KANSAS - The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is proud to bring you the "KCAC Alumni Spotlight" series. Every two weeks, the conference will aim to highlight an alumnus of one of our KCAC full member institutions. We hope in this series to highlight successes that KCAC alumni had not only on the field, court, etc., but also in the classroom and now in their chosen professional field.
KCAC ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT — BETHANY COLLEGE
Alumnus: Rick Guinn
Degree Earned at Bethany: Bachelor's Degree in Business Economics (1977)
Postgraudate Degree: Juris Doctorate Degree from Washburn Law School (1980)
Career Highlights of Alumnus: Former Johnson County (Kansas) Assistant District Attorney; former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Kansas; former partner with the law firm of Colantuono Guinn Keppler, LLC.
Honors in Career Field: Recipient of the Johnson County Bar Association’s Justinian Award for achievement and professional excellence. Also recipient of the Bar Foundation’s Legacy Award.
How did your time at Bethany help to prepare you for life after college/entering the workforce?
Guinn: “My Bethany tennis coach, Bryce Young, advised me early on that I could be good at a lot of things, or very good at a few things. The choice was mine. That advice caused me to understand the importance of not spreading myself too thin with too many activities. Instead, I focused more of my efforts toward tennis and the classroom."
What lessons did you learn competing in collegiate athletics that helped prepare you for life after your playing days were over?
Guinn: "I am proud to say I was part of Bethany’s tennis legacy that included twenty-six (26) consecutive KCAC conference championships. Being part of championship teams taught me the importance of playing for a cause that was bigger than myself. During my legal career, I tried just under 100 jury trials. I always remembered from my tennis team days that the jury verdicts were not about my individual success. Instead, I was there to seek justice for victims through a team effort with the law enforcement community."
“The key to preparing for a jury trial was much like preparing for a tennis match. If I worked long hours and was prepared, then I was at peace that no matter the outcome, I gave it my best shot. And the results were generally favorable."
ABOUT THE KANSAS COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and sponsors 28 varsity sports. Founded in 1890, the KCAC is the second oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in the country. As the conference home to 14 member institutions, the KCAC emphasizes commitment, cooperation, high achievement, and working towards a common goal in the act of competition. To keep up with the latest conference news, follow the KCAC on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram using the handle @kcacsports.
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