By Lara Gajkowski
Assistant Head of School, Lakehill Preparatory School
Growing up in a large family certainly has its benefits. I was undoubtedly never alone or without built-in playmates and I rarely can remember a time when my nuclear family of eleven lived alone. Grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles, my sister, her spouse, and their child all lived at my house at one time or another and it was not uncommon to have overlapping families living with us at one time. It was a rich, active, boisterous, loving household. I am still very close to all my siblings, my ninety-year-old mother, and my extended family. However, being one of twenty as a nightly crowd for dinner or sharing one bathroom among the myriad of people does have its challenges!
My father was a high school science teacher and coach and a very good one at that. My mother stayed home and managed the crowd, the meals, the laundry, the conflicts, the holidays . . . in a word, everything! In her spare time, she made most of my clothes and those of my sisters and cooked all of our meals. She was and remains a remarkable, formidable woman.
The values instilled in me at home as a child – loyalty to family, commitment to hard work, taking care of others, showing gratefulness for the things given, and enjoying the spirit of a high energy community are the values that drew me to Lakehill as a professional.
When I first entered the halls of Lakehill years ago, I was warmed by a community that seemed so child-centered, warm, nurturing, and spirited. In many ways, I felt like I was coming home. What I most value about Lakehill is the opportunity children of all ages are given to try on different hats. It is an environment that challenges and encourages students to strive, to give, to learn, to play, and to work hard. I love seeing the same faces on the athletic fields, in the plays and musicals, in the choirs, in various competitions, as well as on stage receiving recognition for academic accomplishments.
It is an environment where kids may squabble like siblings yet revel in each other’s accomplishments. Our children grow up together and form relationships that last a lifetime.
Lakehill isn’t a school that just cranks out highly skilled students but rather a school that helps to create well-rounded individuals who are confident, poised, and competent. I love it when our college students come back to visit us and tell us with pride how well prepared they are for their new lives.
It’s the moments when I see our children excel, blossom, and most importantly feel happy that my motherly pride wants to pop the buttons off my shirt. I am proud of our community and of our beautiful children.