SMSgt John F. Kinsella III

Senior Master Sergeant John Kinsella (Andrew High School ’95) has distinguished himself in education, military service, and music. A talented vocalist and instrumentalist, he studied Music Education and Tuba at Northwestern University and performed with the 1997 Disney All-American College Band. Since 1999, he has inspired generations of musicians as band teacher at Jerling Junior High School, directing students in performances for dignitaries including then-Senator Barack Obama, and previously served four years as Assistant Band Director at Carl Sandburg High School. An accomplished Air National Guard musician, he served from 2000 to 2022 with the 182nd Airlift Wing and multiple bands, earning nearly two dozen awards including the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. Beyond the classroom and military, Sergeant Kinsella continues to enrich the community through performances with local orchestras, performing concerts with his wife on their front porch during Covid lockdowns, and playing Taps at Lincoln National Cemetery for families of veterans.