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Faces of LFA

Get to know our community! On this page, our students, faculty and alumni share anecdotes about their LFA experiences. Please hover over each photo to read their quotes!

Flipbook Student -Ricky A.

Ricky ’22
Alumnus

“The relationship between faculty and the students definitely goes beyond the classroom. LFA's small class sizes allow teachers to get to know their students and many will attend sporting and other school events. The presence of an advisory and advisor allows students to have a member of faculty that they can go to and also a group of students to talk to. So, yes, your teachers will definitely know you at LFA.”

alumna Lauren B with Caxy mascot and daughter

Lauren Blair ’87
Alumna

“LFA was a true college preparatory high school. I came to LFA as a junior and many of my English and history classes were held in round table style, often using the socratic method and focusing on analysis and discussion. Being a boarding student [also] prepared me for the independence, self-motivation and focus that is required in college.”

Vaughn family on the beach posing for portrait

Suzy Vaughn
History & Social Science Teacher

“The small class size at LFA gives me the opportunity to establish personal connections with every student. I am able to get to know the kids really well, and spending time with students outside the classroom makes class that much more personal and fun.”

Ferry Hall alumna at May Day 1968

Nancy Barcelo ’70
Alumna

“Ferry Hall completely prepared me for college. My grammar class with Mrs. Nelson paved the way for my understanding of English grammar. And I developed a love of music history and theory from Mrs. Portnoy. [And] my English class with MaryAlice Bird taught me to think for myself even if my views were different from the norm.”

student, Josh, working on a laptop

Zihan "Josh" ’23
Boarding Student
Shanghai, China



“Talking about LFA traditions, Move Up Day has to be my favorite one to participate in. For me, Move Up Day symbolizes a day where I would look back at my past achievements and celebrate the start of a fresh new academic year.”

Flipbook Faculty- Tameka Carter

Tameka Carter
Modern & Classical Languages Teacher (Spanish) , Global, & Health, Wellness, & Community Teacher

“Our administration understands that our students learn by doing. Every single year, I do a trip abroad for students to come and practice their language. Probably the most rewarding was definitely the trip to Cuba. It was amazing: they learned so much about their language, about democracy and what that means to other people in different places.”

student Ella poses in hockey uniform on ice

Ella ’23
Day Student
Northbrook, Ill.



“Never did I expect a high school to really be as diverse, passionate, and focused as the words I read on the website. It was surprisingly surreal.”

alumni Ron Sutton with university graduation cap and stethoscope

Ronald Sutton ’08
Alumnus

“My favorite memory of LFA has to be whenever I had the opportunity to be on stage, either singing with the choir or performing in a musical. LFA helped me to discover my love of the arts. I also cherish the relationships that I formed with my peers and teachers. I still keep in touch with many people. LFA changed my life and the trajectory of where I am today.”

teacher Chris Dozois with a student

Chris Dozois
History & Social Science Teacher

“What stands out to me about teaching at LFA is that I don't work in a school where it's an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. job. I am a much more effective teacher because I see the students in lots of areas outside of my classes: in sports I coach; in games, concerts, or plays I go watch; during a weekend activity; or in the dorms. I get to have conversations with them that aren't about what we did in class that day.”

alumnus George Harmon in a restaurant

George Harmon ’59
Alumnus

“For seniors in 1959, the school arranged an evening series of speakers. Most clearly, I remember the brilliant Bill Veeck. He owned the Chicago White Sox, who would go to the World Series that year. He was said to devour one book a day. Before supper, Veeck went to our baseball practice. After the meal, in the library, he was the entertaining self that Chicagoans knew so well.”

Director of Theater Matt Boresi with students working on school musical

Matt Boresi
Director of Theater

“I specialize in new work and telling stories in new ways, so when I work on stage and in the classroom at LFA, I want to bring contemporary theatre styles and techniques to young actors. At LFA we've been able to experiment with environmental theater, site-specific theatre, promenade-style theatre, ensemble-driven shows, actor-motivated sets, stage combat, original work, stage/film hybrids, student design, and more. We've got a student-centered focus in the Theatre department at LFA that helps a learner develop into a thought leader and a multi-tool player.”

student Heewoong K at a service event

Heewoong ’23
Boarding Student
Seoul, Republic of Korea

“What surprised me about LFA was that it provided me with the opportunity to be thoughtful with my time. All that time to myself gave me a chance to embark on what I was truly passionate about. I wanted to stay healthy, so I went to the gym. I wanted to improve the school, so I joined the student council. LFA brought out my independence and helped me build my own school life.”

alumni Alex P on the Brown college campus in winter

Alex Pankhurst ’12
Alumnus

“Physics was one of my favorite classes as it took a subject that I'd always found difficult and approached it with a fun and easily accessible curriculum. The integration of different labs and examples of the application of physics into our daily lives helped me apply myself to the work better, which helped further my interest in engineering entering college.”

