The weekend from September 20-22 was reunion weekend at Lake Forest Academy, which allowed the Alumni of LFA to come back to school with their graduating class and meet the current students as well as their former classmates. According to Dr. Robert Buckla, Vice President of Advancement at LFA, this is done in order to “build a bridge between the current students and the graduates.” He also says it’s important to “keep the alumni active.”
Buckla’s main goal is simply “giving alumni space to come here and hang out.”One of the largest draws of Reunion Weekend in the past has been the opportunity for alumni to see how the school has developed.
This year, LFA spotlighted classes whose year ends in 9 or 4, but welcomed back all who want to come back. These alumni were able to take part in various different activities, including watching the LFA football game as well as the alumni dinner. One new staple in LFA’s Reunion Weekend this year was the Remembrance Ceremony. This ceremony was to commemorate those alumni who have passed in the graduating class that is being spotlighted.
This year, LFA commemorated one of its  biggest lifetime donors J.C. Cowart, by dedicating the student center to him. This is the same gentleman that the JC Cowart Media Center in Corbin is dedicated to. Cowart is currently the vice-chair of the Board of Trustees and is an alumnus of the class of 1969. He is currently living in Southern California. He is still very invested in the school, annually giving guest lectures in economics and world history to students.
One of the challenges Director of Alumni Reunions and Alumni Giving, Hannah Keller, faced was incorporating students into the already hectic weekend plans. While some students wander around campus and talk to alumni, many Caxy Keys gave tours around the school, furthering the Alumni and current student bond. Keller also plans on furthering this connection by potentially holding “meetings of the minds” and figuring out what recent graduates want from the reunion experience and what type of involvement they would like to see from the students.
While the Reunion Weekend loomed on the horizon, both Dr. Buckla and Mrs. Keller are working very hard to bring together Alumni and their families to create a weekend to remember. While many Alumni will be attending this weekend to honor JC Cowart and see the student union bare his name, others simply wish to return to the school they once called a home away from home.