Lakeside Lutheran compiled our 7th annual “top stories of the year” post. Though we consider every piece of good news to be worthy of celebration—explaining our 76 blog entries and 916 Facebook posts shared in calendar year 2023—there are always some that garner more attention due to their scope or content. We’ve narrowed the 100s to 10 newsbits that garnered the most attention or celebrated God’s blessing on our school, students, and LLHS community, and remind you of them here with links that allow you to go more in-depth if you’d like.
March—Boys Basketball heads to State
Lakeside Lutheran High School wins against Edgewood in the Sectional Championship at Oregon High School on March 11, 2023.
Our 12th annual Grand Event raised $145,000 for our mission and “fund-a needs” that included theatre lighting, a marimba, and OpGo mission trip support, as well as the return of the financial aid paddle raise.
May—Three Warriors earn State FFA degrees
Lily York, Allen Lester, and Elizabeth Gunst are three of only 382 students in Wisconsin who earned the State FFA degree, the highest degree. With 23,000 members in the state, only three percent earn the accomplishment, which is based on their leadership, service, projects, and job placements.
Lakeside has a lot to offer. One of my favorite activities has been marching band. It’s a great way to make friends and memories, have fun, and use musical talents to glorify God in the most public way—marching in parades. I also enjoyed being a part of the musical in the pit band, but acting is also a great opportunity. I have been a part of FFA all four years at Lakeside and I think every student should consider joining even if they don’t live on a farm. Many teachers stand out for me too. Band Director Mr. Pufahl always had a positive attitude and was encouraging around me. I’ve had so much fun doing anything and everything band-related throughout the past four years. Art teacher, Mrs. Tetzlaff, is a really good teacher, but my favorite part about Mrs. T is how easy it is to talk to her. I always know if I need someone to talk to, she will be there. Pastor Toepel, my Spanish teacher, aka Señor, was also my homeroom teacher—I learned so much in his class while having fun. Mrs. Krauklis is a gym teacher and my former math teacher. I love Coach K’s personality and how she tries to make everything more fun. Her class made me enjoy math, and she encouraged me so much to become a teacher. Mr. Doering, History, Government, and Financial Literacy teacher, teaches my least favorite subjects, but he made them so interesting and fun that I looked forward to his classes every day. Lessons from his Financial Literacy class will be extremely helpful for the real world coming up for me. Now a counselor outside Lakeside, I loved Pastor Helwig’s religion class with “Question Day” and singing every Thursday. PH’s class was more than just a religion class—it was a personal class that taught things about real life that I think is awesome for juniors becoming young adults quicker than they might want to. Pastor Yahnke had a big place to fill when PH left, and I thought he did a really good job of that. I have gotten the most out of his senior religion classes than any other year. We really dive deep into hard topics and questions that need to be brought up for young adults. So many lifelong memories for me!
A 2023 LLHS grad, Nina will attend Martin Luther College this fall to major in education. She shares, “I would love to be a high school art teacher or upper grade school teacher.” She and her family are members at Zion in Columbus.
This article was first published in the 2023 summer issue of The Legacy, published semiannually for the Annual Fund Supporters of LLHS.
Twelve track and field athletes made it to 2022 state in 8 events. Kyle Main placed 6th in 200m and Ben Buxa took 6th in discus. Softball (13-6) saw 4 nominated to all-conference; baseball (12-11) and girls soccer (8-12-2) each saw five make all-conference.
Warrior Band showcased 74 marchers in eight local June parades and five more on a trip to northern Wisconsin for July 4th celebrations and the Michigan Cherry Festival. They earned 1st place at the always-popular Gemütlichkeit Days Parade in September.
Almost 80 teen-witnesses went on 9 mission trips across the U.S. with Operation Go.
Our 65th year commenced Aug. 18 with 511 students and six new full-time faculty: Dennis Leckwee (religion), Tanya Tomfohrde (math), Katelyn Edwards (English), Steven Springborn (Choir/English), Rebecca Johnson (ELC), Dustin Yahnke (religion) and part-time Jason Fry (religion/math). New staff include Bruce Davis (Development) and Hannah Uher (counselor). Pastor Don Schultz is interim principal and John Dorn assistant principal.
Facility renovations included the West Gym, varsity locker and mud rooms, and visitor bleachers on competition field and track bleachers.
Sophomore Bella Alvarez won Grand Champion in Division D at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Horsemanship Association District 2.
Boys Soccer (13-7-3) won regional championship. They received “Team Ethics Award of Merit—Gold,” given to teams with no red cards and fewest yellows.
Volleyball (28-12) tied for conference. Senior Olivia Bartels reached 1,000 sets and Cheyenne Johnson notched 1,000 digs. Both made all-state.
Girls golf placed 2nd in Rock Valley Conference and advanced to sectionals. Academic All-State Girls Golf: seniors Ava Heckmann and Chloe Berg, sophomores Reagan Gebhart and Tessa Schmocker.
Football (8-3) advanced to level 2 playoffs. Senior Ben Buxa received Offensive Lineman of the Year, all-region, Academic All-State, WFCA all-state 1st team & HM defensive line, and AP 2nd team all-state.
Cross country boys were conference and sectional champs, and the team was D2 State Runner Up. Conference Performer of the Year, junior Cameron Weiland, was sectional medalist and 12th at state. Girls were conference and sectional runners-up, earning a team berth at State for the first time since 2010. Both teams earned Academic All-State honors.
37 fall athletes were awarded 40 post-season conference honors, including 16 first team all-conference spots, nine 2nd team and 15 honorable mentions.
At Fall Grandparents Day, 240 grandparents of freshmen & juniors visited campus. In spring, 145 soph/senior grandparents joined us.
Isaac Winters was named a National Merit Finalist. Jack DePrey and Rose Hissom are Commended Students.
18 Swing Choir members performed “Human” and “Dance Monkey” at the 9-school West Regional Choral Fest in Mankato, Minn.
Teacher Tim Matthies was inducted into the 2022 class of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Our Cultural Awareness Group held its first public event, celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Oct. Over 100 students, families, and businesses sampled authentic food, and enjoyed ethnic displays and a message about gospel work south of the U.S. border.
