Katherine St. Amand

Sophomore Katherine St. Amand does it all. Not only is she a supportive and caring friend to all during school, but she also plays with a kind-heart and positive mindset on the field as well. 

Katherine has had a long-time love for the sport of field hockey. From the moment she made the varsity team her freshman year, her work ethic and determination to improve has made her a leader on the team. 

“Katherine is a fearless player. She is so talented and really knows the game. She plays a huge role on our team and does a great job,” said teammate Junior Campbell Gore. 

While field hockey is a sport that Katherine has stuck with for her whole life, she decided she wanted to try out something new in the spring of her freshman year: lacrosse. 

“She had never really played before but she was one of the best players on our team. Every time she came to practice she was super peppy and encouraging to her teammates,” said junior Evelyn Marshall, freshman/sophomore lacrosse team captain. 

Katherine’s positivity is a trait that shines through on every team that she is on, and she has just as positive of a presence on these teams as she does in the lives of her friends. 

“Kat is always there for me whenever I need her. She is a super supportive friend and always knows how to make anyone around her smile. Everyday we drive to school together and it is the best way to start my day,” said close friend Audrey Adamo. 

Rhona Okada

Junior Rhona Okada can be found playing her heart out on the soccer field or displaying her impressive math skills as a key member of the Math Team.

Rhona joined the varsity soccer team as a sophomore and her teammates are excited to see what she will bring to the field this year.

 “Rhona is the funniest person you will ever meet! Her positivity and hard work inspires everyone both on and off the field,” said teammate and junior Maddy Cummins. 

Outside of team activities, Rhona enjoys traveling. Her mother grew up in Ireland, allowing Rhona the chance to travel there each summer, spend time with her Irish family, and learn more about her culture every year. 

Although Ireland is not known for its winter sports. Rhona hopes to learn how to snowboard this winter. She has been planning on doing this for years but this year she is feeling the itch more than ever.

Rhona’s friends describe her as being hilarious, optimistic, loyal, and always available to give advice in a time of need. She is known for her undeniable sense of humor; she can make people laugh even in their saddest hour.  

“Rhona makes me laugh the hardest out of any of my friends; she’s always quick to crack a joke. Her sense of humor seems to click with everyone,” said junior Bea Scholz.

Rhona values her academic success. She has been coming to the high school to take math courses since she was attending middle school. Many people envy her for her spectacular brain and her ability to balance an intense motivation to complete work with the time she dedicates to the relationships she has with her friends. 

“She is the hardest worker I know and the funniest at the same time,” said junior Alex Reidy. 

In the little free time she gets, she enjoys playing a roblox game titled Dress to Impress. This is a fashion based game where players compete to win on the runway. Rhona is a regular winner of this game: Her creativity and unique view on pop culture allow  her to beat out other players who may be even more of a fashion icon than she is. 

Andrew Marks

Senior Andrew Marks splits his time between playing Scout baseball and fostering school spirit. When he’s not on the mound, he’s putting smiles on people’s faces.

Andrew Marks is a funny, respectful, and kind student at LFHS with a drive to make our high school a better place.

 “Andrew Marks is always an active teammate who is cheering everyone on. He keeps everyone positive on and off the field. He’s always looking to do something to better himself and the team,” said senior teammate Bink Hartline.

Off the field, Andrew is a member of Scout Nation, a school group that promotes school spirit and pride. He dedicates his extra time to building relationships and creating an atmosphere of camaraderie among the students and staff alike.

“Andrew is always ready to support the Scouts and has brought a new energy to Scout nation this year that creates a fun dynamic. Scout Nation really tried to find senior leaders who wanted to be at the games and bring in different parts of the school this year and Andrew has been awesome at bringing spirit to the games,” said Scout Nation leader Mona Ferraioli

Supporting the Scouts runs in Andrew’s family.  Last week, his parents, Fred and Laura Marks, donated a Dodge Charger to the school to support the safety and security department.   With parents who model such generosity and school spirit, it’s no wonder that Andrew is compelled to do the same.

Mrs. Jen Van Skyock

A teacher who sometimes feel more like motherly figure, Mrs. Jen Van Skyock, who is more widely known as Mrs. V, is one of the gems of Lake Forest High School. 

With more than 30 years experience, she creates an incredible environment for seniors and juniors who are lucky enough to have her for one of the many classes that she teaches. Whether teaching World Fiction or Speech for seniors or English 3 for juniors, the atmosphere of Mrs. V’s classroom hardly ever changes. It is always the same, fun-loving space no matter what the class is working on, which leads many students to look forward to her class each day.

When senior Andrew Marks was asked about his World Fiction teacher, he decided to give a passionate poem about Mrs.V rather than a quote.

“Mrs. V is our teacher, she’s funny and kind,

With jokes and her smile, she sharpens our mind.

She’s calm and she’s patient, with a laugh so sweet,

Learning’s a breeze when she’s in the seat.

Grammar and stories, she makes them a thrill,

  We’re lucky to have her, so cool and so chill!”

Mrs. V not only keeps her classes lighthearted, but she also pushes her students to continue to work hard with her infamous “Muffins of the Month.” Each month, Mrs. V hands out two muffin awards to students who have been diligent in participating in discussions or who have done well on her assignments. Her muffins give students motivation to push themselves and push their classmates at the same time and also give her students an additional aspect to look forward to.

“I always look forward to Mrs. V’s class because of how laid back she is and also how we have fun and learn at the same time during class,” senior Brady Baker said.

She is very approachable and laid back, which allows her students to feel comfortable talking to her about anything they need, whether it is related to school or something that they may need advice on. As a mother of three, Mrs. V knows the ins and outs of parenting and treating her students like her own allows her students to be themselves and have fun throughout her class. 

“Mrs. V is the kind of teacher who is always there for you. She makes it so easy to turn to her for anything inside or outside of school,” senior Lilly Walsh said.

George Greer

Freshman George Greer, also known as “Baud,” is a complete and utter grinder on and off the ice. 

Countless early morning and late night practices, dryland conditioning sessions, and far away tournaments may seem like too much to handle for the average person, but not for George Greer.  He lives for them. 

“He is a hard worker that sacrifices things off the ice for things on the ice,” freshman Murphy Wood said.

George is a filthy defenseman for  the Triple A level for the Chicago Reapers. He can knock you right off your skates and then fire an ‘upper decky clapper’ into the net before you have a chance to blink. George is that kind of player. His gritty style of play allows him to take on any offensive player no matter the size. He plays with an instinctive intelligence that opposing teams envy. With his ‘silky mitts,’ he can dangle the puck like it’s on a string, embarrassing his opponents at times.

To sum it all up, ‘stick and puck’ is very important to George and it seems to just come naturally to him.

Though hockey is his main sport, George tears in up on the lacrosse field in the springtime as a middie. Having success at both sports shows how versatile of an athlete George is.

George’s extraordinary work ethic from sports carries into the classroom as well. He is a determined student who attacks his schoolwork like it’s the puck in one of his hockey games. In the hallways, George is someone who can instantly brighten your day with one of his classic smirks. If you stop and chat with him, he’s bound to make you laugh.

“He’s a good kid with a great attitude, and he treats everyone well,” Wellness For Life teacher Mr. Joe Busse said.

Even with all that he has on his plate, George never complains and is always willing to go the extra mile.