Eloise Mulliken

Few students can say they’ve impacted LFHS since the seventh grade. Freshman Eloise Mulliken, however, is one of the highly involved few who can make that statement. 

For the past two years, Mulliken has contributed an immense amount of time and energy to Chicago Summer Stories, a summer camp connected to New Media that tackles the challenge of writing, producing, and editing a short film in five days. This past June, Mulliken utilized this unique opportunity to learn about each stage of production while taking on the roles of assistant director and producer.

 “When I needed a camera lens to be swapped or to check in with another department, she stepped in and helped, wanting to learn and be involved in the process,” said senior Maddie Phillips, who worked with Mulliken on the short film “Gilded Lies.”  

Next month, Mulliken will visit New York with Phillips and eight other New Media students to compete in the All-American High School Film Festival—the premiere high school festival in the world. They will produce a short film in 56 hours: a task Mulliken is well prepared for after her contributions over the past few years. 

Along with New Media, Mulliken has dedicated her efforts to acting at The Performer’s School since elementary school. Each year, top performers around the North Shore practice intensely at the school to put on two shows a year. Mulliken and sophomore Eloise Fairchild—they call themselves “Eloise squared”—have done productions there for four years together. Fairchild appreciates the infectious energy Mulliken brings on and off stage.  

“Once we bought McFlurries from McDonald’s after finishing rehearsal at 11 p.m.,” Fairchild said. “We were absolutely delirious the entire car ride home since we were tired. But then the next day, [Mulliken] was amazing and captivating during the show—not showing an ounce of tiredness.” 

Her dedication and involvement is highly respected by her peers. They view her as an incredible actor, curious individual, committed hard-worker, and an outstanding person to be around.

“[Mulliken] is extremely talented and wants to share her skills with the community,” sophomore and friend Sawyer Rice said. “I admire how mature she is while working and that she consistently leads by example.”

Quinn Acello

Sophomore Quinn Acello has already made his mark as a student-athlete: a state champion, a faceoff specialist, a top cross-country runner, and a standout in the classroom.

Acello is the starting face-off for the Varsity Lacrosse team, runs at the top of cross country, and excels in school. It’s safe to say he is a model student-athlete, considering he accomplished all this in just his freshman year.

In Lacrosse, he was a key part of the Scouts’ state championship win. Dominating every game at the face off X and holding his own against kids who are four years older.

The lacrosse team commonly refers to him as “Cello” as he plays the other team like an orchestra. 

“Cello is a great teammate and will get you pumped up when he makes a play or a teammate makes a play,” junior Captain  Emmet Lee said.

Acello puts in the work even when no one is watching. At home, he is constantly working on his reaction time with an app on his phone that randomly beeps.

Teammates say Acello is the most amped player, before the game, when a goal, big play, or even in practice. You could say he’s bouncing off the walls to get the team hyped.

In cross country, he’s the same: hard working, focused, and driven to get better.

“He’s an amazing teammate and is always someone you can rely on to give 100% in a race or in practice,” said senior captain Michael Mullenbach.

Mr. David Hain

If you have ever hung out at an RC or needed a little extra help for class, chances are you are familiar with Mr. David Hain. 

He’s our MTSS/RTI Coordinator, which is just a fancy way of saying he helps make sure students (and teachers) get the support they need to succeed in the classroom.  

Or as HRC Coordinator Mrs. Kathleen Eikenberry put it: “His role is huge. He just oversees so many things.”  

But here’s the catch: Mr. Hain is not about the job title. He’s dedicated to helping people.  

Senior Naomi Caldwell said Mr. Hain is “selfless,””enthusiastic,” and “cares about everybody.”

Mrs Eikenberry described him as “outgoing, kind, intelligent.”

“He really cares for his students. He reaches out to them individually, sits beside them, and helps them realize what they can achieve … Mr. Hain helps students realize their own potential,” she said.  

Study Hall Supervisor Dylan Johnson says Mr. Hain never gives up on students. 

“His persistence in helping kids understand what work is missing or helping them with said work (impresses him most),” he said.  

Mr. Hain also brings a lot of fun to the school setting. 

“On block days, he starts to sing, ‘Make a list, make a list, make a list, list, list,’ or when we Pledge our Allegiance to the flag with him on it,” Johnson said.  

Secret fact: He’s a really good singer. (or not so secret if you’ve heard him singing in the halls.) 

And at the end of the day, Mr. Hain successfully makes time at school feel a little lighter and a lot more possible.  

“Mr. Hain, as an educator, is just incredibly gifted, and he is open. He puts himself out there and reaches out to every individual student.”

Alex  Richards

Behind Alex “Rusty” Richards’ calm demeanor is a strong and energetic personality. Regardless of whether he’s on the track or the football field, he’s the one who sets the tone. His undeniably solid work ethic complements his affable character to make a guy any coach would love to have.

“Alex is not only a great student but also a great person,” his teammate Jack Burger said. “Whenever I’m with Alex, it’s always a good time. He has a great balance between working hard and having fun.”

Burger not only shares a football field with Richards but also shares a track with him.

 As a freshman, Richards quickly became an integral part of the track team and earned his spot in the 200-meter dash at sectionals, becoming the only freshman to run for Lake Forest at the meet. Moving into his sophomore year, he was a part of the frosh/soph SMR team that set a school record in the event. Later in the season, he was a part of the 4×2 relay that narrowly missed out on qualifying for State. His success on the track convinced him to take up football as a sophomore, and he’s currently on the varsity team as a receiver. 

Richard’s is much more to the football and track teams than his speed, however. His reliable positive attitude is key to his teammates.

“Alex always lightens the mood at practice,” teammate Connor Hiam said. “When I’m feeling down, he’s someone who can lift me up.” 

 When he’s not with his two older siblings, who have graduated in recent years, Freddie and Lauren, you might find him riding down the street on his moped bike. 

Richards brings his personality and shows what it means to be a Scout in the classroom as well. “Alex is a great guy,” said Richards’ close friend Nate Robbins. “When I walk into first period with him, he’s always energetic. He’s always showing his funny and enthusiastic personality.” 

Luke Pasquesi

Senior Luke Pasquesi, or  “Sques” for short, emphasizes Scout Pride in just about everything he does.  He’s a member of not one, not two, but three varsity sports while maintaining a high GPA.

Even more importantly, he’s a nice guy with strong character. 

Friday nights, you can watch him scoring touchdown passes and running routes as the tight end for the Varsity Football Team. This season he is playing a larger role in the offense.

Underclassmen look up to him as a role model.

”Although Luke isn’t a captain, he is for sure one of the most captain-like and hard-working people on the field during Friday nights. Luke’s by far one of the toughest kids on the team mentally and physically,”  senior captain Braden Hoskins said.

Luke puts focus on his academics as well. Throughout the past four years, Luke has maintained a strong GPA while packing his schedule with numerous Honors and AP courses. He showcases what it means to be a true Lake Forest Scout.

Outside of school, Luke is very close to his family. Coming from a family of five, he spends many of his long weekends up at his lake house in Wisconsin, where he is busy water skiing, playing pickleball, and fishing by the lake. These weekends have created a bond with each of his family members, especially with his twin sister Ava.

“Luke is great. He is my built-in best friend, and I can always go to him whenever I need help or just need someone to rant to. I love watching him succeed, and being on the sideline cheering him on is probably the most special part of our relationship,” Ava said.