Greetings!
We are midway through November, on the path toward Thanksgiving. LFA will break for the holiday on Nov. 24 and then hold remote classes until winter vacation. Students will begin courses for the second semester on Jan. 4 remotely; they will return to campus for in-person instruction on Jan. 25. Our medical experts advise this period of remoteness during peak flu season in the Midwest to keep our community healthy.
Thank you for your support this fall. Whether you attended a virtual event, spoke with our students via Zoom, made a gift to the Academy Fund and/or supported student scholarships or if you simply checked in to see how we were doing at the Academy, we are grateful for your outreach and engagement.
We wish you all the best for a happy and relaxing Thanksgiving.
Ruth Keyso
Director of Alumni Engagement
847.615.3268 (office)
847.224.6072 (cell)
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Town Hall Explores Health and Wellness at LFA
Thank you to the alumni who joined us for the Town Hall on Tues., Nov. 10 with Head of School José M. De Jesús, LFA's Director of Health Services Anna Kliner, MSN, RN, and Jen Madeley P'11, 14, LCSW, School Counselor and Health, Wellness & Community Department Chair.
Alumni on the Zoom webinar represented the classes of 1949 through 2012, and joined us from as far away as Japan, California, Florida, Alaska, and NYC, and as close by as Gurnee and Chicago.
This was a great opportunity to learn about the health and wellness efforts the school has undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to view the recording of the event.
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BSU and Alumni Connections
The Office of Alumni Engagement, in partnership with the Black Student Union (BSU), hosted a mentoring-networking gathering via Zoom on Oct. 26 with twin brothers Dr. Hussein Musa '01 (of San Antonio, Texas) and Dr. Shamsideen Musa '01 (of Anchorage, Alaska), along with Caxy classmate Johnnie Johnson '01 (of Naperville, Illinois). The virtual gathering was an opportunity to bring students in contact with alumni for mentoring, networking, and dialogue.
Thank you to the Musa brothers and to Johnnie for being such wonderful role models for our students. Go, Caxys!
Caption for photo below (from top left): Gabi Stewart ‘24, Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso, Darius Duff ‘22, Safiya Nicol ‘22, Assistant Dean of Pluralism & Multicultural Affairs/Spanish teacher Tameka Carter, Akindele Aboyade-Cole ‘22, Kendall Scales ‘24, Dr. Shamsideen Musa ’01, Bryson Royale ’23, Kathryn Githinji ‘22, Joie Smith ’23, Nalani Hill ‘24, Ferdoss Ibrahim ’22, Dr. Hussein Musa ’01, Braeden Murray ’23, Johnnie Johnson ’01, Senior Associate Dean of Admission Kassandra Hayes P’18, History and Social Science teacher Ackim Mpofu
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YA Coffee: Classes of 2016-2020
Classes of 2016-2020, this year's Young Alumni Lunch will be a Young Alumni Coffee and will take place via Zoom on Tues., Jan. 5, 2021, at 11 a.m. CST.
When you register, we will e-mail you an e-gift card for a coffee at Starbucks. Then, for those who are logged into Zoom for our event on Jan. 5, we will do a live drawing for some great prizes! Please plan to join us.
Fun fact: Did you know that Starbucks Chairman Emeritus Howard Schultz is part of the LFA family? Sheri Kersch Schultz '72 and her husband, Howard, are co-founders of Seattle-based Schultz Family Foundation, which they funded from their Starbucks affiliation.
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Live from the Third Coast: It's LFA in the Entertainment Industry
LFA will host a two-night virtual event focused on the entertainment industry and the LFA alumni who make the magic happen in the worlds of TV, film, theater, music, and production. Each session will take place in the evening via Zoom and will be hosted by alumni panelists. We will discuss the projects folks are working on; how COVID has affected the entertainment industry; what measures the industry is taking to re-invent itself; how to network; and how to understand the business of show business.
If that's not enough to get you excited, how does a ROCK-STAR PANEL that includes Jay Chandrasekhar '86, Rachel Maguire '85, Kelly Perine '87, and Jason Delane Lee '90 sound?
