By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com
Count Kelly and Jill Mark among the University of Illinois varsity alumni who've stepped forward and given back to their alma mater.
Because of their generous gift, a special section of the expanded Ubben Basketball Facility will soon be known as the Mark Family Women's Locker Room and Team Lounge.
during her time competing for the Fighting Illini.
When asked why they decided to give back, Kelly, a former walk-on runner and hurdler with Illinois' track & field team, and Jill, a record-setting point guard for UI's women's basketball program, wanted to give to the place where it all started for them and hopefully spur on others to pay it forward and give back to Illinois.
The former Jill Estey was recruited to the University of Illinois from Plymouth Salem High School in Michigan in the late 1980s by then coach Laura Golden, and finished her career in 1993 under the direction of coach Kathy Lindsey. She greatly appreciates what both women did for her during her career.
"I picked Illinois for the outstanding engineering program and the opportunity to play for Coach Golden at a top athletic institution. I was lucky during my basketball career to have great supportive coaches in Coach Golden and Coach Lindsey."
It was that world-class education as a mechanical engineering major that helped Jill land a job at the Ford Motor Company in her native state. Nowadays, Jill spends her time managing her web design business in Chicagoland—Jill Mark Design—specializing in small business and personal websites.
On the court, she performed spectacularly, handing out a record 550 assists so that teammates like Mandy Cunningham, Sarah Sharp and Kris Dupps could score baskets.
It was Jill's basketball skills that initially caught her future husband's eye. Kelly tells the story.
the Illini track & field team.
"After a (track) practice, some teammates and I went over to IMPE to play basketball," he said. "On the last court, the women's basketball team was playing a pick-up game against a bunch of guys. I saw Jill play for five minutes and told a friend next to me 'You see that woman…I want to marry her.' About a month later, we met at a sorority/fraternity mixer at Joe's Bar before the Ohio State football game in 1991…and the rest was history."
Kelly, a product of Batavia High School, understood the value of his education as a business marketing major, but he maintains that athletics was the core of who he was.
"I was a kid who came in and busted my ass, worked as hard as I could to try to be good, but never really got to the varsity level," he said. "Athletics is a tremendous teacher for life in regard to being knocked down and getting back up, being coached, learning from your mistakes and focusing on improvement. It's always been a core of who Jill and I are."
After earning his MBA from Harvard University, Kelly joined Motorola where he most recently oversaw the company's global services and software business. This past summer, he retired after 22 years, allowing him to spend more time with Jill and the family as their kids go to college, traveling and enjoying the outdoors.
When someone asks Kelly where he went to school, a tour of his office displays the pride he has for the University of Illinois. "Illinois is what matters. That's what started us. That was the cauldron that created our family and everything we've achieved together in life."
Illini football team to victory at Michigan.
Jill says she's grateful that she and her husband can help a little in improving the experience of future Illini women's basketball players with their gift.
"We wanted to do something that was memorable to us," she said. "Being able to give back to the program that gave me so much means a lot. Back then, we didn't have anything close to the facilities that they have now. Hopefully, our gift will allow athletes the opportunity to be in an environment that is supportive and to experience something that most people won't be able to experience."
Kelly and Jill always tell their children, Sydney and Ryan, to "Dream Big…Never Follow. It is the way we have tried to live our life."
"You've got to go for the things that you really want and love in life. The University of Illinois gave us the opportunity to dream big and never follow. It set the stage for our life. We just encourage everyone to look back and understand what school did to set them up in their life. we recognize that and that's why we gave back. We just want other folks to have the same opportunity to do what we've been able to do in our life."
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Leaving Their Mark: Former Illini Athletes Jill and Kelly Mark Make Lasting Impact on Alma Mater - University of Illinois Athletics - Fighting Illini
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