For Veterans Day, more than 90 came for breakfast, a message about Honor Flight experiences from Aaron Meyer (Army National Guard) and a school-wide chapel service.
50+ were Teens for Christ and hosted a clothing drive for Girl Power in Liberia; a bake sale raised $800 for shipping. New Friends, a tri-annual event welcoming special needs friends to campus with LLHS students, is in its 6th year. TfC raised autism awareness in the spring with bracelets.
Twice is Nice Resale Store granted over $57K in wishes in 2022/23, over and above the more than $500K gifted to general operating this school year.
Lake Mills Optimists hosted 25 Warriors at its 21st Annual Leadership Breakfast. Teens were nominated by teachers and coaches.
Our Academic Bowl team placed 5th in the conference. Rose Hissom took first in English for the 4th year. Maria Vik placed 1st in English for juniors.
Varsity took first place at both the Fall and Spring Conference Math Meets.
In December, two athletes signed to play D1: Levi Birkholz for basketball at The Citadel and Ben Buxa for football at the University of North Dakota.
National Honor Society collected for the Lake Mills PD’s annual food drive, cleaned the highway twice, and held a car wash to help tornado victims.
Senior Jordan Genz and junior Maria Vik were awarded the Certificate of Merit from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at Michigan Technological University.
December 18 was National Twin Day and we celebrated 13 sets of students and one teacher twin.
Sophomore Natalie Clark received a $500 Start-Up SAE grant for certification classes with her therapy mule Willard. Elana Litherland will participate with her dog, Buddy.
For the 13th straight year, Forensics were conference champs. They placed third in Division 3 at the Wisconsin Forensics Coaching Association state tournament in Oshkosh.
Girls basketball (16-10) reached the regional final. Three girls were all-conference selections. Junior Ava Stein broke the school single-season rebound record.
Boys basketball (25-4) shared a three-way tie for conference, won regionals and sectionals and took the second trip to WIAA state in school history. Four players were all-conference. Levi Birkholz, who broke the school scoring record, was Conference Player of the Year and made the all-state team. Ten players were Academic All-State.
Freshman wrestler Colten Schultz (170#) took conference championship. Schultz and junior Sam Schmidt (152#) advanced to sectionals. Three earned Academic All-State.
FFA week was celebrated with “Drive Your Tractor to School” Day, ag-related contests, and breakfast for teachers. As part of an FFA Week fundraiser, assistant principal John Dorn won the privilege of kissing a calf.
Student Council hosted a blood drive with 117 donors stepping up, 56 of them first-time donors.
8 instrumentalists participated in the West Regional WELS Band Fest at Luther High in Onalaska in March.
42 girls from 20 public and private elementary & middle schools joined Society of Women Engineers at Lakeside Lutheran members for a girls-only STEM Workshop.
VEX robotics team “Code Red” finished in the top 16 at the State Robotics Tournament in March at the Resch Center.
The boys bowling club team qualified for state competition in Weston, Wis.
24 class A solos and ensembles earned a starred-first rating at WSMA District festival, including percussion ensemble, jazz ensemble, and Swing Choir. Overall, Lakeside had 54 entries, involving over 75 students. At state in April, 19 entries earned another 1st, and Jack DePrey’s piano solo and a piano trio by DePrey, Jonah Heyerholm and Isaac Winters were nominated for Exemplary Performance Recognition.
Elizabeth Gunst, Allen Lester, and Lily York earned their State FFA degree.
The Lakeside Loop team produced 22 episodes of this school news video, archived on the school YouTube channel.
At the 12th annual Grand event held on April 22, donors raised over $142,000 for ministry.
Boys & Girls Badger State representatives include juniors Kooper Mlsna, Kylie Roekle, Sam Schmidt, and Maria Vik.
At the annual senior art show, 28 seniors displayed their artwork. Eight displayed work at the Conference Art Show at the Madison Pyle Center.
Disney’s Newsies, the spring musical, included more than 50 students in the cast, crew, and pit band, performing four times over three days.
Junior Karsten Grundahl broke the 1982 school 800m record with a time of 1:55.38.
On May 28, 100% of 98 seniors are expected to graduate. Hadley Wendorff is valedictorian and Salutatorian is Jack DePrey.
Faculty member Damon Tracy, a ‘83 alum, is retiring. He has taught science, chemistry, and physics since 1996 and is A/V Club director.
This year-in-review summary and senior photo collage are provided in early Mayto the Lake Mills Leader weekly newspaper for publication in its annual graduation insert, available at the LLHS graduation service on campus, on May 28, 2023.We couldn’t fit all the memories into one collage, so check out more photos on our SmugMug page.
Three Lakeside Lutheran seniors—Lily York, Allen Lester, and Elizabeth Gunst—earned their Wisconsin State FFA Degree and will receive their awards in June at the State FFA Convention.
Three Lakeside Lutheran students recently earned their State FFA Degree. Lily York, Allen Lester, and Elizabeth Gunst are three of the 382 students in Wisconsin who completed this highest degree. With 23,000 members in the state, only three percent earn the accomplishment, which is based on their leadership, service, projects, and job placements. All three have been youth apprentices this year and will receive their award at the State FFA Convention on June 14 at the Alliant Energy Center.
York, the FFA vice-president of service, is the daughter of Rebecca York, Ixonia. She is a youth apprentice with over 400 hours at Universal Co-Op in Lebanon. In addition, she has worked 990 hours at Lauersdorf Farms, and has worked at her grandparents’ farm for beef calf feeding, fencing, and fieldwork. She also exhibits beef at the Dodge County fair. An FFA national convention participant, she competed on the 2019 World Dairy Expo dairy products team 19.
Lester, son of Bryan and Heather Lester, Waterloo, has over 1,550 youth apprentice hours at Wiedenfeld Farms, Lake Mills, where he does field work, animal care, and milking. At the Lester Family Farm he worked 776 hours doing fieldwork and combining and serving as a beef farm laborer. A participant in state and national conventions, he exhibits beef at Dodge County Fair and has served as vice president and treasurer for FFA.
