“There’s no substitute for hard work”, says Tim Kissman, Eaton Rapids High School class of 1990. If anyone understands the value of hard work, it’s Kissman.
Kissman graduated from Eaton Rapids with a 3.2 Grade Point Average, and attended Hillsdale College on a full ride scholarship based heavily on his abilities on the basketball court. “People still come up and tell me how fun it was to watch me play and how easy I made things look. They don't realize I sacrificed going out with friends, any kind of social life and shot basket after basket in my driveway.”
“I remember summer nights; all you could hear was Thump-Thump-Whoosh, almost into darkness, every night”, says Mr. David Johnson, former teacher and neighbor to Kissman. “He was the real deal.” Mr. Johnson spent the duration of the interview on Kissman nodding his head and smiling warmly. “He was the kind of kid who you always knew was going to be successful.”
Kissman’s success didn’t end after college though. Right now, Kissman is the creator and publisher of “Healthy and Fit Magazine”, a free monthly magazine printed right here in Michigan. Before “Healthy and Fit”, Kissman was working at a large State association, that ran a very successful magazine. He was in charge of a communications division, and was a national spokesperson. He disagreed with where the higher ups were taking the magazine, and: “instead of just complaining about what I'd do if I was in charge, I left the job and launched Healthy & Fit Magazine.”
Mr. Rick Smith was surprised by Kissman’s love for writing, but certainly not by his success. “He was a good student, very respectful”. Kissman left a mark on Smith’s life, just as he did Johnson’s. “It was always more than being a teacher, we were family friends.” Smith interrupted the interview at one point, and began digging in his desk. He pulled out a folder titled “My stuff”, and procured an article written by Kissman when he was attending Hillsdale.
The only negative thing said about Kissman came from Mr. Bob Ribby. Ribby was in Kissman’s graduating class. When asked how he would describe Kissman, he said “He’s a big Gump”. Ribby was only joking, though and explained that he and Kissman still talk on the phone frequently.
With all the things he’s managed to accomplish, Kissman must have some secret, some key to success. Could his academic success be linked to his father being his Drafting teacher? “I took his class for four years (never got an A though). Maybe he got his father’s basketball talents, from when his father played for a college in Wisconson? “I'd shovel the snow and shoot in the winter. Burn in the sun. I think I even shot in the rain.” So what is Kissman’s secret? “In business, sports, life, if you want to do something you have to learn what the heck it is your doing and do it over and over again until you become an expert, or the best.”
Practice. Hard work. Determination. Kissman is a self-made man, and these three things are the only tools he had to work with.
What advice does Kissman have to offer, besides work hard? “Going on through life without a goal isn't worth much. Dream big, set a goal to achieve that dream and pursue it.”
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