
Minick deployed again in 2016, this time to Norway in response of NATO Exercise COLD RESPONSE.
Following his second deployment, Minick received orders back to Florida for his next assignment as an Instructor Pilot flying fixed-wing airplanes. He joined the “Shooters” of Training Squadron 6 At Naval Air Station Whiting FIeld, where he served as a T-6B instructor and Standardization Officer. During this tour, in 2017, Minick was promoted to the rank of Major.
Once again, Minick’s orders took him back to Camp Pendleton where joined the “Gunfighters” of HMLA-369 in flying attack helicopters. While based in California, Minick was again deployed, this time to Japan where he conducted operations in Okinawa and Hokkaido. There Minick served as the Aviation Maintenance Officer, responsible for leading the 250 Marines who maintained 28 helicopters assigned to the squadron.
Minick’s next duty sent him to the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX. At this time he again served as a T-6B instructor pilot, except now with the “Rangers” of VT-28. While on tour, Minick was chosen for conversion training to serve as as jet instructor pilot in the T-45C Goshawk.
Currently, Minick is assigned to the “Redhawks” of VT-21 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, TX. Overtime, Minick has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours in eight different military aircraft. He has also been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal as well as the Navy and the Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He is also a distinguished graduate of the Expeditionary Warfare School Blended Seminar Program. Minick is married to 2004 Heritage Graduate Cor Miller, the couple are parents to children Mason and Ella.
Moving on to the next inductee, Jessica Jenkins graduated Heritage in 2003. Jenkins went on to graduate from Quincy University with a bachelor’s in history in 2007. From there, Jenkins found herself in a year of AmeriCorpos service where she worked as a museum educator at Providence Children’s Museum in Rhode Island.
Furthering her education, Jenkins graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2010 with a master’s in public history. While seeking her masters, Jenkins worked as an editorial assistant for “Connecticut History,” a peer reviewed journal.
Jenkins also served as the Curator of Collections at Litchfield Historical Society in Connecticut. In 2016, Jenkins became the Curator of historical collections at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens in Muncie, IN. Currently, she is serving as the Vice President of Collections and Storytelling.
In addition to her time in museums, Jenkins is also a writer, and even a published author. She has published articles in both the “Connecticut Explored” magazine as well as the “Connecticut History” journal. Jenkins has also Wittenberg two books; “The House of Worth; Fashion Sketches. 1916-1918, and “Exploring Women’s Suffrage Through 50 Historic Treasures.”
Jenkins has been featured on the Hoosier History Live Radio Show, in addition to a number of other national and international media outlets. At one point, in 2020, she even served as an associate producer of the WIPB-TV documentary chronicling the making of her exhibit “The Bob Ross Experience.”
In June 2021 Jenkins made an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning to highlight the exhibition.
The final inductee for this year’s ceremony was Jacob R. Hubert. Hubert graduated from Heritage High School in 1993. Upon graduating, Hubert received a Bachelor of Art in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training from North Central College in 1997. Furthering his education, Hubert earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Illinois State University in 2002.
Hubert then went on to begin his teaching career as a math teacher for Ridgewood Highschool where he also served as the girl’s basketball coach from 2002-2003. Then from 2004-2007, Hubert moved to the High School of St. Thomas More. There he taught math as well as filled the role of football and JV baseball coach.
Also while at St. Thomas More, Hubert developed the curriculum for both the geometry and statistics courses.
Again furthering his education, Hubert received his Master of Arts in Education Administration from Eastern Illinois University in 2007.
Outside of a career in education Hubert also served in the National Guard from 1999 to 2009. Beginning as an enlisted soldier, he eventually became an officer. Hubert was an Executive Officer for B Battery 2/122 Field Artillery Illinois Army National Guard Unit. He even was in service following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as he aided in various relief efforts in New Orleans.
As for accomplishments, Hubert was honored twice with the Soldier of the Cycle and Commandments Award.
To top off all of Hubert’s accomplishments he is also a husband to wife Kelly, and a father to two children, Finley and Livia.