Gunst, daughter of Dennis and Nichole Gunst, Hartford, has served as Chapter Reporter and two-time chapter President. She has been a youth apprentice at 3D Dairy for 1,058 hours, Smith-Crest Holsteins for 1,250 hours and the Gunst Family Farm, doing custom large square baling for 368 hours. In a partnership with her brother Matthew, she works with Ladinodale Holsteins, 23 registered Holstein and Jersey cows and heifers, and also custom feed others’ heifers. She has attended the state and national FFA conventions and been a World Dairy Expo exhibitor for seven years. She has competed in Discussion, State Dairy Cattle Judging, and FFA Creed contests.
According to the Wisconsin FFA Degree Handbook, “The State FFA Degree is the highest degree that an FFA member can earn on the state level.” Qualification requirements include the completion of 360 hours of Agriculture Education Instruction while in high school, FFA membership for a minimum of 24 months, Greenhand and Chapter FFA degrees, earning and productively investing $1,500 or work 1,000 hours in supervised agricultural experiences (SAE), participation in at least five different FFA activities above the chapter level, planning and completing chapter activities, giving at least two different five-minute public speeches, serving in four of six administrative capacities, and completing 25 hours of community service.
The Academic Top Ten for the Lakeside Lutheran Class of 2023 are: (back, from left) Elizabeth Kendall, Cambridge; Benjamin Buxa, Oconomowoc; Ava Heckmann, Middleton; Averi Wolfram, Sun Prairie; Hadley Wendorff, Watertown. (front, from left) Olivia Bartels, Johnson Creek; Rose Hissom, Oconomowoc; Grace Korth, DeForest; Jenna Shadoski, Janesville; Jack DePrey, Sun Prairie.
Lakeside Lutheran High School announced its Academic Top Ten from the Class of 2023. These students will have cumulatively earned 293 high school credits, an average of 29.3 credits per person; 26 credits are needed to graduate from Lakeside. Their number of credits range from 27.5 to 31.
Through seven semesters, the Top Ten has a mean grade point average of 4.0098. As a group, their cumulative grade point averages through those 7 semesters range from 3.987 to 4.031, 44 thousandths of a grade point.
Besides the Top Ten, this particular class of 2023 as a whole is very gifted academically. There are 10 additional students who have a GPA over 3.9. The top third of the class has a GPA over 3.75. The top half of the class has a GPA over 3.5.
“These high grades show that God has given many academic gifts to this particular class. These high grades also show that students are putting forth high effort to use their gifts to the best of their abilities. We thank God for every student here at Lakeside and pray that God would bless each student as they discover the gifts that God has given to them, and then use them to his glory,” says Don Schultz, Lakeside principal.
The top ten profiles, in alphabetical order, follow:
Top Ten Olivia Bartels, daughter of Mark and Stephanie, Johnson Creek, will attend Milwaukee School of Engineering, where she received the Werwath Scholarship. She plans to pursue a Biomedical Engineering degree. “My ultimate goal is to discover and develop the gifts God has given me and use them to his glory,” she says.
A four-year volleyball player, Bartels was named Capital North Conference Player of the Year, All-State First Team, AAU All-American Academic Award, AVCA Best and Brightest First Team.
Bartels was also a member of National Honor Society, Society of Women Engineers,, Teens for Christ, Student Council, and Yearbook and Newspaper staff. She participated in Operation Go mission trips, Cultural Awareness Club, was named a Lake Mills student rotarian, and received the Student Achiever Award.
She volunteered for Thanksgiving for Kids at her church, St. Paul Lutheran, Lake Mills. She’s also volunteered at Twice is Nice Resale and works at Kwik Trip and Doyle’s Dogs.
“Lakeside provided four years of preparation for both the physical and spiritual aspects of life,” she says. “As excited as I am to pursue my future career, Lakeside education and culture was a fundamental step that guided me towards future success as a Christian adult.”
Top Ten Benjamin Buxa, son of Greg and Linda, Oconomowoc, plans to attend the University of North Dakota. He will study math with the goal of working in sports analytics, and play football for the Fighting Hawks.
The president of the LL chapter of National Honor Society, Buxa also participated in Teens for Christ, math team, and went to Phoenix last year with Operation Go. He has volunteered at Ruby’s Pantry, Twice is Nice, and Bethany Recovery Center.
Buxa, who played basketball for two years, has also participated in track throughout high school and has received first team all-conference awards for shot and discus. He participated in the 2022 State Track & Field Championship for both events and was a 6th place medalist for disc. A four-year varsity football starter, Buxa was a three-time all-conference selection at offensive line and two-time defensive line. He was named all-region offensive line for three years and defensive line for two. He earned Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2021 and 2022. From the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association he was named All-State for first-team offensive line and honorable mention defensive line, and was AP second team all-state as an offensive lineman. A Joe Thomas award finalist, he earned WFCA Academic All-State recognition too.
“I really liked being able to go to a school that stuck to its beliefs, not wavering in times where people like to reject Jesus,” says Buxa, a member at Abiding Shepherd Lutheran, Fort Atkinson. During the summers, he worked on the grounds crews for Lakeside and Western Culvert. He also enjoys playing cards and board games, working out, and Legos.
Salutatorian Jack DePrey is the son of Steve and Beth, Sun Prairie. “I want to work in finance, retire early, give generously, and maybe—if I have enough money—I can start a music studio and give private lessons,” he says. To get started on those plans, he will study Business Finance and Music at Bethany Lutheran College, where he received the Marvin G. Meyer Scholarship.
DePrey sings with and accompanies the A Cappella Choir and was also the pianist for Lakeside’s jazz band and chapel services. He has accompanied individuals for judged performances and won music awards at Wisconsin State Music Solo and Ensemble. In addition, he has performed with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music program in trios, quartets, and quintets. He plays piano at his home church, Holy Cross Lutheran, Madison, and at other area churches. He gives piano lessons to grade school students in Madison.
