When the city where you grew up plans to have a party whenever you get back, you might be a superstar.
That’s what awaits Olympic U.S. figure skater Jason Brown in Lake County.
The 27-year-old Highland Park native put together a clean free skate to finish in sixth place, just two points behind two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu in fourth, in Beijing Wednesday.
His teammate Nathan Chen took the gold medal.
Delivering a solid performance at his second Olympics, Brown donned dark clothes with a touch of red, and began his performance to music from the film “Schindler’s List” focused and serious-faced.
By the time he looked up at the end of a graceful performance, which had his local fans going crazy with excitement, that look had transformed into a beaming smile.
“I watched him skate with tears in my eyes,” said Debby Finn, principal at Highland Park High School, where Brown was once a student.
“He must have been able to hear our collective roar of excitement all the way from Highland Park to Beijing,” said Jennifer Ginopolis, Highland Park High School co-department chair for counseling.
Ginopolis was Brown’s school counselor from the time he was a freshman through his senior year. He graduated in 2013.
She said during his academic career, Brown stood out as one of the most “personable and kind” students, and she remembers him always having a smile and a friendly hello for staff and classmates.
“Across the board, teachers loved him in their classroom,” Ginopolis said.
The staff was aware of his skating then, and of how hard he worked in and outside of school.
– Original Credit: News-Sun
Ginopolis said Brown’s dedication to the sport and the way the then-teenager was able to balance a tough routine with what seemed to be ease was admirable.
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“It couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” she said.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering also has great things to say about Brown, whom she’s known since he was a “little dynamo with a ponytail” who played soccer with her oldest son.
Rotering stayed up late both nights Brown skated this week to watch him, and said she felt “very thrilled and proud” to see him perform his beautiful routines.
“Lucky for the world, he moved to skating,” Rottering said. “He’s a role model and a delightful person who has made us proud for many years.”
On Wednesday, commentators referred to Brown’s performance as a “work of art” and called him “one of figure skating’s greatest artists.”
Ginopolis said he’s also humble, and someone who doesn’t forget where he comes from.
In February of 2014, after his performance at the Sochi Olympics, where he came in ninth, Brown visited the high school.
Ginopolis said he was gracious with his time then, and made everyone who knew him feel special.
“That energy you see in pictures of him is real,” Gionopolis said.
She jokes that sometimes there will be student-athletes who think taking gym class isn’t necessary, and she’ll say to them, “If Jason Brown took P.E., you can take P.E.”
It’s unclear what Brown’s plans are now.
“I don’t have an answer to what is next, so that’s a little bit of a first for me,” Brown said in Beijing. “I had three goals when I moved to Toronto, and I was fortunate enough to have checked them all off. So I think for me, you know, it’s about kind of figuring out if I want to set more (goals) and if I want to continue to push myself physically, mentally, emotionally.”
But whatever Brown decides to do, one thing is for sure. When he goes back to his family home in Highland Park, the city will celebrate him.
Rotering said Brown’s accomplishments will be highlighted and cheered at the next City Council meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.