Greetings!
The LFA campus was alive with activity during Alumni Weekend & Reunion 2021. With nearly 250 alumni, students, faculty, and friends on campus for the festivities, there was no shortage of laughter, reminiscing, and fun!
Gorgeous weather, a spectacular Hall of Fame and Women of Distinction ceremony, a heartfelt remembrance ceremony for alumni who've passed, and class dinners and after-meal conversations that lasted long into the evening were just a few of the weekend's many highlights.
For health and safety reasons, we held many of the events outdoors. It was wonderful to celebrate under the stars with our many guests.
Thank you for joining us for your milestone gathering. And, happy 50th reunion to the LFA Class of 1971, who had an amazing showing!
Ruth Keyso
Director of Alumni Engagement
847.615.3268 (office)
847.224.6072 (cell)
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Alumni Weekend & Reunion 2021
Nearly 250 Ferry Hall and Lake Forest Academy alumnae and alumni, representing the classes of 1951-2018, participated in Alumni Weekend & Reunion, September 24-26. We were thrilled to welcome everyone back to enjoy the campus, to reconnect with classmates, and to interact with students, faculty, and staff. After last year’s virtual gathering, everyone made up for lost time with a lively celebration.
Thank you to all who attended. If you have questions related to Alumni Weekend & Reunion or want to assist with your milestone gathering in the future, contact Hannah Shallenberger at: hshallenberger@lfanet.org.
caption for photo above: l to r: Dr. Hussein Musa '01, Dr. Shamsideen Musa '01, Nirali Dalia '98, Al Gorney '01, Bradley Olin '00 and his wife, Annie
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A Star-Studded Night
This year's Hall of Fame and Women of Distinction ceremony was a night to remember: We honored 16 remarkable individuals at a beautiful outdoor ceremony in the Formal Gardens, with Reid Hall as a backdrop.
Show your pride by considering a tribute gift in honor of one of our recipients--perhaps a former teacher or classmate--and we will let them know. Online gifts can be made at www.lfanet.org/give.
Congratulations again to our fabulous cohort of honorees.
You make us proud!
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THANK YOU, Donors, Volunteers, and Ned Jessen
Lake Forest Academy's Celebration of Philanthropy and Service showcased the generosity of the school's many donors and volunteers and celebrated the longtime service of Life Trustee Ned Jessen P'01, '05, who was honored for his 21 years on the Board of Trustees.
The evening gathering, held on Sept. 23, shined a spotlight on the philanthropy and volunteerism of hundreds of LFA community members. In particular, we recognized the generosity of our Cornerstone Society and Richards & Tremain Society members; our loyal lifetime donors; our Inspire & Invest Initiative supporters; our Expendable Annual Scholarship benefactors; and contributors to the Atlass Hall faculty apartments and other capital efforts.
Highlights included reflections from Life Trustee Jim Cowart ’69, along with parent/alumni parent Katie Segal Frekko P’21,’24 and Drs. Hussein ’01 and Shamsideen Musa ’01, who shared the story of their journey to LFA and why they established an endowed scholarship fund at the Academy. Also, we enjoyed thoughts and reminiscences about Ned Jessen from those who know him best: fellow trustees and mentees Charlie Cooper ’96 and Duane Jackson ’01; Ned's daughter, Margaret Jessen Kelley ’01; Board Chair John Marlatt ’65; and Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22.
The night was also an occasion to install three endowed chair holders: Yue Chen, A. John Huss Jr. ’58 and Ruth S. Huss Endowed Chair in the Humanities; Debbie Witmer, Edmund J. Rendtorff Endowed Chair in Science; and Matt Vaughn, Ned and Lynn Jessen Endowed Chair in the Humanities.
Watch a recording of this special evening here. (List of speakers, with time stamp here.)
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Goal: $1.6 Million
That's our goal for this year's annual fund. Will you join us in supporting today's students and faculty? Your support makes great things possible throughout the year. Thank you for your consideration.
How about setting up a recurring monthly gift to the school on your credit card? All gifts are tax-deductible as permitted by law and have an immediate impact.
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Join Our Head of School in NYC
The NYC/Tri-state Alumni/ae & Friends gathering will take place on Monday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the headquarters of McCann advertising agency, hosted by Sean Bryan '89. (Note that COVID protocols will be in place; see the registration form for details. This event is for alumni 21 years old and older; there will be a college dinner series event the next night for our college Caxys.)
Thank you to our host committee members:
Trustee Haji Glover '92
Mike Corwin '95
Jonathan Schulz '96
Richard Young '04
Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) member Natasha Patel Kennedy '11
Leo Rudberg '12
Angel (Xiaowen) Zhang '13
Catherine Kvam '16
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Ferry Hall Day 2021
LFA celebrated the 152nd anniversary of the opening of Ferry Hall on Sept. 22. On this day in 1869, Ferry Hall opened its doors to 66 female students and 11 faculty members. The Ferry Hall legacy lives on at LFA today: Ferry Hall Prefect Natalie Putzel '22 is one of the many stewards of Ferry Hall traditions and history.
