By Allison Peck | North Platte Post
Listen to the full interview with Angela Hipp on our Kubota Podcast
North Platte, Neb. - Angela Hipp of Community Connections has been named The Post and Prairie Friends & Flowers Community Hero for Kids this month, an honor recognizing her dedication to mentoring and supporting young people in North Platte.
Hipp said receiving the recognition was meaningful and affirming. “It’s amazing. It feels wonderful because, you know, we all want to be recognized for the things that we’re passionate about,” she said. “And I’m really passionate about my job, and I love the people that I work with and the kids that I work with. And when somebody thinks that I’m doing well with it, that feels really good.”
Hipp has been with Community Connections for 10 years and said the award prompted reflection on her journey and her connection to the community. “Maybe sometimes at 10 years, you start to think about, like, the past and how you’ve come through your job and where you’re at and your whole life,” she said. “And how much I love being a part of this community… and so feeling a lot more grounded in my community.”
As the coordinator of the mentoring program, Hipp explained her role focuses on connecting kids with mentors and building support systems. “I am the coordinator for the mentoring program,” she said. “And so I find mentors for kids… I find someone to spend some time with a child to hang out. But I also plan activities and gatherings for all of us so that we feel like we’re all a part of something together.”
Hipp said one of the most meaningful indicators of impact comes from annual surveys completed by youth and mentors. “Seeing what kids say when they can say it completely anonymous… really stands out to me,” she said. “They talk about what it has meant to them to be a part of the mentoring program and what it’s meant to have a mentor.”
She added that mentoring helps kids feel more connected and supported. “Just for them to have someone to talk to and feel like somebody cares about them,” Hipp said.
In addition to coordinating the program, Hipp is also a mentor herself. “I do. I have one mentee,” she said, noting they have been matched for nearly three years. Reflecting on the experience, Hipp added, “Those kids, you’re not just changing their lives, but they’re changing your life in the process.”
Hipp said being described as a safe person for kids aligns with the purpose of her work. “I think that’s the whole point of what I’m doing,” she said. “That I know there are kids that often feel like there’s not someone for them that they feel safe with… so we really try to create that space for them.”
Her passion for mentoring began years earlier while raising her daughters as a single parent. “I remembered thinking how much that would mean for my kids to have that extra support person in their life,” she said. “And I realized that all kids need that. They need to feel like somebody is recognizing who they are.”
Hipp said building trust with kids takes time and consistency. “It takes time and just showing up repeatedly,” she said. “A lot of dedication.”
Community Connections’ mentoring program has served North Platte for more than 20 years. Hipp said its strength lies in its mentors and flexibility. “One mentoring pair’s journey is going to look totally different than somebody else’s, and that’s OK,” she said.
Looking ahead, Hipp said the program continues to focus on youth mental health and positive development. “One of the things we’ve been doing… is really focusing on gratitude with our young people,” she said. “Looking at the positive things in their lives and looking at the positives in our community.”
When asked what message she would share with the community, Hipp emphasized the importance of everyday support. “I think that everybody needs to just approach their interactions with young people with a mentoring mindset,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunities to show up for kids and make sure they know that they feel safe in our community.”