Full bios to come, but Jay (LFA Hall of Fame 2016) is a well-known stand-up comic, director, screenwriter, award-winning filmmaker, actor, and co-founder of a comedy group. His movies include Super Troopers (and ST2), Club Dread, and The Dukes of Hazzard. He has also worked as a TV director on many shows, including Community and The Goldbergs.
Jason is an actor and co-founder of the award-winning finance and development company Lagralane Group. His project portfolio includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. (#EGOT!)
Rachel is a TV producer, writer, and director who has worked on shows for National Geographic Television International, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel, among others. She is currently co-executive producing Discovery's Naked and Afraid TV series.
Kelly is a Hollywood veteran--television actor, writer, director, producer, and comedian. He has had regular roles on sitcoms Between Brothers, The Parent 'Hood', and One on One, which is enjoying a resurgence on Netflix (check it out!). He has also appeared on many TV commercials and has had parts in shows such as The Drew Carey Show, Seinfeld, and Mad About You.
Watch your email for more details. This event will take place online via Zoom in February 2021. Questions? Contact Ruth Keyso at rkeyso@lfanet.org.
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Make It a Double--or More!
Did you know that you can double or triple your charitable gift to the Academy without giving more? Corporate matching gifts from your employer (or your spouse's employer) can make this possible. LFA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and is eligible to receive funds through many corporate matching gift programs.
Contact your employer’s human resources department for information on how your gift can increase your giving to LFA.
"I support LFA because of the strong impact it has had on my life, my career, and my network. My monthly gifts are my way of showing my Caxy Pride, and ensuring LFA has the recurring support it needs to continue the great work it does with academics, global outreach, and continuous improvement. I request matching funds for these donations through my company's matching gift program, essentially doubling my contribution, and augmenting my support for a cause that I care so much about. I continue to be impressed with all of the international connections and experiences that the Academy fosters for its students."
Shawn Noroozi, Class of 1988
Naperville, IL
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Get the Band (or Baseball Team, Class...) Back Together!
What to reconnect with your championship team? Try your hand at doing one of those cool musical performances via Zoom? Or maybe just gather to chat with people whom you haven't seen in a while? After virtual Alumni Weekend & Reunion this past September, a number of groups have expressed interest in coming together on Zoom -- and we invite you to do the same!
We will provide you with support in doing outreach and setting up the video call session.
If you are interested, contact Director of Alumni Reunions & Reunion Giving Hannah Keller at hkeller@lfanet.org
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Listen to the Newest Episode of Caxology!
On October 9, 2020, LFA held its first-ever virtual Gala. The newest episode of Caxology is a follow-up to the Gala, which raised more than $850,000 in support of a $1.8 million project to build four new faculty apartments on the LFA campus.
Host Garry Sloan speaks with Tom Johnson, LFA’s Dean of Faculty and co-host of this year’s auction, and also with Ben Wetherbee, LFA Associate Dean of College Counseling. Both Tom and Ben live on campus, and each gives their perspective on the Gala and the importance of on-campus faculty to the LFA experience for students. You will also hear briefly from two alumni who were boarders during their time at LFA – Alex Zhou, Class of 2020 and Cedric Chong, Class of 2019.
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Save! That! Date!
As we look to the holiday season and beyond into 2021, make sure to include a very important event on your calendar: Alumni Weekend & Reunion 2021, September 24-26!
We look forward to welcoming alumni of all classes back to campus (we miss having you around!) and celebrating milestone reunions for classes ending in 0, 1, 5, 6. Be sure to be here for this special gathering. More details: hkeller@lfanet.org
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HOF/WOD Honoree Announcement
In case you missed our recent announcement about the Hall of Fame and Woman of Distinction recipients from the 2020 Alumni Weekend & Reunion celebration, here is the info again.
Congratulations to all of our wonderfully accomplished graduates. You make us Caxy proud!
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Got Notes?
Whether you've started grad school, gotten married, welcomed a new child, published an article, found a new job or hobby or simply want to check in from your part of the world, please send us your news for the winter issue of the Review. Photos are welcome!
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