Our school community celebrated the day by wearing yellow and white (Ferry Hall colors) and by enjoying cookies and cake pops in the JC Cowart Student Center during lunch. Go, Ferry Hall!
caption: Head of School Jose M. De Jesus P'22 with Ferry Hall Prefect Natalie Putzel '22 at the Ferry Hall sign.
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Ponte Vedra Beach Reception
We had a wonderful time visiting with our LFA and Ferry Hall alumni/ae and friends in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., at a reception hosted by Ferry Hall alumna Jean Royster Smiley '56 on Oct. 3. It was a lovely event and a great opportunity to discuss happenings and successes at LFA today.
Caption l to r: Susie Spiel P'82, '84, Bondy Hodgkins P'82, '85, GP'19, Jean Royster Smiley '56, Teddi Siragusa, Tom Hodgkins '53, P'82, '85, GP'19, Dick Siragusa '53 (seated), George Spiel P'82, '84, Karla Gillette GP'12, '16, Jose M. De Jesus P'22
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Asian Culture Union (ACU) Hosts Zoom Visit with Alumna
Students in LFA's Asian Culture Union gathered on Zoom on the evening of Sept. 20 for conversation with alumna Jennifer Runchu Ma '15. Jennifer is a software engineer with GE Healthcare in her native Beijing, China.
Jennifer spoke to students about attending high school, college, and graduate school (University of Michigan; bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering) in the States, transitioning to American culture as a teenager, and appreciating the value of her LFA education. She also shared stories and advice with the students. Thank you, Jennifer, for being such an asset to our community and for connecting with our current Caxys.
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Stuart Center Welcomes Alumna Speaker
The Stuart Center for Global Leadership at LFA welcomed alumna Madeleine Pye '15 to speak with the freshman class in the Cressey Center on Oct. 13.
Madeleine graduated from LFA in 2015 and matriculated at George Washington University, where she studied international affairs and French language, literature, and culture. Madeleine currently works as Special Projects & Operations Coordinator at AsylumWorks. She spoke with the students about being global citizens and how LFA prepared her for a career in global affairs. Thank you, Madeleine, for being such a wonderful role model for our students.
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Alumnus and Hollywood Writer Visits Campus
Students and faculty welcomed Rickey Larke '11 to campus on Oct. 19.
Rickey, a 2011 graduate of LFA and a 2015 graduate of Bowdoin College, spoke to students in the acting and English classes about his college experience and career trajectory. Read more about Rickey here.
caption: l to r: English teacher Kerri McCaffrey with Rickey Larke '11 and senior Safiya Nicol '22 during period 1 Senior Composition class.
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Faculty Profiles: Welcome to LFA
Get to know the newest faces among the faculty and staff at LFA. Click here to read bios on several new members of our community. (New bios added regularly.) It's an impressive bunch of individuals, and we are honored to welcome them to LFA.
above: Math teacher Mike Hall
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College Dinner Series
We're hungry already! Our college dinner series events are starting up again in person. We look forward to visiting with our college-aged young alumni in cities and towns around the country.
At these events, we enjoy a meal together, discuss the students' college experiences, and reminisce about LFA. This popular alumni engagement event is in its 9th year!
Coming up:
University of Chicago, Wed., Oct. 27, 6 p.m.
Northwestern University, Tues., Nov. 2, 6 p.m.
UW Madison, Thurs., Nov. 4, 6 p.m.
NYC-metro colleges, Tues., Nov. 16, 6 p.m.
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See Our Caxy Athletes at Home or Away
If you're interested in catching a Caxy game or meet at home or on the road, check out the athletics calendar on the LFA website. Hope to see you on the sidelines!
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Show Your LFA Pride with Caxy Wear--Buy Now for the Holidays!
Need to refresh your athletic wear? Looking for new LFA-branded shirts/sweatshirts, drinkware, jewelry, pet supplies, blankets, or hats? Visit our new online store lfacaxys.com and have fun showing off your orange and black--or yellow and white!
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Upcoming and IN-PERSON Alumni Events
We're hitting the road again! Please plan to join Head of School José M. De Jesús P'22 and fellow alumni in the following cities. Watch your email and mailbox for invitations in the weeks to come.
Mon., Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. NYC (see details in separate box above)
Wed., Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m.: Denver Area Alumni/ae & Friends Reception: the Cooper Lounge at Crawford Hotel, Union Station
Check the LFA website regularly for more upcoming events.
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