Mark Smirnov

Many people know senior Mark Smirnov from his hustle and bustle attitude through the hallways, or as the guy who  always likes to give a fist bump first thing in the morning, or possibly from playing his heart out on the trumpet every Friday night under the lights.

His friends lavish him with high praise, saying he is the type of person to make sure to ask if you’re doing well, and who will try to brighten your mood if you’re not.

“Mark is a great friend who will always make you laugh.” said Sam Rappin. “Mark is always there for you if you need someone to talk to.”

Mark is also a man of tradition. When he heard that the Veteran’s Day Celebration in Lake Bluff was going to be cancelled, he knew exactly what he had to do. He decided to take over the project and worked tirelessly day and night to make sure this tradition didn’t get lost with the time.

He worked hard, trying to make everything come together. He coordinated with Lake Forest High School, also with the Lake Bluff City council, and close friends in the Boy Scouts to make sure that the tradition lived up to the expectations of the past.

“Mark’s a persistent guy who does everything that he can to complete his goal,” said Tyler Hansen, a long time friend and Boy Scout who helped raise the flag during the Veteran’s Day ceremony. “He’s super determined and he’s an awesome friend.”

His friends value the hard work that he put toward this project and respect how he went about it and involved his friends through the process.

“I was impressed beyond words with his leading efforts to save the Lake Bluff Veterans Day Ceremony, but also in all the great ways he has grown as a student, band mate, friend, and person,” said his lifelong friend Joey Goodsir. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”