Valuing Diversity
One of the things La Lumiere prides itself on is the diversity of the community. For many students, like senior Natalia Trejo Bax, that diversity is what drew them to La Lumiere and what makes La Lumiere feel like home. Natalia is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. She moved to the United States when she was 5 and spent the majority of her childhood in North Carolina. She now lives in South Bend, Indiana with her parents, Anne Bax and Guillermo Trejo, and her twin brother, who is also a student at La Lu, Julian Trejo Bax.
Natalia is no stranger to diversity and cross cultural connections. Her parents are both immigrants. Her mom is from Belgium and her dad is from Mexico. Both of her parents work at the University of Notre Dame.
In Natalia’s life, her parents have shared stories with her of going to a boarding school and meeting people from all of the world; Natalia knew that she wanted a similar experience. Having gone to Stanley Clark School in South Bend, Natalia heard of La Lumiere throughout middle school.
“It had the diversity that I always wanted,” said Natalia while reminiscing on why she chose La Lu. She said, “I just felt something special when I talked to the students here.”
Natalia knew she had found her home for the next 4 years. Natalia loves the community at La Lu and how everyone knows and cares about each other.
Natalia plays soccer at La Lumiere, is a member of yearbook, and also is a member of the orientation committee. She plans on attending college next fall and wants to study film production.
No Subject too Hard
There are very few people who love La Lumiere like Mr. Ken Andert does. Andert is in his 23rd year of teaching at La Lu, making him the second most senior faculty member at the school. He teaches physics and calculus. Andert is from South Bend and attended college at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1995. From then on, Andert worked at La Lumiere, quickly finding it to be home.
Andert loves teaching both calculus in physics. Andert likes teaching these higher level subjects because he believes that even though they may seem challenging at first, once students start to learn more about them they realize it is something they can do.
In his own words, Andert said, “I like helping people realize and understand that there is no subject or topic that is beyond them. Hard subjects are not something to be afraid of.”
Mr. Andert has helped many students succeed in these difficult subjects. One of the keys to his teaching, Andert believes, lies in the very community that he teaches in.
“My favorite part about teaching here is that I get to know all of my students outside of just the hour we spend in the classroom. Understanding what is going on outside of the classroom helps you connect better with the students. This allows me to taylor what we do in class to the mood of the students on that particular day,” Andert said.
In addition to loving the community of La Lumiere, Mr. Andert enjoys living in Northwest Indiana. He enjoys experiencing all four seasons to the extremes, getting very hot summers and blizzardy winters. He also believes that the people in this region are some of the friendliest he has encountered. Andert is a staple of the La Lumiere community and will continue to help students succeed.
Our Students Love Shakespeare
One of the best things of going to school in La Porte is the proximity to a number of great universities. La Lumiere students take advantage of this various times throughout the year. On August 28th, a group of about ten Lakers went to see the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival put on The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice at the Debartolo Performing Arts Center. The students were accompanied by three La Lumiere faculty members, Ms. Frankle, Ms. Fanciullacci, and Mrs. Lingle. These wonderful teachers have organized a trip to see a rendition of a Shakespeare play at Notre Dame every year for the past few years and it is always a great time.
Students left La Lu and stopped at Eddy Street Commons in South Bend to eat and explore before the show. Once time for the show, students headed to campus. The show was fantastic.
In the words of student, Elaine Jensen, “The play was perfect in every way. I love the modern day adaptation they took with Othello.”
The show was all around captivating, with beautiful sets and awe inspiring acting. This trip to see a theater classic was a great way to start off the school year and excite students to learn.
Calling All La Lu Alumni
Throughout the year, La Lumiere has a few events that bring together the Laker community from past and present. One such event is the La Lumiere Golf Outing. The 24th Annual La Lumiere Golfing will be hosted on September 21 at Long Beach Country Club. Current students will welcome faculty members, parents, and alumni alike to a fun filled day. The day kicks off with registration and golf, followed by dinner in the evening. The following day, La Lu will welcome Alumni back on to campus for an Alumni Day. Alumni will enjoy lunch in the Moore House and get to cheer on current La Lu Lakers in different athletic competitions. It looks to be a great day.
The events of the weekend not only serve as a fun way to keep people involved in the La Lu community, but also as class reunions. This year the classes of 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 will be celebrating their respective reunions. The Golf Outing is a great La Lumiere tradition that brings many Alumni back to the area for the weekend.