I graduated from Senn High School in 1980. Located on Chicago’s North Side, Senn is a fairly typical inner-city public high school, except for the fact that a lot of famous and semi-famous people graduated from there. Today let’s meet one that you’ll hear loud and clear: sports public address announcer Gene Honda, Class of 1972.

Gene was born and raised on Chicago’s north side. After attending Senn he went to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he studied broadcasting, among other things.

As a kid, Gene’s dad encouraged him to improve his public speaking skill. Apparently that advice paid off: Gene is currently the PA announcer for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Black Hawks, Chicago Marathon , DePaul Blue Demons basketball, Fighting Illini football, the Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament and the NCAA Final Four. According to Wikipedia: “He is the only person to have announced at the MLB World Series, MLB All-Star Game, NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, NCAA Final Four, NCAA Frozen Four, (and) a World Marathon Major.”