Growing up as the daughter of a Marion High School teacher and coach, Jodi (Smith) Higbee experienced the school like few others.

Higbee has spent most of her time on the East Coast since leaving Marion, but said she still thinks fondly of the “Town Between Two Lakes.”

Q. What year did you graduate from MHS, and what is your best memory from that year?

A. 1995 – I don’t know that I can pick just one great memory, so here are a few:

Beating Council Grove both matches in volleyball, and denying it the league championship; playing my last season of basketball; our musical – “Seven Brides of Seven Brothers.

Q. What is your educational background?

A. I spent my freshman and sophomore years at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, and my junior and senior years at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

I graduated from KU in December 1999 with a BS in journalism.

I then moved on to Wichita State University where I received my master’s in sports administration in May 2002.

Q. Where have you lived since graduating from MHS?

A. Gosh, how long do you have?

I lived in Salina for my first two years of college, and Lawrence for the last two and a half years of college.

I moved down to Arlington, Texas, for four months before returning to Kansas (Wichita this time), to go to grad school for the 2000-01 school year.

In July of 2001 I moved to Storrs, Conn., for an internship at the University of Connecticut during the 2001-02 school year.

After that I moved down to Tampa, Fla., and was there from July 2002 to March 2005.

At that point I moved to Gainesville, Fla., which is where I live now.

Q. What jobs have you had since leaving Marion?

A. In college I had normal jobs.

I worked on campus my freshman year.

My sophomore year I was a bank teller in Salina (those who have been around Marion long enough probably remember that bank getting robbed).

In Lawrence I waited tables at Carlos O’Kelly’s. After graduating from KU I did a short internship in sports information at the University of Texas-Arlington, then moved to Wichita to do a graduate assistantship in sports information at WSU for the 2000-01 school year.

I then headed to the UConn for 2001-02 where I did another internship in sports information.

I finally got my first full-time position at the University of South Florida in Tampa in the sports information department.

I worked there until March 2005 when I moved to Gainesville to be with my fiancé, and at that point completely changed careers.

For four months, while trying to find the next thing I could really enjoy, I was the public information officer for the Gainesville Fire Department.

I then began my current career doing project management for a web development company in Gainesville called 352 Media Group.

I currently oversee all the projects’ managers, and have the title of director of development.

Q. What is something you have done since high school graduation that would surprise those who knew you in school?

A. I went skydiving for my 29th birthday.

Q. What are some of your favorite sports teams, and why?

A. As a KU grad, Kansas men’s basketball and Kansas football are right up there for obvious reasons.

I also have stayed interested in most of the colleges I used to work for, so I keep up with WSU men’s basketball, UConn football and men’s basketball, and USF football.

Since my husband works for the University of Florida football team, they’ve become one of my favorites because every day our life is completely wrapped up in their success.

Q. Grey’s Anatomy or Monday Night Football?

A. Technically I don’t have to choose since they are not on the same night, but there’s no contest — Grey’s Anatomy.

I am absolutely obsessed with it. Plus, I don’t watch pro sports.

Q. Who are some of the most interesting people you have met in your professional career?

A. Well, in my current profession there’s not really anybody interesting to meet, unless you consider my boss who is the CEO of our company and two years younger than me.

He actually started the business from his dorm room.

However, in my previous career, I was definitely around some very interesting people, although I didn’t meet all of them.

I was privileged enough to be in a press conference with Michael Jordan, and another with Wilt Chamberlain.

I have met (UConn men’s basketball coach) Jim Calhoun, and (UConn women’s basketball coach) Geno Auriemma.

The year I was at UConn was the year the women’s team went undefeated and won the National Championship.

On that team were current WNBA players Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.

On the men’s basketball team that year were current NBA players Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, and Caron Butler.

When I was at USF our athletic director was Lee Roy Selmon.

Through my husband’s career I also have met (Florida head coach) Urban Meyer, (Florida quarterback) Tim Tebow, and (ESPN sideline reporter) Erin Andrews.

Q. If you had only once chance to come back to Marion for a visit, what would you make sure you did?

A. I would go to church one last time at Eastmoor.

I would take a walk in the park, back in the woods.

I would probably go up to the high school and check that out.

I would obviously hang out with my parents.

I would go to the country club pool, and go have breadsticks at Gambino’s.

I would take a drive around the lake, and “drag Main.”

I would drive down to my all-time favorite house in Marion, and see if I could go inside and look around. I don’t even know the address, but it’s downtown, tucked away back by Bown Corby.

I’d go see Becky.

Isn’t that about all there is to do?

Q. When you think back about your MHS teachers, which ones stick out the most in your mind, and why?

A. Janet, or Mrs. Killough to those still in high school.

She’s the one who got me writing, although I don’t write anymore, and the reason I became a journalism major in college.

Mark Lucas. He was only the music teacher my senior year, but what we were able to do that year far surpassed the previous years as we went to state as a group.

He also helped me get to state as a soloist.

Mr. Connell was a part of nearly every day as band was a big part of my high school career.

Obviously, my mom (Lois Smith), mostly because she is my mom, and most people don’t get to be taught by their parents.

Then there were the people involved in my high school career that weren’t exactly my teachers.

Becky Summerville was my cheerleading sponsor my freshman year, and I make sure to visit her every time I’m back (see previous question).

My dad was my basketball coach my freshman and sophomore years, so that was very special.

Q. Who are the three most inspirational people in your life?

A. My parents would definitely have to be two of the three.

Throughout my entire life they have inspired me to be the absolute best version of myself that I could be.

It’s been their love and support that has helped me become the person I am, and it’s their lesson in independence that made me be able to step out on my own, and move halfway across the country to a place where I didn’t know a single person.

Honestly, it’s hard to say who the third one would be. I have met a lot of people in my life who have inspired me to do different things.

Q If someone asked you to describe Marion, what would you say?

A. If asked that question 13 years ago, I would have a very different answer than now.

However, now that I’m more “mature,” I recognize Marion for all the wonderful things it offers.

There’s something to be said about living in a town where you don’t have to lock your car or close your garage doors.

Where you can ride your bike all over town as a kid, and know you’ll be safe.

Where you know every person you see in the grocery store and that, if necessary, there are a multitude of people who would step in and help you with just about anything.

There’s a lot of comfort living in a community like Marion, and while growing up it definitely seemed limiting at times, I see it now for the charming, comfortable, and secure place that it is.