LFA student Saanvi sitting next to a waterfront and sunset

Saanvi ’23
Boarding Student
Palos Park, Ill.

“I love the community that living on campus offers. From inter-dorm activities (hide and seek, cops and robbers, trivia nights, caroling, etc) to simply having girls nights with my friends, boarding life truly gives you a second family. I also love the movie nights we have on weekends and the van trips the school offers to Old Orchard Mall, axe-throwing, ski trips, Six Flags, and more.”

alumni David G on a sunny day giving a thumbs up after voting

David Gupta ’81
Alumnus

 

“LFA prepared me for college by [enrolling me] in rigorous studies...while also teaching me how to take care of myself as a boarding student. I believe the boarding aspect was one of the more critical aspects leading to my maturation and development as a leader.”

alumna Kristin Rey in front of an artistic background

Kristin Rey ’83
Alumna

“I loved my time at LFA and have truly fond memories of the amazing people and beautiful campus. Some of my best friends to this day are people I met at LFA. What a gift it was to be surrounded by bright and interesting young people from diverse backgrounds. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to attend.”

Flipbook Student - Yutan Jin

Yutan "Tan" ’22
Alumnus

“Although dorm parents are technically teachers and faculty members, they are more like guardians I can trust personally. Knowing that my dorm parents are nearly accessible 24 hours for seven days a week for any problems ranging from academics to personal life is a very reassuring fact that allows me to build trust with my dorm parents.”

science teacher writing on dry erase board

Stephanie Ramirez
Science Teacher

“The science department at LFA is unique in that we have our own building dedicated to science. We offer your core classes but then we offer interests such as engineering, bio chem research, anatomy and physiology, forensics. We do an excellent job at providing a different experience for all the students.”

alumni Jordan Wolff portrait

Jordan Wolff ’15
Alumnus

“Throughout college, I was able to take on roles such as being a teaching assistant, leading software development teams, and consulting for businesses because of the leadership skills I was exposed to at LFA. Now in my early career, I am able to distinguish myself by leveraging my leadership skills to demonstrate initiative and lead cross-functional software development teams. I am so grateful for the opportunities I had at LFA to learn and practice these core skills.”

Flipbook Student Mariana Q

Mariana ’22
Alumna

“I love being able to do all the things I want to all at the same time; take hard but interesting classes, being part of teams and having fun in games and practices, and doing clubs that expand on the growth of my favorite hobbies.”

Flipbook Faculty Paul M.

Paul Makovec
Mathematics Department Chair

“One of the things I enjoy most about LFA is how much everyone cares about each other. It’s apparent that kids understand the importance of learning here, but what sets LFA apart is that students truly cherish relationships made with teammates, classmates, teachers and coaches.”

alumna Catherine Kvam portrait

Catherine Kvam ’16
Alumna

“My favorite classes at LFA were the two independent study courses I took with Mr. Dozois. For the first one, we researched the American justice system. I shadowed a district judge, met with the Lake County State’s Attorney and interviewed a police officer. I am so grateful that he took the time to cultivate such amazing learning experiences — one that prompted me to intern with the Cook County Public Defender’s Office during college.”

Flipbook student Ferdoss I

Ferdoss ’22
Alumna

“You meet your closest friends playing whatever sport you do along with memories and conversations that you will never forget. Nothing can beat the bus drives with your team, sometimes they’re a lot more fun than the game itself.”

alumna Amira Samra portrait

Amira Samra ’19
Alumna

“One of my favorite classes was AP Government with Dr. Pathak. I picked the class because I have always been interested in the government and the class helped me better understand politics as well as potential careers from our multiple guest speakers. He encouraged open, non-judgemental discussions that allowed everyone to respectfully share their viewpoints and build an inclusive class environment.”

alumna Katie Kim portrait

Katie Kim ’15
Alumna

“My favorite memories of LFA are all the traditions that get passed on from year to year. Traditions such as All School Handshake, House Cup, ringing the bell after an athletic win, and senior year activities are some that I will never forget. These traditions not only bring the diverse community together but also encourages a strong school spirit.”

Flipbook Student Colin Gupta

Colin ’24
Day Student
Glenview, Ill.

“There are countless things I enjoy about being a day student at a boarding school. One thing I have often found very helpful is that many of the teachers here live on campus which makes it very easy to find time to meet or seek help from them if needed. I also appreciate that because LFA is a boarding school, it has an exceptionally strong feeling of community.”

alumni Sarah Hershenhorn

 Sarah Hershenhorn ’17
Alumna

“Something I still cherish from LFA even after graduating is the sense of community. My teachers really knew me beyond the classroom. They attended my sports games, were always willing to help me after class, and overall took a genuine interest in who I am. I still keep in touch with many of them. This sense of community is definitely the foundation of my success at Northwestern University.”