A Badger Boys State representative, DePrey has been on the math team all four years, was part of the Lakeside Loop video team, and is in the Cultural Awareness Club. He is the secretary of the National Honor Society chapter, where he has participated in highway cleanup. He played basketball freshman year and has played baseball throughout high school. He has attended Lake Mills Optimist Breakfast, was a Lake Mills student rotarian, and attended WLC Leadership days.
DePrey, who enjoys working out almost every day and volunteering at Twice Is Nice Resale, appreciates his time at Lakeside. “It was a real blessing to be immersed in God’s Word throughout my four years of high school, and to be surrounded by peers with similar beliefs,” he says. “My favorite thing about Lakeside is that there is a place for everybody there. Regardless of what your interests or hobbies are, you will be able to find friends.”
Top Ten Ava Heckmann is the daughter of Matt and Amy, Middleton. She is a member at St. Andrew Lutheran, Middleton, where she is paid as a lead musician, playing piano and running rehearsals. Next year she plans to study Creative and Entertainment Industries at Belmont University, Nashville, where she received a General Academic Merit Scholarship.
“No matter what I end up pursuing as a career, I want to be able to travel often both in the United States and abroad,” she says. “My goal through work and relationships with others is to share God’s love in every situation.”
Heckmann has played soccer for three years and golf and basketball for four. She was first team all-conference for golf her junior and senior year. “Golf was definitely a highlight,” she says. “All of the coaches were so encouraging and I got to play with a great group of girls, including my sister, the first two years. We also had a lot of success—regional champs, conference champs, state—which made it an even more amazing experience.”
In addition, Heckmann is a chapter member of the National Honor Society. She has also served with the National Charity League since 7th grade. This Mother-Daughter charity volunteers around the community and develops important leadership skills. “What I liked best about Lakeside is the Christ-centered education it offers and the great classmates and teachers that have supported me” she says.
Top Ten Rose Hissom, daughter of Russell and Rita Hissom, Oconomowoc, will attend University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, to double major in Political Science and Psychology with a minor in Legal Studies. She was accepted into the Minnesota Aquinas Scholars Honors Program and earned the St. Thomas Academic Merit Scholarship.
“Lakeside offered me so many opportunities to meet new people, try out new things, and get involved. I’m thankful that I’ve learned so much about what I enjoy and how to best help my community,” says Hissom who plans to go to law school and become an attorney.
Some of those many opportunities included participating in the Academic Bowl all four years where she was the conference champion in Language Arts in 2020, 2021, and 2022. As a four-year forensics speaker, she won conference in Extemporaneous Speaking the past two years. Hissom is also Editor-In-Chief of the Warrior Times Weekly and President of Technology/AV Club. In addition, she’s a member of the National Honor Society, varsity math team, Cultural Awareness Club, and SWELL—the Society of Women Engineers at Lakeside Lutheran. For three years, she has also traveled with Operation Go mission trips.
A three-year varsity cross country runner, she was on the 2022 state team. A National Merit Commended Student, Hissom was the 2023 District 13 delegate for Senate Scholar Program, a 2022 delegate for Badger Girls State, and is an active American Legion Auxiliary Member for Post #91 in Oconomowoc.
Hissom started a mask-sewing business in 2020 and sold over 750 masks on eBay. She currently works at Sendik’s Food Market in Oconomowoc and is a member at St. Matthew Lutheran, Oconomowoc, where she has assisted with vacation Bible school. In her spare time she enjoys knitting, reading, and writing.
Top Ten Elizabeth Kendall, daughter of Orvin and Andrea Kendall, Cambridge, plans to study digital communications at UW-Whitewater, where she received the Chancellor Scholarship. “I hope to be a part of the study abroad program and follow God’s direction from there. I would like to travel the world and tell the stories of the people I meet,” she says. “I find other cultures fascinating and cannot wait to discover the hidden wonders in God’s creation.”
She volunteers as a leader of the AWANA Bible Club ministry, sings and plays bass guitar as a part of the praise band at Willerup Church, Cambridge, and is active in the youth group. A junior transfer into Lakeside, “I loved the Christian environment. I still cannot believe how normal it is to pray in class,” she says. “I was immediately embraced by a group of friends who continue to love and encourage me. The other students support and challenge me academically, physically, and spiritually to be the best person I can be. I’m sad I’m graduating already.”
In her time at two high schools, she has played soccer, volleyball, managed wrestling, and joined golf. She’s participated in Science Olympiad (a competitive STEM club), various musicals, Swing and Show Choirs, and National Honor Society in both high schools. She represented Lakeside as a delegate for Badger Girls State. In her spare time, Kendall works at Home Again Assisted Living in Cambridge.
Top Ten Grace Korth is the daughter of Matthew and Heather, DeForest. “I want to pursue Clinical Psychology so that I can be a Christian influence for people who are struggling and to facilitate their healing and growth,” she says. With a goal of cash-flowing college, she will receive her general education requirements at Madison Area Technical College, transfer to Wisconsin Lutheran College to complete her psychology classes, then finish with a master’s through Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato.
Korth, who reads non-fiction on finances, personal improvement, and leadership, also enjoys working out, cooking healthy meals, and spending time action-planning her future. At Lakeside, she played volleyball for two years and was on the Math Team, Student Council, Teens for Christ, and the Cultural Awareness Club. She participated in A Cappella and Swing Choir. A member of Zion Lutheran, Arlington, and a Kwik Trip employee, Korth has a goal of being a regular blood donor.
“What I enjoyed most about Lakeside was making friends with people, some of whom are like-minded to me and others who showed me new ways of approaching things. I not only found those qualities in kids my age, but also faculty,” she says. “I especially valued the Christ-centered focus of my education and being around that daily drew me closer to the faith. Looking back, I have changed immensely as a person, and it all happened while I was at Lakeside.”
