Lake Central High School (LCHS) hosted a prom on May 5, 2022. Held at the Halls of St. George, about 1,000 students with guests that had pre-purchased tickets arrived to dance the night away.
“Prom was really fun. I had a great time with my friends, and it’s definitely one of my favorite memories,” said Student Amaya Ross.
The prom court was voted on by the students when they first entered the dance. Kyle Kennedy and Lily Rogers won prom king and queen. After receiving their crowns, they were let down onto the dance floor where other students stepped aside for their first dance.
“My favorite part was towards the end when everyone just started playing limbo with the lit-up string from the balloon. It was just funny and cute to see everyone joining together just to do that even if they didn't know anyone else they were playing with,” said Student Kaila Freitag.
While on the dance floor, students had the opportunity to request music from the DJ and dance to familiar music. The dancing crowd made circles around people dancing in the center and made multiple mosh pits.
“Next year, I hope there is a better mix of songs. I was shocked there were no line dances. The cake pops were also delicious, so I hope we have more of those too,” said Junior Ines Caballes.
On May 25, over 800 seniors graduated from LCHS. There were more than 3,000 people who attended the great event. Due to weather conditions, the event was held indoors.
“I would say my time at Lake Central was eye-opening and memorable. With COVID, it was difficult to adapt to all the changes, but I’m thankful to say I had such a great support system of friends, teachers, and mentors to lean on who were all in the same boat as I was. I made some lifelong friendships and learned how to be a better leader that encourages others to find their voice as well. Lake Central allowed me to find my passion for helping others and opened so many doors to opportunities in the rigorous classes, extracurriculars, and so much,” said Senior Kimmy Hestermann.
Three students gave a speech at graduation. Students Katie O’drobinak, Kimmy Hestermann, and Kyle Kennedy all spoke inspirational words to their peers.
“Speaking at graduation was truly an honor of a lifetime. This has been a goal of mine since last year and to be given this platform to share with my fellow classmates will forever be a truly unforgettable moment,” said Kennedy.
Students walked up first in order of their educational achievements starting with those graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors. Family and friends continuously cheered for two hours to applaud their students during the highly memorable night.
“Being the only person from my small private school to transfer to LC, I had so many doubts about if I would find a purpose here or if I can make an impact on the student body. It was rough at first, but I quickly met so many friends and teachers who were willing to help me along my journey of self-discovery. I’ll especially miss them more than anything. I still can’t believe today was graduation, but I’m looking forward to creating the next chapter of my life. I have much gratitude to Lake Central for allowing me to have my continued success,” said Damian Arambula.
What’s coming up?
As school wraps up, students start to have fun with their summer plans. Some students will continue doing school throughout the summer to make up courses or to get ahead. Fall sports will begin conditioning in June.
Staff spotlight
LCHS History teacher Tom Clark is in his 40th year of teaching. This year he decided that it would be his last year teaching United States history and has chosen to retire.
“The main reason I wanted to become a teacher was that I have this deep love and passion for history. I wanted to pass that on. When I’m teaching something and you see students like ‘wow I understand that’ and they make connections, that’s my goal,” said Clark.
After teaching at LCHS for so long, Clark managed to fill his classroom with items that he could talk about in normal day-to-day conversations with students.
“To get people to see history in a different light. That’s what I really love. I was probably eligible for retirement six years ago or more but I kept putting it off because I love it so much. In fact, if I could I would go 10 more years. I understand I can no longer be a teacher of a classroom but I still want to be a part of LCHS,” said Clark.
Understanding how students can thrive in the classroom, Clark would base his class on a lot of project work and communication.
“I have to tell you; every morning I get up it’s not like going to a job. It’s like going to do something I enjoy doing. I’ve learned a lot from students. I’ve learned a lot from the members of staff here and how to be a better teacher. I think all of that is something I’m really going to miss. I have some advice for students here. This comes from the bottom of my heart: do not let this place define you,” said Clark.
Student spotlight
Kennedy Wright is a sophomore at LCHS and has been doing theater and art for multiple years. Recently, she won an award for one of her art pieces.
“I've been doing art since I was little, I'd say from first grade and onwards,” Wright said.
Her art piece won second place out of public preference in the 2D art category. Along with winning the award, Wright is also active in many other parts of her school.
“In theater, I am an actor. I've been in 14 shows, and I've been in theater since third grade. I started because of a local theater in Chicago called the Beverly Art Center, where I previously took art, instruments, and dance classes. I wanted to be more involved in the arts, so I found a love for the theater there,” Wright said.
After doing so many shows, Wright could not be more excited for upcoming shows this next school year.