Senior Ryan Eleveld is one of LFHS’s brightest. He competes for our school’s Science Olympiad Team, Math Team, and Scholastic Bowl Team, helps run the Tech Department and assists other students as an Academic TA.

Being involved in so much means putting in a lot of hours. Eleveld gets to school every morning at 7:45 am and rarely leaves before 5 p.m. But when there’s a show, he’ll be here until 9 p.m. during show seasons, and no earlier than  and until at least 10 p.m. during the musical.

During those crazy show seasons, Eleveld can be found running around the DMT or RMA making sure everything is running smoothly as the student tech director.

“We’re here to have fun! If we’re all miserable, what’s the point? If it means running up a couple fights of stairs every rehearsal because mics aren’t working and the lift is right behind me, hey it’s worth it,” Eleveld said.

But before Eleveld came and took the LFHS Theater Department by storm, his past theater experiences had been anything but perfect.

“Originally I was with a theater program through the Gurnee Park District, but our director, it was his second job. They kept trying to promote him and, eventually, he took it. After that, he couldn’t run the program anymore and it all fell apart,” Eleveld said.

Not only does Eleveld push himself to make the shows run perfectly, he inspires everyone around him, actors and techies alike, to do better and be better, sophomore Anna Randall said.

“Ryan is a special kind of amazing, the kind that makes everyone around him inspired to be a better person. He has definitely made me a better person in the two years I have known him, and I could not be more thankful,” Randall said.

Outside of the theater, as an Academic TA, Eleveld helped Mrs. Grzesik’s Chemistry Honors classes after she went on maternity leave.

One of the students from Grzesik’s fifth period class, junior Gabby Smith, recounts how if not for Eleveld, she and the rest of the class would not have finished as well as they did.

“Honestly Ryan Eleveld was the only reason we passed that class. He would elaborate on notes when our sub’s explanations were unsatisfactory and gave us life saving tips to use on tests. Either way, I can say for everyone that we are immensely grateful to have had a TA like Ryan Eleveld,” Smith said.

Acting as a TA for Chemistry Honors was not only rewarding for the students, but for Eleveld as well.

“Honestly, the most rewarding thing for me was seeing (students) improve dramatically. Now Olivia Headley is a TA for Mrs. Grzeick, and that makes me really happy,” Eleveld said.

As far as his future goes, Eleveld plans on majoring in chemistry with a focus in education, depending on what schools he gets into.

Wherever the future may lead him, Eleveld has been, and always will be, a shining star that Lake Forest will be sad to lose come graduation.