Top Ten Jenna Shadoski is the daughter of Fred and Debra, Janesville. She will attend Concordia University Wisconsin and play softball for the Falcons. A recipient of the Concordia University of Wisconsin Presidential Scholarship, she will pursue a major in sports management and a minor in accounting; she also intends to join Campus Ministry and other business organizations in college.
A member at St. Matthew’s Lutheran, Janesville, Shadoski has helped with Vacation Bible School, and Christmas and Easter for Kids. She worked at her local YMCA as a summer camp counselor for 5 and 6-year-olds organizing activities and games. At Lakeside, she has been a member of the National Honor Society and a student rotarian, volunteered at Twice is Nice Resale and helped with sports tournaments and athletic camps. She played volleyball, basketball and softball all throughout her high school career, and was awarded the AVCA Best and Brightest First Team for volleyball, 1st team all-conference for basketball and softball, and WFSCA all-district honorable mention for softball. She was also her club softball team’s captain for two years. She was nominated for the WIAA Scholar-Athlete Award.
“The Christian atmosphere at Lakeside has taught me many things that I will carry with me in the future, specifically, the lessons that I have learned through playing on different teams and with different coaches. The memories from all my sports, boys’ games, and school dances will be something I will never forget,” she says. “Knowing so many people who share the same faith, care about me and support me is an incredible blessing.”
Valedictorian Hadley Wendorff is the daughter of Will and Kelly, Watertown. “I enjoyed the close-knit community at Lakeside the most. There isn’t a face that I don’t recognize and most of my closest relationships began at Lakeside,” she says.
While at Lakeside, she participated in the Warrior marching band and A Cappella choir. She ran track, played volleyball, and was the stage manager of last year’s musical, School of Rock. Wendorff also was the vice president of National Honor Society and served on Student Council. She traveled with Operation Go mission trips twice, serving in Austin, Tex., and Abita Springs, La.
Wendorff plans to pursue a pre-med track at UW-Madison in hopes of being a neonatalogist. “I have been heavily influenced by a few people in my life, and I hope to someday impact others’ lives in a similar way. I believe that working in healthcare will help me do so, and it’s the simple touches on others that I want to best define who I become.”
A member of St. Luke’s Lutheran, Watertown, she helps out with Sandwiches in the Park and plays french horn for church. Outside of school, she works at Watertown Regional Medical Center as a Room Server to patients. In her free time, she enjoys painting, her dog, pickles, and spending time with family and friends.
Top Ten Averi Wolfram, daughter of JoLynn and Shane, Sun Prairie, plans to attend UW-Madison. She will study biology on the pre-med track and plans to become an orthopedic surgeon.
“I definitely liked that, at Lakeside, every class is rooted in our faith. I also liked being involved socially and going to all of the home sporting events, and being on sports teams,” she says.
A member of the National Honor Society, Wolfram is also on Teens for Christ and Student Council. She’s been involved with soccer, basketball, and cross country. A member of Eastside Lutheran, Madison, she helps with Sunday school, food drives, and Christmas for Kids.
written by Elizabeth Gunst, LLHS FFA Chapter President, Class of 2023
On Sunday March 5, the Lakeside Lutheran FFA welcomed parents, members, FFA alumni, faculty, and agribusinesses to its 9th annual FFA Chapter banquet. This year marked some milestones in its short decade of history featuring a newly remodeled West Gym that was used for the award portion and auction for the first time. Lakeside kitchen staff prepared a meal for 167 guests. Speakers included Josh Schoenfeld, LL ‘16 grad and current firefighter, speaking on safety, Clara Ball, Jefferson HS FFA alum, about the opportunities in FFA while in high school, along with State FFA Sentinel, Mary Schrieber.
Members were recognized for attending leadership conferences, having top fruit and produce sales, competing in judging or career development events, local proficiencies or supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) of projects that they own or work in job placements.
Some outstanding “Stars” from this chapter this year include: Star Greenhands (freshmen): Owen Fleming, Trent Schlender, and Brayden Luebke; Star Chapter Degree (sophomore): Paige Lester; Most Active Junior: Hank Goessling; Most Active Senior: Lily York; Dekalb Agriculture Award: Elizabeth Gunst; Star in Placement: Jesse Gilmore; Star FFA Member or Farmer, Allen Lester and Elizabeth Gunst. This year’s Blue and Gold FFA Alumni members are Bryan and Heather Lester. LLHS faculty member Todd Hackbarth was recognized with an honorary FFA Degree for his contributions and support of the chapter. Renee, Doug and Cyrus Wilke of Wilke Classic Tractors are this year’s Friend of the FFA Chapter. Eight youth apprentices were recognized with their mentors, and two senior $500 scholarships were awarded to Lily York and Camryn Gilmore.
The chapter wishes to thank the numerous supporters of the Lakeside FFA, Ag and Tech Ed Department this past year for both prayers and donations. The FFA and FFA Alumni Benefit Auction yielded a record $7,775 to aid in senior scholarships and send FFA members to future leadership conferences. This year, both Mike Stade of the Bill Stade Auction & Realty Co. in Jefferson, and LL senior Cyrus Wilke served as auctioneers. This summer, three members will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Leadership Conference. Thanks are sent to Lakeside administration, General Board, the FFA Alumni and many parents for helping make this year another great success. Find more information about the chapter and classroom activities at the WarriorFFA Facebook page and about courses offered in agriculture and tech ed from Chapter advisor and tech ed instructor Mr. Jeff Meske or at llhs.org.
Congratulations to the newly elected 2023-24 FFA Officer Team (L-R): Treasurer Mara Skalitzky, Columbus; Sentinel Vivian Stahl, Whitewater; Student Advisor Elana Litherland, Columbus; Reporter Natalie Clark, Lake Mills; Secretary Tessa Schmocker, Whitewater; Vice President Paige Lester, Waterloo; President Hank Goessling, Whitewater.First-year Greenhand FFA members include (L-R): Molly Wiedenfeld, Lake Mills; Emmalee Hertel, Johnson Creek; Caylah Boldt, Fort Atkinson; Lilyanna Eggert, Reeseville; Owen Fleming, Avalon; Brayden Luebke, Fort Atkinson; Beckham Quamme, Fort Atkinson; Hunter Wellmann, Jefferson; Trent Schlender, Watertown; Leah Morris-Robinson, Johnson Creek; Nora Larson, Columbus.
