Friday, October 18, marked the commencement of Lake Forest Academy’s 2024 Alumni Weekend. Many LFA graduates across generations connected for the first time, and LFA’s graduating classes celebrated another milestone anniversary of their schooling at the academy. The weekend’s theme was Oktoberfest, which included community dialogues, affinity group gatherings, an Oktoberfest picnic, and an LFA trivia night. The Alumni Weekend aims to bring previous LFA students together, to celebrate each other and their school, and to reflect on the progressive changes made since their time at LFA. The weekend is made possible by LFA’s Alumni team, with the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy, Ruth Keyso, playing the major role. Keyso said, “The goal of the event is to make sure everyone feels like part of the community and that they belong and have a good time reconnecting.”
On Friday night, the class of 1974 celebrated their 50th reunion with a dinner and trivia on LFA history. On Saturday morning, registration and a hospitality lounge set the tone followed by a multicultural dialogue co-hosted by the Office of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Alumni Engagement. Dean of Equity, Pluralism, Inclusion, and Community Lusanda Mayikana, alongside current LFA students, led the discussions. Afterward, alumni had the chance to meet Interim Head of School Tom Johnson and explore the evolved campus on tours led by Student Ambassadors.
During the afternoon, LFA’s student affinity groups gathered to reconnect with past teammates, band members, and club peers. Soon after came the LFA Oktoberfest picnic in the Formal Gardens, which included traditional Bavarian fare like pretzels, bratwurst, and Oktoberfest beers; autumn leaves, a friendly atmosphere, and a vivacious Polka band contributed to the picnic. Later on, the Athletic Center open house and open gym allowed alumni to explore the school’s new spaces, ask questions, and break a sweat.
In the evening, a Cheers to the Years cocktail reception allowed faculty, alumni, and staff to mingle over refreshments. The day concluded with the Alumni Weekend celebration dinner, consisting of a buffet in Reid Hall, a speech from Tom Johnson, and formal class photos.
Alumni Director Keyso said, “Alumni Weekend marked 50 years of co-education with Ferry Hall and Lake Forest Academy, so it was very special. During the multi-cultural dialogue, we talked about having conversations about LFA today, the community and the students and their role in the community. The alumni love to hear about the changes within the academy, which is a staple of the reunion weekend.” Keyso added, “I rely on our alumni as a resource to other alumni and current students for networking, attending our events, marketing and talking about their experience to promote awareness of the LFA brand, since the Alumni Board is a sounding board for the Head of School on matters requiring alumni input.” Along with the experience for the alumni, improvement is key in bettering the weekend for future years. “I sent a survey out after the weekend to ask about improvement for the next alumni weekend.”
Inevitably, organizing such a large-scale event does not come without its difficulties; Keyso explained, “The main challenges are making sure that we are reaching everyone and have the right contact information – so we outreach via email, text, and social media to get a hold of everyone. We like to have class host committees to help with outreach and we planned the event to work with the 140 people at the reunion this year; that includes planning meals, reserving rooms, and thinking about decorations and giveaways.”
Keyso stated, “One of my most memorable moments from alumni weekends was this year – I loved the special celebration hosted for the 50th class. We had about 30 alumni from the class of 1974 back on campus and we had a lovely time reconnecting with them and celebrating as a group. I had a terrific time getting to know them a lot better.”
LFA School Therapist and Health, Wellness & Community Teacher Nirali Dalia ‘98 reflected on her time as a student at LFA and the importance of Alumni Weekend. Dalia said, “Since I graduated, LFA definitely has more buildings now and there is increased diversity. There are a lot more AP classes offered, and more classes offered in the various departments. Culture-wise, I feel like we had a little more school spirit when I attended LFA, and it was not as much of a challenge to get student participation. Also, we had the American Language Academy which was for the international students, so they were still boarders and would live with everyone but they had slightly different curriculums, and some of those students would graduate into LFA. But, I feel like the international population of the school is a lot more integrated now, which is much better.” LFA’s campus and student body has changed in various ways over the past two decades.
Regarding Dalia’s connections made at LFA, she stated, “I am still friends with some of the people I met at LFA, and they are still a huge part of my life where my kids know them, and they’ve been to various events in my life, including my wedding. It is always fun to run into someone or see someone that I was close with from LFA.”
Dalia added, “I really enjoy Alumni Weekend because prior to me working here, I would bring my kids to attend the weekend, and I would always run into people that I knew from my time here. I enjoy seeing how people have changed and grown since the time we were young and reconnecting.”
Dalia gave advice to current and future students on making the most of their time at LFA and building long-lasting connections: “I tell students to do the work, have fun, and the more you are your authentic self and connect with people by being your authentic self, whatever that may be today, the higher chance of the relationships lasting. Also, be open to the idea that people grow and change, and you can connect to people that you might not have connected with during your time as a student.”