By Lesley Fisher Lake Forest High School graduating seniors Dylan Cran and Campbell Gore were named the inaugural recipients of the Lake Forest High School Alumni Legacy Scholarship during the Scholarships and Awards Program on May 28. Dylan Cran is the son of Greg Cran ’92 and brother of Aidan ’21 and Lily ’23. Campbell Gore is the daughter of Shawn Valassis Gore ’94 and niece of Adrienne (Valassis) Stratman ’97, Lauren Valassis Hirsh ’99, and Doug Valassis ’03. Dylan Cran

By David A. F. Sweet The City of Lake Forest tapped The Cotton Duck as its new food partner at Forest Park Beach. Co-founders Cecilia Lanyon and Dominic Zumpano, who are Lake Forest residents and long-time restaurateurs in the city, discussed what they plan to offer this summer. Why were you interested in running the Forest Park Beach concessions? I (Cecilia) grew up in Lake Forest, and summertime meant every day at the beach! We are so fortunate to have access to this gor

By David A. F. Sweet Lake Forest Community High School has always embraced the spirit of an East Coast prep school, from the façade of its original building to the rigor of its curriculum. So how does it enjoy so many national success stories in the world of sports? Consider this roster encompassing one generation: Matt Grevers (‘03), a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming; Tommy Rees (’10), a University of Notre Dame quarterback who now serves as the offensive co

By David Sweet and Alexa Moreno What started as a simple classroom idea is quickly becoming a meaningful solution for families across Lake Forest. Scout Your Sitter, a startup created by Lake Forest High School juniors Claire Maguire, Jenna Nagel, Andrew McIntyre, and Emma Engelberg, is rethinking how families connect with trusted babysitters, making the process faster, easier, and more reliable for everyone involved. Andrew McIntyre, Claire Maguire, Emma Engelberg and Jenna

By David A. F. Sweet How many high-school friends end up teaching together – at the same high school they graduated from? Meet Julie Crouch and Carolyn Konz. Friends since fourth grade, both graduated from Lake Forest Community High School in 1993. Soon after college, they both returned to LFHS as teachers. But that’s not all: for the past dozen or so years, they have even co-taught an English class for sophomores, featuring books such as The Crucible and The Catcher in th

By David A. F. Sweet In celebration of Ragdale’s 50th anniversary in 2026, Lake Forest Love is highlighting a few of the many prominent authors who have benefited from a residency at the campus off Green Bay Road. Jessamine Chan has enjoyed four residencies at Ragdale. Her debut novel, The School for Good Mothers, was a New York Times bestseller. It has been translated into about two dozen languages. Chan lives in Chicago with her family. How did you come up with the idea fo

By Megan Ross Officer Matthew Allen is a name that is new to many, but in the 2026-2027 school year, his name will flood the halls as he fills Officer Mark Long’s shoes as Lake Forest High School’s new School Resource Officer (SRO). LFHS welcomes a new school resource officer as Long’s four-year rotation is coming to an end. Allen comes from seven years at the Lake Forest Police Department, and he has training in different specialties at the LFPD, such as: SWAT, drone opera

By David A. F. Sweet When star center Connor Bedard first donned a Chicago Blackhawks’ jersey, he was 18 years old – so young that he was three years away from legally drinking a beer. When hockey beer-league goalie David Nozzolillo pulled on a Blackhawks’ jersey earlier this year, he was 45 – old enough to have forged a career at Wintrust Bank in Orland Park and serve on its executive team. Only 2 1/2 hours before gametime on Jan. 9, Nozzolillo’s phone rang. Flu had upend

By David A. F. Sweet As a girl, Samantha Hiller loved playing hockey. At age 12, her mother said she could earn extra money by being a referee. More time on the ice sounded better to Hiller than being a babysitter. After officiating many youth games in Boulder, Colo., four years later Hiller departed her home state for a refereeing camp in Utah, where she could learn how to administer high-level games. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was 18," says Samantha Hill

By Kristin Elliott Lake Forest Parks & Recreation’s Junior Scouts Travel Baseball players got a big-league boost when Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin stopped by winter workouts for a visit they won’t soon forget. Durbin shared his path from Lake Forest High School baseball to the Major Leagues, talked about the work it takes to chase big goals, and answered thoughtful questions from players and parents. The event wrapped up with plenty of smiles as he posed for

By Kayden Prieto Returning to Lake Forest High School as a class of 2007 alumnus, CBS Chicago reporter and 13-time Emmy Award winner Noel Brennan spoke recently with students about the winding, unexpected path that led him from theater at LFHS to telling stories on the national stage. Brennan’s message was clear: careers don’t always start where you expect them to, but passion and persistence can take you farther than a perfectly planned path could ever. During his first y

By Caleb Pope Innovations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are not restricted to large companies and foundations. One student at Lake Forest High School has developed two AI programs that aim to supplement the education he and his peers receive at school. Vedh Krishnan, a junior who created both programs alongside his teacher, Steve Aronson, developed the first program, titled Gigiano AI, which aimed to replicate the way his AP World History teacher Thomas Gig

By Mia Morse For bestselling author and Lake Forest High School alumna Jenny Smith, writing is more than telling stories. What started as using her imagination as a kid has now become a reality: she is able to do something she loves every single day. With 14 published books, ranging from Young Adult Women’s Fiction to Picture Books, she’s written it all with passion and intent. Writing has always been an interest of hers. "I feel really, really lucky to be where I am and do

By Spencer Trees Tom Johnson is humbled to have been chosen to head a venerable preparatory school. “I am honored to lead the school into its next phase as a hallmark of global education and extremely grateful for this opportunity,” said Johnson, newly appointed head of school at Lake Forest Academy. "Our job is to support our colleagues and make their lives as easy as possible, because our teachers and coaches and dorm parents are the ones doing the really important work w

By David A. F. Sweet Less than a month after assuming the presidency of Lake Forest College, Dr. Mike Sosulski was asked why he displayed a book about an architect on a shelf in his office. He explained that all the books present had been there when he arrived. " I have 10,000 volumes that have to be unpacked,” said Sosulski, who is an aficionado of German literature. “I have to be near my books. There will be a wall of them here in the spring.” Mike Sosulski chats with a g

By Sam Sosani Cristina Ortiz Vivas, the new head coach at Lake Forest Sailing, is ready to make a splash. “With a strong team and...

By Spencer Trees Located at the corner of Deerpath and Western in the heart of downtown Lake Forest, Rosati’s has been open since 2021....

By David A. F. Sweet Lake Forest’s Public Safety Open House is coming up on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Public Safety...

By David A. F. Sweet Bruno Abate recalled recently the words his father, Alfredo, shared with him before he passed away about 30 years...

By George Sigaev Leaving the bleak and barren battlefields of World War I, United States veterans—entering a society almost...