To celebrate, FFA Week from Feb. 18-25. members shared information about what they’ve done over the past year and are celebrating the seniors who have played such a key role in the chapter. Membership in the Lakeside FFA is open to any student with interests in careers related to agriculture and technical education. Lakeside Lutheran courses offered include Agriculture Survey, CAD 1 & 2, Construction Trades, Metals, Small Engines, Woods 1, 2 & 3, Advanced Career Tech and Youth Apprenticeship.
FFA Opportunities to Lead and Serve
by Lily York, ’23
Whether at the local, state, or national level, the Lakeside Lutheran FFA allows its members to excel as leaders. Last June in Madison, Paige Lester, Elizabeth Gunst and Allen Lester attended the State FFA Convention to witness state FFA awards and serve in the Courtesy Corp. The officer team stayed at Camp Phillip in Wautoma to plan the year. In October, Emma Wiedenfeld, Allen Lester, and Paige Lester met with other officers from Section 10 at the Fall Leadership Workshop in East Troy. Sharing a house with Cambridge FFA, 11 members traveled to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention in October: Camryn Gilmore, Jesse Gilmore, Allen Lester, Hank Goessling, Paige Lester, Vivian Stahl, Mara Skalitzky, Tessa Schmocker, Emma Wiedenfeldl, Elana Litherland, and Lily York. Our thanks to Heather and Bryan Lester for driving and chaperoning and to the Lakeside FFA Alumni and numerous donors in funding this trip. Both Emma Hertel and Natalie Clark attended the Half-Time Conference in Stevens Point to hear ideas for chapter activities. In October, both Trent Schlender and Owen Fleming were at UW-River Falls with other freshmen FFA members from across Wisconsin at the F.I.R.E. conference. Thanks to a generous donation from Corn Growers of Wisconsin, in early February, students Jesse Gilmore, Camryn Gilmore, Hank Goessling, Paige Lester, Allen Lester, Tessa Schmocker, Owen Fleming, Brayden Luebke, and Trent Schlender attended the Corn Soy Expo in Wisconsin Dells.
Serving members, others, and the agriculture community has deep roots in the National FFA.
Last spring, the chapter and students helped with maintenance on Lakeside’s courtyard with Dan Schultz, the Grounds Manager. Over the past two chapter meetings, tie blankets were made for four staff members with new babies. The FFA and students hope to always be ag advocates or teach elementary students and consumers about their safe food supply. The agriculture survey class helped at Crown of Life Academy in Fort Atkinson to talk to all grades about a variety of animals. During second grade field trips to Lakeside, students taught a solitary bee lesson and made bee houses for schools. When 7th graders attended “Warrior for a Day,” they participated in an agriscience experiment making butter made from cream and a taste test to compare margarine to store-bought butter. At the end of February, the FFA will host a petting zoo with animal encounters for kindergarten students along with a lesson about dairy milk and its products.
Owning an SAE to exhibit at a Fair or Job Placements
Maria Meier
At either the Dodge or Jefferson County Fairs, 27 out of our current 40 FFA members showed. Many members started in their local 4-H club to show projects of livestock or small animals- beef, dairy, sheep, goats, horses, poultry, rabbits, and dogs. They spent all spring and summer working with the animals’ nutrition and health. Skills learned in exhibiting an animal include walking market animals for muscle development, practicing time in the show ring, washing and clipping them. Projects exhibited can include fruits, vegetables, crops, and flowers, photography, and woodworking. Not only do Lakeside FFA members and families develop projects, but members also work in career related experiences. This year, eight students are working in youth apprenticeships. Junior Hank Goessling has worked Mid-State in both Janesville and Watertown in customer service. Seniors Allen Lester and Jesse Gilmore, along with junior Emma Wiedenfeld, work at Wiedenfeld Dairy Farms in Lake Mills. Senior Bridget Cichanofsky is placed at Northern Trails in Watertown in a local, family-owned meat processor. Senior Camryn Gilmore works at Fueled Customs in Lake Mills for auto collision and attends the night autos class in Fort Atkinson one night a week. Senior Lily York is placed at Universal Co-Op in Lebanon while Senior Elizabeth Gunst works at Smith-Crest Dairy in Watertown.
As a team of one horse (a huge disadvantage), Isabella Alvarez placed second in the State at the WHIA State Horse Show in Division D and won the Sportsmanship Award!
CDEs & LDEs = judging and speaking
Lily York
Cream of the Crop 4-H club hosted a dairy judging in Fort Atkinson. Placing in second was the team of Vivian Stahl, Trent Schlender, and Tessa Schmocker. Also competing was Caylah Boldt. At the World Dairy Expo FFA contests, Tessa Schmocker placed first as the dairy showmanship winner. The dairy cattle team of Vivian Stahl, Mara Skaltizky (19) and Trent Schlender (17) placed 6/107 teams. The dairy products team of Molly Wiedenfeld, Brayden Luebke (30) and Owen Fleming placed 20 out of 69 teams. Judging forages and crops, Elana Litherland, Natalie Clark (34) and Paige Lester placed 22 out of 44 teams. The Lake Mills FFA hosted a sporting clay event at the Milford Gun Club and the team of Brayden Luebke, Owen Fleming (15), Beckham Quamme (18), and Hunter Wellmann placed fifth. At the District FFA speaking contest, Emma Hertel placed second out of nine contestants in the FFA Creed and moved on to the Sectional contest on March 29 in East Troy. Allen Lester competed in discussion.Bella Alvarez placed third with a prepared speech entitled, Preserving America’s History-The American Mustang. Isabella is the daughter of Heather and Guili Alvarez of Columbus. In March, FFA members will compete at the regional contests hosted by the Milton FFA Alumni at the Janesville fairgrounds.
