There was no grand farewell, no packed auditorium or final bell to signal his last day. When Kevin Rippe quietly stepped out of the classroom mid-semester, his presence didn’t fade, it simply shifted. After more than two decades in the classroom at Lincoln East, Rippe’s impact continues to echo through the halls he has helped shape.
Rippe began teaching at East after working for 11 years in California and two years at Goodrich Middle School. During his time here, he was introduced and taught in the Bridge Program, a program which supported at risk students. He then proceeded to teach a wide range of social studies courses, including US History, Government and Politics, AP US History, AP Government, AP Comparative Government, Psychology, Sociology, AP Psychology, History of Civil Rights, AP World History, AP Human Geography and Economics.
“I appreciate Mr. Rippe’s fun twist on teaching,” senior Nusrat Amin said. “Not only is he extremely knowledgeable, but he makes sure his students are just as informed. He takes teaching seriously and truly is passionate about his students and what he’s talking about.”
The passion for teaching didn’t begin overnight. Rippe recalls having really good teachers growing up in Lincoln Public Schools. He decided to be a practicum student teacher for a few of the teachers he admired to decide if teaching was what he wanted to do.
“I always thought I was going to be a math teacher because I was good at math until I failed Calc 3,” Rippe said. “I thought back to my favorite classes in high school and realized that I liked social studies the most.”
Throughout his tenure at Lincoln East, Rippe has left a lasting impression, not just through teaching, but also through his extracurricular leadership. He has sponsored multiple clubs and teams including Key Club, Doctor Who Club, Mock Trial, Asian American/Pacific Island Student Union, and Model United Nations. For several years, he coached freshman football and the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Mock Congressional Hearing team, which helped prepare students for national competitions on constitutional law.
Even in his new position being a grant coordinator for LPS, Rippe remains a familiar face at East. He supports the We the People competitions, which included a trip to Washington, D.C. in April with the team, Model UN, and contributes behind the scenes to grant application and student prep. His enduring presence reinforces his long-standing commitment to the school’s mission.
“Mr. Rippe will continue to be in the East community,” Amin said. “He consistently demonstrates compassion for our school, and also helps the school get grants for special programs to help East’s excellence.”
Rippe spent 24 and-a-half years at Lincoln East before moving to a district-level role with Lincoln Public Schools. He is now involved with the PROMISES grant in partnership with Nebraska Wesleyan University, a federally funded program that trains teachers and helps students prepare for college-level coursework, particularly AP classes.
“I chose to take this position as a transition into retirement,” Rippe said. “I knew I would have to leave East and this seemed like a way to do that without the awkward and emotional goodbye.”
Although he admits to missing the daily rhythm of a classroom, Rippe said the slower pace and broader impact of his current role offers its own rewards.
“I highly recommend teaching at East,” Rippe said. “I can’t think of a teacher that has left East to go elsewhere that does not regret that decision, myself included. The people I worked with at East are among the best in the business from the administration, teachers, support staff, and students. I have taught in three other school buildings in my career and none of them stack up to East in that regard.”
As Lincoln East looks towards the future, Rippe’s influence, past and present, continues to shape the school’s identity. Through mentorship, leadership, and his enduring dedication, he remains a symbol of excellence and service for the community he helped define.
