Thank You For The Memories: The Class of 2021 Says Goodbye

With the school year coming to an end, the Class of 2021 is starting to say their goodbyes to the halls of Lakeland Regional. The Lancer Ledger asked seniors to reflect of their past four years and share words of wisdom to the underclassmen. Here is what they had to say:

Kristie Andino- Drew University for Creative Writing

She will miss Mr. Eric White because he really taught her a new appreciation for literature. “He has become someone I can trust and talk to whenever, and I’m really going to miss him.” Her advice would be to enjoy the time you have with your friends and teachers because it does go by fast. Since freshman year Kristie has focused more on her studies and learned how to become more comfortable in who she is instead of trying to be like everyone else. 

Kristiana Arienta- Westchester Community College for Nursing

She will miss Mr. James Fleming and Ms. Ornella Incardona the most because those were the teachers she could talk to on a personal level. She would tell underclassmen that when you’re panicking, always remember that you will be okay in the future. “It’s not the end of the world if you get a bad grade.” Kristiana says since freshman year she has learned how to stand up for herself. 

Alie Barna- Sacred Heart University for Nursing

Alie can’t pick one favorite memory, but she loved hanging out with her best friends throughout high school. She is going to miss Ms. Alyssa Forget because she was so much fun in her anatomy class. Her advice to freshmen is to enjoy it while it lasts because it goes fast. 

Kaitlyn Collins- Lock Haven University for Health Sciences

Some of her favorite memories were playing sports with her best friends. Kaitlyn will also miss Ms. Forget the most because of the conversations about life they had in her class. Her advice to freshmen is to enjoy your high school years because they go by really fast. Since freshman year she has become a lot more mature and has made friendships that will last a lifetime. 

Bella Craus- Emmanuel College for Psychology and Neuroscience 

Her favorite memory would be the Steps Against Stigma Walkathon. Bella will miss Mr. Joseph Placenti and Ms. Incardona the most because they were always there for her and helped her through a lot. Her advice to underclassmen would be to take your classes seriously, but don’t stress over every assignment since it won’t matter in the long run. She stated that she looks and acts completely different from freshman year. “I did win most changed since freshman year for a reason.”

Brendan Davidson- University of Oklahoma for Biology with a minor in Marketing

Brendan (one of our own staff writers) loved all of the memories he made at the lunch table in the cafeteria with his friends. He will miss Mr. Fleming the most because he was a great teacher and always willing to go the extra mile to help students in any way he could. He would tell underclassmen to not worry about what people think about you, just keep your grades up and have fun, because that is what is most important. Since freshman year, Brendan became a better student and worked on improving his study habits. 

Vania Echegaray- Montclair State University for Psychology

Some of her favorite memories were the All School Production, Chicago, and the majority of her sophomore year. She will miss Mr. Rodolfo Rodriguez the most, as his energy would always brighten her day. The type of environment he made in the classroom made her excited for his class everyday. Vania would tell underclassmen to always do your work and get involved in the school. 

Sam Hess- SUNY New Paltz for Psychology

Her favorite memories were from being on the sports teams at LRHS. She will miss Ms. Jessica Geyer the most because of her constant positive attitude. Sam would tell underclassmen to stop worrying so much about how you look or dress, “Just be yourself!” Since freshman year she’s matured a lot with how she deals with certain situations because of different learning experiences. 

Ida Li- Rowan University, Undecided

Some of Ida’s favorite memories at Lakeland Regional High School are talking to her friends and teachers. She would tell underclassmen to ask for help whenever they need it. Since freshman year, she has become a lot more independent and mature. 

Melanie Loffredo- The College of New Jersey for Health and Exercise Science

Melanie’s favorite memories were all of Lakeland’s football and ice hockey games. She will miss Ms. Forget because she really got to know her. She would tell underclassmen to enjoy the small moments because high school goes fast. Melanie has become a lot more confident and made a lot more friends since freshman year. 

Isaiah Paduani- Seton Hall for Business

He will miss Ms. Donna Hess the most because she understood him and made the class interesting. His advice to underclassmen is to do your work early so you don’t have to play catch up. Since freshman year, Isaiah has gotten a better understanding of what he wants.

Tristan Reese- Hillsborough Community College for Entrepreneurship 

His favorite memories were from his ceramics class during his junior year. He will miss Ms. Donna Joseph the most because she was the most chill and fun teacher he’s ever had. Tristan would like to make sure underclassmen know how important it is to balance social, school, and personal life equally. Since freshman year, he has learned a lot of life lessons and has overall become a much stronger person. 

Emily Rose- Susquehanna University for Communications 

Her favorite memory was planning the homecoming dance during her junior year. Emily (another one of our own) will miss Ms. Kali Spoelstra the most because she had the biggest influence on what she wants to do in the future, as her journalism classes made her realize that is the career path she wants to explore. Her advice to underclassmen would be to believe people when they tell you that these four years go by quickly, so don’t be afraid to document your lives. “Take lots of pictures and videos so you’ll always remember the good times.” Since freshman year, Emily has become a lot more aware of who she is and who she wants to be. 

Angela Trozzo- Rutgers University for Political Science

Her favorite memory is closing night of the All School Production, Chicago. She will miss Mr. Ronald Etzkorn the most because he made class incredibly fun and was still able to teach the class everything they needed to know. Angela would like to tell underclassmen to participate in everything you can, because you’ll make new friends and lots of memories. Since freshman year she’s matured a lot and made more friends. 

Emily Wegman- Montclair State University for Journalism 

Her favorite memory was the band trip to Disney World her freshman year. She will miss Mr. White the most because his class made her realize her love for reading and writing. Emily would tell underclassmen to not give up, as it seems like a long road but the end will be here before you know it. 

Jakub Widerynski- Rutgers University for Finance

Some of his favorite memories were from being in the student section of the Lakeland football and ice hockey games. He will miss Mr. Richard Wiley the most because he made AP U.S. History his favorite class and was the best tennis coach. Since freshman year, Jakub has matured and learned how to manage time better.