FFA Week Plans
The FFA chapter has plans for activities during National FFA Week along with a local Lakeside FFA Week during April 11-14. During President’s Day, as National FFA celebrates the tradition of President Washington and his agriculture techniques, the chapter will be teaching over 200 kindergarten students during Kinderfest. The traditions of the chapter will be shared at https://www.facebook.com/groups/WarriorFFA
Later in April, all school dress-up days may involve all students, and members will write cards to FFA Alumni members and parents and host ag olympics before school or with an assembly.
Salute to Seniors
by Elizabeth Gunst ’23
Camryn Gilmore is the son of Ronny and Angela Gilmore. He plans to attend Wyotech for collision and refinishing. Camryn shows beef steers at the Dodge County Fair, as well works as a Youth Apprentice for Fueled Customs. His favorite FFA memory is going to the National Convention this year.
Jesse Gilmore is the son of Ronny and Angela Gilmore. Jesse plans to continue his work with Wiedenfeld Dairy Farms. He currently is a Youth Apprentice at Wiedenfeld Dairy and he is involved in ag mechanics. Jesse’s favorite FFA memory is attending the Corn and Soy Expo the past two years.
Elizabeth Gunst is the daughter of Dennis and Nichole Gunst. She currently serves as the President. Elizabeth plans to continue her work with Smith-Crest Holsteins after graduation. Elizabeth lives on her show heifer farm and exhibits those heifers at the county, district, state and national levels. She is a Youth Apprentice at Smith-Crest Holsteins and her favorite FFA memory would be attending the officer retreats.
Manuel Iglesias is the son of Tammy and Domingo Iglesias. He currently serves as the Reporter. Manuel plans to attend Martin Luther College and become a teacher, majoring in Elementary Education. He is very involved in gardening and has learned many things about the process in the past couple of years. Manuel’s favorite FFA memory was participating with friends at conferences and service.
Allen Lester is the son of Bryan and Heather Lester. He currently serves as the Vice-President. Allen plans to work for 5 Star Energy Services after graduation. He shows beef at both the Jefferson and Dodge County Fairs. Allen is currently a Youth Apprentice at Wiedenfeld Dairy Farms. His favorite FFA memory is attending National Convention with Cambridge FFA.
Nina Litherland is the daughter of Melissa and Noah Litherland. She plans to attend Martin Luther College for an Education degree. Nina’s SAE is goats and shows her goats at both the Dodge County and Jefferson County Fair. Her favorite FFA memory is when she won Master Showman showing her goats at the Jefferson County Fair.
Nora Larson is the daughter of Aaron and Rachel Larson. She plans to attend UW Whitewater to pursue Speech Language Pathology. Nora’s favorite FFA memory was when the chapter went bowling.
Cyrus Wilke is the son of Dustin Wilke and Kristin Lemke. He plans to co-own and operate Wilke’s Classic Tractors with his family after graduation. Cyrus is involved in restoring antique tractors and signs through the family business. His favorite FFA memory would be helping out with the homecoming parades.
Lily York is the daughter of Rebecca York. Lily currently serves as VP of Service. She plans to attend WCTC for a two-year welding and fabrication associate’s degree. Lily shows beef at the Dodge County Fair and is a Youth Apprentice at Universal Co-op. Lily’s favorite FFA memory was attending the 2022 National Convention.
Remaining Officer Bios
Elizabeth Gunst
Paige Lester is the daughter of Bryan and Heather Lester. A sophomore, she serves as the Sentinel. Paige is active in FFA by dairy judging, and attending State Convention, National Convention, World Dairy Expo, Corn and Soy Expo, and Sectional Conference. Paige also exhibits at both the Dodge and Jefferson County Fairs. She hopes to get enough new members to be recognized at State Convention.
Junior Maria Meier is the daughter of Bill and Cathy Meier. She serves as the Student Advisor. Maria has been involved in FFA since freshman year, and has shown sheep at both the Jefferson and Dodge County Fairs. She hopes to go to more conferences to continue to learn more about agriculture and to continue showing.
Emma Wiedenfeld, a junior, is the daughter of Tim and Lisa Wiedenfeld. She serves as the Treasurer. Emma has been involved in FFA by attending National Convention and showing beef at the Jefferson County Fair. Emma hopes to gain more leadership experience.
Aubrey Wilke is the daughter of Dustin Wilke and Kristin Lemke. A sophomore, she serves as the Secretary. Aubrey has been active in FFA by allowing our chapter to borrow equipment for the homecoming parade, donating officer shirts, and being a top fruit seller. She hopes to better our social media, start a test plot for our chapter, and increase our members’ participation.
Cameron GilmoreJesse GilmoreNora LarsonAllen LesterNina LitherlandCyrus WilkeLily York
Lakeside Lutheran sophomore Natalie Clark recently received a $500 Start-Up SAE grant from the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. “Willard and I are so excited,” says Natalie, referring to her mule, the motivation behind her Wisconsin FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) grant application. The SAE involves using therapy animals after the grantee takes online certification classes; the award was granted by Mr. and Mrs. Paul & Kirsten Gross.
The story begins when Natalie, daughter of Dustin and Ruth Clark, Lake Mills, wanted to buy a miniature horse that could go into the community as a therapy animal. “I had been really enjoying bringing my animals to places through FFA. Sharing the joy they gave me made me feel fulfilled,” she says. “I talked to my best friend Elana to see if she thought it was a good idea, and I found out she had already been to a nursing home with her dog.”
As an 8th grader, Elana Litherland, daughter of Noah and Melissa, Columbus, trained her dog Buddy in obedience and showed him at the Dodge County Fair. Natalie realized even more people might be interested in serving others and sharing their faith by using therapy animals, so she and Elana decided to turn it into an FFA project.
After researching start-up costs for equipment and certification requirements, “I found out this would not be an inexpensive investment,” says Natalie. That’s when Jeff Meske, Lakeside’s FFA advisor and Agriscience & Technology teacher, suggested applying for the Wisconsin FFA SAE grant. “Natalie is a young woman with definite goals to work hard. Natalie is never reluctant to try something new,” says Meske. “Elana’s practical knowledge in working with a variety of animals is second to none. She understands why things are done for the herd health of her goats and family dogs.”
