Distinguished Killeen ISD alumni from four past decades shared broad perspective with a group of Class of 2026 seniors Monday during a panel discussion at Chaparral High School.
Charles Hollinger (Killeen 1963), Ralph Disher (Ellison 1979), Christina Dixon Love (Killeen 1991) and Lindsey Disher Mandia (Harker Heights 2006) made up the panel.
They shared a sandwich lunch in an upstairs classroom with 10 students, all seniors, chosen to represent a broad swath of active student leaders.
The panel luncheon is an annual prelude to the KISD Education Foundation and Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni and Scholarship Award presentation held in the evening to impanel the new distinguished alumni and award scholarship recipients.
The alumni introduced themselves, explained their career fields and offered up a glimpse of their personal lives, including how they serve their communities and maintain quality time with family.
Students responded with a variety of questions, many based on the alumni’s early experiences after high school and the complexities of balancing busy lives while advancing in demanding careers.
The four speakers urged the seniors to allow themselves time to explore the many opportunities in front of them, to carefully nurture friendships, to maintain boundaries for safe, healthy living and to share their success with those around them.
Amairah Thompson, one of the seniors, is set to go to Jackson State University in Mississippi.
“I was excited to be a part of this,” she said. “It has shown me and helped me realize that going to college and doing things bigger in life is not scary. Networking is a good thing in life that can help you grow. “
“It was nice to meet distinguished alumni from Killeen. Their stories were amazing to hear.”
Anthony Johnson, set to attend the University of Houston, said he was encouraged to hear about the successes of people from Killeen.
“The luncheon with alumni was a really good experience. It was good to hear their view of things and to hear how they were in this stage of life. It’s good to see successful people from Killeen. That makes me feel good,” Johnson said.
“They reassured me about leaving home to know to look forward. You can’t stay in the present. You have to look into the future.”
Partial bios for the distinguished alumni include the following:
Disher, a 1979 Ellison High School graduate served 40 years in law enforcement, including the Texas State Auditor’s Office and the Texas Education Agency Special Investigations Unit. He was KISD police chief when he retired in 2023.
Hollinger, a 1963 Killeen High School graduate has been an entrepreneur 63 years in the furniture, land and real estate industries. He has served on numerous community foundations and service organizations.
Love, a 1991 Killeen High School graduate is the director of the Department of Civilian Leader Development at the Army Management Staff College.
Mandia, a 2006 Harker Heights High School graduate, is senior manager of LIVE Sports at Netflix.
Connell, a 1976 Killeen High School graduate, was a talented choir and band student who continued to perform and has played at the White House. He is part of the Connell family’s automotive business and is a generous local philanthropist. He could not attend the panel discussion.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720332834254/