In 1997, just days after being named Assistant Principal at the newly formed Liberty High School, Pat Preston shared a bold dream with then Principal Karen Christiansen. “We’re going to build a stadium, a place for our kids to play on their own home field. And we’re going to build the first all-weather track in the Kern High School District.” It was more than an idea, it was a plan, and Pat Preston wasn’t just a dreamer, he was a builder.
Every Saturday for years, Pat could be found on that field from sunrise until dark, digging trenches, hauling bleacher parts, organizing volunteers, and rallying community support. Businesses donated equipment, staff members rolled up their sleeves, and Liberty’s first community project took root in the soil of hard work and shared vision.
Those who knew him best remember that Pat Preston led not from behind a desk, but from the front lines. “Pat was a blue-collar administrator,” recalls Coach Ron Priest. “He wasn’t the kind to give orders and step back, Pat worked shoulder to shoulder with his team.” His attention to detail, commitment to excellence, and sheer grit shaped more than a stadium. They shaped Liberty’s culture, a standard of pride, tradition, and excellence that endures to this day.
When Liberty Stadium officially opened in September 2001, witnesses remember the look on Pat’s face, a mixture of pride and purpose. He had built not just a structure, but a symbol. From football games to graduations, from rallies to community gatherings, thousands have stood on that field over the past two decades. Liberty’s stadium became more than a home field, it became a home base for memories. As Coach Chad Provensal reflected, “He set goals and finished them. That’s who he was. Everything we have out here, it all goes back to Pat Preston’s commitment.”
This Friday, under the bright lights of Liberty Stadium, the same lights Pat Preston helped install, the Liberty family will pause to honor the man who built more than bleachers and turf. He built hope, belonging, and a lasting foundation for generations of Liberty students to come. May the plaques we dedicate tonight serve as more than memorials. May they be reminders that vision, hard work, and heart can turn dreams into legacies.