During the application process, “my mom found a miniature horse on Facebook. My dad and I drove to Door County to pick her up, and it turned out she had a miniature mule friend who also needed a home,” says Natalie. “After getting to know them both, I realized that Willard, the mule, had a better personality and is currently more prepared for therapy work.”
The girls will work together to host monthly meetings that focus on training the animals and getting their certifications. Once they accomplish that, they will visit nursing homes, VFWs, churches, and hospitals. “During visits, people can chat with us while petting our animals,” says Natalie.
They also plan to create an Instagram account where people can see updates about the pets and possibly donate to help support them because once the grant is used, the girls will be using their own money to fund the rest of the project.
“I hope this project will continue long after Elana and I graduate, and I pray that it will be blessed,” she concludes.
LLHS sophomore Elana Litherland has already trained her dog for obedience and has taken him to nursing homes for visits.LLHS student Natalie Clark received a grant for training to get her mule Willard certified for animal therapy.
by LLHS students Tessa Schmocker and Hank Goessling
On October 25, 11 Lakeside FFA members and three chaperones left for the 2022 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. On the way, they toured agricultural machinery manufacturer Kuhn, North America in Brodhead, Wis., and learned how the implements are fabricated and assembled.
Their next stop was Fair Oaks Farms, Ind., where nine families milk 36,000 cows. Tourists visit one of the farms to see a rotary parlor, along with robotic milkers. All tour buses and semis that deliver the milk use compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel made from the manure digesters. Methane also produces all electricity for the farms. Teens toured the Pig Adventure to see the entire process of raising pork from birth to finish weight. In a partnership with Legacy Farms, FFA students saw farrowing crates with piglets being born, feeder pigs in groups, and a variety of ages, from sows to finish pigs, housed together. The last leg of the journey was to a house shared with Cambridge FFA in downtown Indianapolis, where they enjoyed a late night round of pizza.
Students left bright and early for an opening session at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. Led by the National Officer team (from which Courtney Zimmerman, Spencer, Wis., retired this year), 69,596 members and guests opened the convention. It was a fun experience and showed how unified FFA is. Afterward, students attended the Career Show and Expo and FFA Mall, where colleges and tech schools were represented, along with many businesses helping agriculture today. Thursday night’s highlight was attending the “World’s Toughest Rodeo” at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds to watch bronc and bull riding, and some trick horse riding.
On Friday, students toured Ozark Fisheries in Martinsville, Ind., to see commercially grown goldfish and koi. The number of fish there was astronomical, using 256 one-acre ponds! Teens then went to the 5th session at Lucas Oil Stadium for presentation of various awards to FFA members. After walking around the Career Show for a bit, they headed to a hotel to swim, grabbed some sandwiches, and socialized more with Cambridge FFA members, playing cards and games.
Saturday morning was check out, followed by a tour of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Ind., where over 100 captive bred cats have been rescued and are cared for through donations on 200 acres. During the tour, members saw lions, tigers, bobcats and cougars. After that was the trip home with a final stop at Steak and Shake. The chapter thanks both the Lakeside FFA Alumni for donating towards expenses, along with those who purchased fruit or produce to help defray expenses along with Mr. and Mrs. Bryan and Heather Lester, who donated both time and expense.
Three students represented the Lakeside FFA chapter at the 93rd State FFA convention June 14-15 at Alliant Energy Center, Madison, including Elizabeth Gunst (Hartford), Allen Lester, and Paige Lester (both Waterloo).
Lakeside Lutheran FFA reps, from left, chapter Sentinel Paige Lester, Vice President Allen Lester, and President Elizabeth Gunst serve as door monitors as guests enter the State FFA Degree luncheon. Gunst was recognized as a three-star leader as the Lakeside FFA chapter completed the National Chapter Application and was ranked silver based on its description of goals and outcomes on nine activities, including “growing leaders,” “building communities” and “strengthening agriculture.”
With the theme The Time is Now, the convention began with a delegate session. Elizabeth and Allen were school delegates but all three were able to sit and listen during the session. Two delegates from each chapter voted on several state topics. Of special interest was the discussion on the state officer selection process. In the past, chapter delegates voted for the Sectional State officer; delegates voted to change the final vote to involve both delegates and the state selection committee.
Later that night at the third session, the keynote speaker was Amberley Snyder. She loved riding horses and going to rodeos, even being a nationally ranked rodeo barrel racer. Paralyzed from the waist down in a tragic accident after high school, she thought she would never be able to rodeo again. Her goal was to “Walk, Ride, Rodeo” (the title of a 2019 Netflix original movie based on her story). Snyder rides now but must be strapped into the saddle of her horse. She hopes to walk in the near future with the assistance of robotic legs. The three LLHS attendees were all inspired by her speech; it might have been the only time the whole room was quiet.
The next day Elizabeth and Allen voted on a new Section 10 state officer while Paige attended the career fair with teens she knew from different FFA chapters. Before heading home, the three helped serve over 1,000 guests at the State Degree Lunch as part of the Courtesy Corps.
Haylee Meske of Jefferson, LLHS class of 2021, is pictured at right being presented her State FFA Degree by State FFA President, Ben Styer, from Menominee. Meske was among 331 designees to earn this achievement. She worked at Aztalan Engineering in Lake Mills 1,400+ hours during a senior youth apprenticeship in CNC/Quality Control. Prior to that she had worked 1,300+ hours in food service at Wedl’s Hamburger Stand in Jefferson. Other accomplishments include showing a market barrow and welded lawn ornaments at the Jefferson County Fair. Meske attended two National FFA Conventions, three leadership workshops and qualified for the state livestock judging competition while at Lakeside Lutheran as well as serving as Sentinel her junior year and FFA president her senior year. She is currently finishing her orders in vehicle maintenance while working at the Madison Air Force base as a Guard member.
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