Blaine Lakin

Maybe it’s the straight-faced sarcastic humor. Or maybe it’s his tireless work ethic ensuring his students are reaching their goals. Or maybe even it’s his rolling-cart through the halls with the prop car horn attached, always honking at nearby students.

Everyone likely has something different that comes to mind when they think of Mr. Blaine Lakin, but I can guarantee you those initial thoughts are positive.

Lakin teaches in the math department with classes ranging from AP Calculus filled with seniors to freshman level Algebra 1. However, it’s easy to tell he’s not just an outstanding mathematician; in letters written to his classes, an excellent writing ability is shown and when he drops words like behoove and advantageous on his classes you know who the scholar is. Lakin’s well-roundedness and personality beyond being a formulaic mathematician separates him from most teachers and allows for a more engaging classroom.

Senior Eddie Scheidler, who has Mr. Lakin for Calculus AB, commented, “Mr. Lakin has done everything in his power to benefit his students. Lakin’s quick-witted humor will catch you by surprise if you’re not paying attention and he does a great job making math enjoyable.”

That humor is evident from the minute you meet Lakin. He’ll sarcastically say things and lightheartedly poke fun at deserving students. Lakin quickly became more than just another teacher.

Senior Bobby Winebrenner, who’s also in Lakin’s 6th period class, shared that the teacher “quickly became a friend in the class. Mr. Lakin is always willing to help out and I sometimes feel guilty because he seems to care more about my AP score than I do.” Winebrenner then added, “he has been working extremely hard to best prepare us for what may lie ahead on big exams and I think we all appreciate it.”

Between house hunting, raising a young daughter, and teaching five classes in four different classrooms, Lakin’s got a lot on his plate. But that doesn’t prevent him from taking late-nights to best prepare his students. Little things like Google hangouts with his classes to discuss problems they may have struggled on, conferencing with each student to make sure nothing’s too daunting, and sacrificing free periods to help struggling students put Lakin in a class amongst the hardest workers.

But an even more impressive trait is his ability to connect with students. Whether it’s cracking hilarious jokes during boring videos, hosting a breakfast before the AP Exam, supporting his students by attending their athletic events, or even just dropping his Bitmoji seemingly everywhere, Lakin goes far out of his way to create unique relationships with his students.

Lakin’s combination of humor, generosity, and effort for his students makes him hard to come by. Lake Forest High School lucked out recently when Lakin was awarded the job and found a special teacher that will leave a tremendous impact on Scouts for years to come.