Lily Connery

Simply put, the standards are set high in Lake Forest. It’s all about keeping up with the latest fads and trends. Many fall under the spell of what society determines to be “in” or “out.” A select few are able to shy away from the social norm and march to the beat of their own drum. With a Kombucha in her right hand, her iPhone 8 in the left, and an eager attitude to attack the day, senior Lily Connery goes about her life dispelling the common Lake Forest stereotype.

Ask just about anyone and the responses will speak for themselves: Lily is different. Senior Logan Hanekamp, a close friend of hers, testified to Lily’s innate ability to go her own direction and do so confidently.

“I’m not sure how many people are able to get up around 4 a.m. every morning before school and go work out,” mentioned Hanekamp. “But when I see Lily pull up to our Soul Cycle class in her white Land Rover, the first thing I can’t help but notice is a smile on her face and a sense of willingness to get everyone in the room truly invested in the workout. There aren’t many people who can do that, especially that early in the day.”

Apart from her out-of-school activities, Lily’s wardrobe alone speaks volumes about her uniqueness. During the colder months of the year, girls throughout Lake Forest are often seen donning the trademarked Urban Outfitter fuzzy light-brown jacket. Breaking boundaries once again, Lily courageously sports a chic red-colored version of the coat, despite what anyone else may think.

Not to mention, when it comes to social media, Lily is in a world of her own. And now, as many seniors are inking in paper their college decisions for the next four years, Lily has taken her game to a whole new level.  Lily has made it her goal to post for all 234 of her “best friends.”

“When I decided to go to U Miami, she was the first person I told,” commented senior Michael Pasquella, a lifelong friend of Lily’s. “She has like 4,000 followers and her Instagram stories look professionally made, so I knew it was the best way to get the word out. I knew her shout out for my college commitment would definitely get me some clout.”

In short, it’s the small things that separate Lily from the rest. For her, life is more than the smoothie bowls, “Best Friend” college shoutouts on Instagram, hydroflasks, and Lululemon apparel: life is about being different.