Lawrence Woodmere Academy Tigers forever … farewell for now

The class of 2021. What haven’t we done? We have put banners on the wall season after season as we have competed in multiple playoffs and championships after dominating the regular season.

 have accumulated a strong class grade-point average evidenced by getting into some of the most selective and prestigious colleges and universities not only in the country, but around the world.

We have not only overcome one of scariest times in world history, the global pandemic of Covid-19, but embraced it as new opportunities were presented to us and we were given the chance to look at life through an alternate lens and perspective. We did it all.

With some ups and downs and twists and turns. But most importantly, we did it together. As one. As Tigers.

What does it mean to be a Lawrence Woodmere Academy Tiger? In the midst of the journey, LWA students experience life uniquely through rigorous yet well-supported education, challenging yet rewarding athletics, and demanding yet gratifying extracurricular activities. LWA students are built to embrace all opportunities through the process of trial and error.

Students are taught to learn the value of failure and how to remedy it, as it will continuously appear throughout the adult phases of their life and define who they are and who they will become.

The class of 2021 has faced an abundance of adversity but has been completely prepared for it in the contemporary time as well as the future as students will forever have the support of the LWA “family” and can depend on their core learnings from Lawrence Woodmere Academy. 

As alumni we have the blessing coming from such an established academy as it has not only prepared us for college but for life after. Of course, the general stereotypical idea is that the best way to represent and aid your school as alumni is through endowments; however, that certainly isn’t the only way. 

We, the class of 2021, will be giving back to LWA because the mantra our teachers have instilled in us is to “make a difference in the world and do something we love.” The class of 2021 has gifted the school with a beautiful Japanese Lilac tree. The students and the Parent Association chose the tree because of how its life aligns with the students' growth in a symbolic manner.

Wangari Maathai, the first African American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, crystallizes the LWA students’ message elegantly: “A tree has roots in the soil, yet it reaches to the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance.” As the tree grows, so will the class of 2021. But mostly importantly they will never forget their roots and how they got there. 

Graduation is merely a transition from one place of learning to another. It is a milestone to be noted on one’s journey in life. As long as we are breathing, we will always be learning.

The class of 2021 is grateful for its unique experience at LWA and will forever miss wearing the white and blue but we will never forget. Though we may face adversity along the way, we are more than prepared to enter the word and make an impact.

Thank you, LWA. Signing off for the last time. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay kind, and have some fun!