Paramore family enjoys successes in 2024

By Jolie Shultz
Editor In Chief
IG: jolie.rebecca

The year 2024 might’ve been the Year of the Dragon, but it was also the Year of the Paramores.

Hutchinson Community College’s President, Tricia Paramore, and her husband of 27 years, Lonnie Paramore, both celebrated huge accomplishments in 2024.

For Lonnie, that meant being inducted into the Sterling College Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 28.

“We were on our way to an event for the college (HutchCC) and he got a phone call,” Tricia Paramore said. “It was one of those ‘Oh, did somebody die?’, that kind of a phone call.”

As she listened into Lonnie’s side of the phone call, she could hear the mood getting brighter.

“He was like ‘Wow, I can’t believe it’ and I asked him what was going on,” she said.

The other side of the phone call was from someone on the committee for Sterling College’s Athletic Hall of Fame, letting Lonnie know that he was being inducted.

Lonnie attended Sterling College from 1987 to 1992. While there, he played basketball for four years, earning several college records.

“I believe some records that I held were the most free throws made in a season, the highest 3-point percentage in a season, or even in a career, and most 3-pointers in a game with eight made,” Lonnie said. “I’m not sure if they’re still records or not but when I finished my career, I was the fifth all time scorer.”

Lonnie is also having another successful season as Haven boys basketball coach. Haven is 12-1 and a contender for the Class 3A state championship.

Tricia’s accomplishment was becoming the first female president of HutchCC.

“It was at a donor dinner that someone approached me to talk about me applying for the job,” she said. “At first I wasn’t super sure but that’s kind of where it all started.”

She stepped into the role July 1, replacing the outgoing and retired Carter File.

“When you’ve been at an institution for so long, I think the assumption is ‘Oh, she knows everything’, but that is absolutely not true,” Tricia said “I don’t think anyone can know everything about everything.”

She said she enjoyed the transition from her previous role as Vice President of Academics and learning all the new aspects of being the president for HutchCC.

“I learn something new every day, which is something I enjoy. Everyday is different,” Tricia said.

Among learning the behind the scenes aspect of it all, Tricia has also enjoyed the ability to be out in the HutchCC community more.

“I get to be involved more, I’ve really enjoyed hearing things from the community that people approach me with, new ideas and projects,” Tricia said. “I love how collaborative it can be.”

Lonnie is said he is proud of what his wife has accomplished at HutchCC.

“She works hard at everything she does and all the success that she’s had,” he said. “She started out teaching and has moved all the way up the ranks to being the first female President of HutchCC.”

Views: 577