JANUARY 2023
Greetings!

Happy new year! I hope 2023 is off to a good start for you. We opened the second semester with the annual Young Alumni Lunch on campus on Jan. 4. Nearly 60 alumni from the classes of 2018-2022 joined us for lunch and socializing with their former classmates and teachers.

We have lots of events planned for the months ahead. See below for more on the family-friendly winter musical and the first State of the School address via Zoom with Head of School Chris Tennyson.


Ruth Keyso
Director of Alumni Engagement
847.615.3268 (office)
847.224.6072 (cell)
State of the School with HOS Tennyson: Feb. 2
Join us on Thurs., Feb. 2 for a 12 p.m. CT Zoom session with Head of School Chris Tennyson, who will share news from campus today and answer questions from alumni.

RSVP here. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day before the event.
Family-Friendly Musical at LFA
Join us for the winter musical at LFA on Sat., Feb. 11.

We begin at 9 a.m. with breakfast (green eggs and ham, pancakes), followed by the musical at 10 a.m.

This event promises to be a lot of fun. AND, kids will be home by nap time! (The show lasts 70 minutes.)

The LFA musical is supported in part by a grant from the Pattis Family Foundation.

Space is limited so register here today!
Save the Date: Spring Gala 2023
Mark your calendars for Sat., April 29 for the annual Spring Gala at LFA.

The Gala 2023 project will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for more information about this community-wide event!
Alumni Gather in Ponte Vedra, Florida
LFA's final alumni event of the 2022 year was a lunch gathering with Head of School Chris Tennyson in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Hosted by former LFA President and Principal Tom '53 and Bondy Hodgkins, along with alumnus Dick Siragusa and his wife, Teddi, the lunch was a great opportunity to introduce Chris to some of the Academy's most loyal and devoted alumni and supporters.

caption for photo above: clockwise from bottom left: Former President of LFA, Tom Hodgkins '53 (1986-96); alumni parent George Spiel; Dick Siragusa '53; alumni parent Susie Spiel; HOS Tennyson; Jean Royster Smiley '56; Teddi Siragusa; Bondy Hodgkins, former Principal of LFA (1986-96); and Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso
Young Alumni Return to Campus for Annual Lunch
What a great way to usher in the new year! Alumni from the classes of 2018-2022 joined us on campus on Jan. 4 for the annual Young Alumni Lunch, a chance to socialize with former classmates and teachers and to share news about their post-high school experiences. We enjoyed poke bowls in the Garden Room in Reid Hall as well as played several rounds of online bingo. View photos here.

Pictured above, l to r: LFA Senior Assistant Dean of Admission Emily Kalis, Safiya Nicol '22, Emily Hawkins '21, Briana Murphy '21, Gabi Stewart '24, Ramya Herman '21
Alumna Featured in Crain's Chicago Business
Alumna Marissa Ford '07 was featured in The Takeaway section of Crain's Chicago Business (Jan. 9). Marissa is the Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. Read more here.

You may remember Marissa as one of our panelists for the "Live from the Third Coast: LFA in the Entertainment Industry" Zoom event held in February 2021.
LFA Freshman Performs at Carnegie Hall
Congratulations to LFA freshman clarinet player Davin Lee '26, who was selected to play at Carnegie Hall in NYC in November 2022! Read more here.
Madeley Reaches 500 Wins
Congratulations to LFA's Athletic Director and prep hockey coach Darrin Madeley P'11, '14 on his 500th career win at LFA. Read more here.
College Dinner Series Turns 10
Ten years ago LFA introduced the College Dinner Series (CDS) to its roster of alumni events.

This is an opportunity for members of the Advancement Office, oftentimes accompanied by faculty members, to visit with our college Caxys in cities and towns around the country to hear about their college experiences and to share news from campus today, while enjoying a meal together. During the fall 2022, we held 7 CDS events and kicked off 2023 with a dinner with our young alumni at Lake Forest College.

caption for photo below: Our college Caxys at Lake Forest College gather at The Lantern for dinner on Jan. 18. Pictured are, clockwise from bottom left: Nathan Barnes '19, ELL teacher Michele Vaca, Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso, Connor Hudziak '19, math teacher Ted Golota, and Fatima Martinez '22
New Year, Need You - Academy Fund
As we embark on 2023, we need your support, and the time is now. This year’s Academy Fund goal is $1,775,000. Each gift is important, and the Academy relies on the support of our Caxy community as we kick off the spring semester with new needs ahead.

Make your support simple - set up a monthly gift.

When a science teacher wants to do a new experiment in the lab – your support is there.

When inspiration strikes in the pottery classroom – your support is there.

When an athlete laces up their shoes for the first time – you are there.


Want to give another way? Check out our Ways to Give page for information on stock transfers, matching gifts and other helpful details. 
Mark this Date: 
Alumni Weekend & Reunion 2023 - Oct. 13-14
Please mark your calendars for Alumni Weekend & Reunion. We will celebrate milestone reunions for those in classes ending in 3s and 8s -- including the 50th for the Class of 1973, 25th for the Class of 1998, and 10th for the Class of 2013 -- but all Lake Forest Academy alumni and Ferry Hall alumnae are welcome.

Questions? Contact Director of Annual and Reunion Giving Hannah Shallenberger
Alumni Profiles
We'd love to include more alumni profiles in the monthly enews and on our social media.

Alumnus Ernest Crosby '72 responded to our recent call for stories from alumni who received scholarship support from the Academy. Read about Ernest and his LFA experience here.

If you have an inspirational story about your LFA experience and how it changed your life, we'd love to hear from you and consider your story for publication. Please reach out to Ruth Keyso at rkeyso@lfanet.org
Have You Claimed Your Funds from the Caxy Legacy Challenge?
The Caxy Legacy Challenge, fueled by Sheri Kersch Schultz '72 (Ferry Hall alumna and 2022 Woman of Distinction honoree) and LFA Trustee David Gupta '81 (LFA alumnus and 2021 LFA Hall of Famer), provides immediate challenge funds to individuals who create a new bequest commitment or who verify an existing bequest through documentation. Challenge dollars are directed toward a current endowment fund of the donor's choosing. Eligible estate gift commitments of $50,000 or more unlock 10% of the gift's face value from the challenge pool, up to a maximum of $10,000.

Estate gifts strengthen the LFA endowment, providing stability for the school's future. Endowment funds provide essential resources for student financial aid, faculty professional development and other designated purposes. Click the link to learn more about the Caxy Legacy Challenge or visit LFA's gift planning webpage at lfa.givingplan.net.
Contact Info Updates
If you have recently moved, changed jobs or have a new email address or cell phone number, please let us know so that we can update our database and reach you with news from LFA. Send your data to updates@lfanet.orgdates@lfanet.org
Class Notes in Enews
We would like to start including class notes in the alumni enews every other month (as well as in the Review, the alumni magazine). If you have news you'd like to share with the LFA and FH community, please send your note to classnotes@lfanet.org
Link In with Us
Alumni, stay connected with us through the LFA Alumni LinkedIn page. As our students graduate from LFA and start building their networks of alumni contacts, we'd like our LinkedIn site to be as robust as possible. Thank you for joining our group.