Lakewood Ranch High School's first graduating class celebrates 10 years

LAKEWOOD RANCH — The sun was barely peeking from over the horizon as the students arrived to Lakewood Ranch High School for the first time Aug. 24, 1998. With long shadows pulling over the campus and an early-morning fog hovering over the land surrounding the buildings, it was — quite literally — the dawn of a new day.

And as the 288 members of the Class of 2001 stepped onto Mustang soil, they were charged not only with a full load of coursework but also with establishing every tradition for the new school.

These pioneers chose Lakewood’s school colors and mascot, established Spirit Week and designed the medallions used for commencement. They picked the graduation gowns the school still uses.

They even chose the desks and chairs.

“They had no role models,” said Bob Schaer, co-band director, who is still at the school. “There was no senior. We told them, ‘You are going to set all the traditions.’ And they did.”

Braden River High School Assistant Principal Don French, who taught at Lakewood when it opened, agreed.

“They were totally energetic,” he said. “Being the first group, that was the group you used as your blueprint for everybody else to follow. We were able to try a lot of new things, a lot of new teaching methods. These kids were willing to take those chances for us, and they wanted to create their own identity for the school. I think they did that quite well.”

This week, as Lakewood Ranch celebrates its 2011 Homecoming, the class responsible for so many Mustang traditions will return to celebrate its 10-year reunion. Festivities will start at the Homecoming game Friday. Alumni will be introduced to the crowd, and the Class of 2001’s Homecoming Queen Jessica (Blanco) Forristall will crown this year’s Homecoming queen. Lakewood’s Student Government Association is treating alumni to dinner before the game, as well.

Alumni Sara Keiper, Tommy Burish and Rachel Weeks have been working since May to plan festivities. The group even got to pick the date for Lakewood’s homecoming game this year, Keiper said.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” she said of planning. “It’s been really fun and kind of chaotic. I’m hoping everything will be good.”

Lakewood Principal Linda Nesselhauf, who was an assistant principal when the school opened, said she is excited to welcome back the Class of 2001.

“It’s our first really big landmark reunion,” she said. “These students weren’t with us for four years; they were with us for three, but they set the standard for all to follow. They hosted the first prom. They named the mascot. They established a lot of traditions.”

Roy Larson, Lakewood’s first principal, agreed.

“As a whole, they were resilient, and they were focused,” he said. “They were enthusiastic, and whatever challenges came up, the students and the staff together, got through it.

“We wanted to be the best, and we’ve done that,” Larson said. “It was a very special group of people. It really was family.”

Because most of Lakewood’s first graduating class spent their freshmen year at Southeast High School, organizers also have planned a meeting at Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar with Southeast’s Class of 2001, following the game.

“We wanted to do something together, because we all grew up together,” Keiper said.

The reunion dinner will be held Oct. 8, at Luna Cabana restaurant at River Club.

“I’m excited to see where people ended up,” said Jonathon Blevins, who will be coming from Orlando to attend the reunion. “Lakewood Ranch (High) was the only building on that road when I was there. I haven’t been back since.”

Forristall agreed. Although she keeps in touch with many of her friends, the day will offer more purposeful time together.

“Life gets busy, and you don’t get to see (people),” she said. “It’ll be fun to see everybody we went to school with that are coming back.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

SNAPSHOTS

Jonathan Blevins
Current city: Orlando
Student involvement: Football player
Favorite memory: Lakewood’s first win at a football game against Booker High School
Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of Florida in criminology and political science; law degree from Barry University School of Law
Current occupation: Attorney

Brad Burnside
Current city: New York
Student involvement: Marching band and French Club
Life’s lessons: “In high school, I thought everything was so serious. I learned to put value into things that actually mattered instead of superficial things. I learned I still have to work hard, no matter how smart I think I am.”
Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of Florida in telecommunications production
Current occupation: Senior producer at Global Media Co.


 







Nima Desai
Current city: Palo Alto, Calif.
Student: Miss Lakewood Ranch, senior class treasurer, Student Council, tennis team, color guard
Favorite memory: “Sitting in the main office area and picking out the main graduation announcements. ... When my sister graduated from high school four years later, it was amazing to connect my past with her future.”
Education: Degree in marketing from the University of South Florida
Current occupation: Consultant for Accenture, a global technology consulting company

Ashley (Curtis) Hayes
Current city: Bradenton
Student involvement: Class president, SGA president, weightlifting team
Favorite memory: The Spirit Couch — an old couch SGA members re-covered in Mustang colors and redecorated. Students earned a chance to sit on the couch in the end zone at each football game during her senior year.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in exercise physiology.
Current occupation: Director of the Wound Care Center at Manatee Memorial Hospital

Rachel (Nickens) Weeks
Current city: Columbia, S.C.
Student involvement: Cheerleader, SGA
Favorite memory: “I was in ninth grade at Southeast, and I was working with a friend to start the newspaper for Lakewood Ranch. We came up with the name ‘Hoof Prints.’ That was the beginning.”
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida; master’s degree in counseling from University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Current Occupation: Stay-at-home mom

THE HOMECOMING QUEEN
Jessica (Blanco) Forristall hasn’t been to a Lakewood Ranch football game since graduation.

But the 2001 Homecoming Queen soon will be stepping on the field again, this time to crown Lakewood’s 2011 Homecoming Queen.

“It’ll be fun to see everybody we went to school with that are coming back,” she said.

Forristall will be attending festivities with the one who brought her to her own senior Homecoming Dance — Michael Forristall, now her husband.

“Neither of us had dates for Homecoming,” Jessica Forristall said. “We were friends. We didn’t date or anything.”

But the two went to the University of Florida and began dating their senior year of college. Michael earned a degree in history, while Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

The Forristalls have a 7-month-old son, Stephen.

THE CLASS CLOWN
Although its now been more than a decade since Travis Wood left Lakewood Ranch, the Class of 2001’s Class Clown is still full of life and humor.

Wood, who is preparing to move to Illinois from Gainesville with his family, was so excited about reconnecting with friends and acquaintances from high school that he contacted the class president a few years ago to make sure it would be happening.

“I was a little pre-emptive on it,” he says.

Wood admits he didn’t apply himself in high school and barely was able to graduate. So when he got out on his own, his options were limited. He joined the U.S. Navy and actually was in boot camp on 9/11. Wood finished his training to work on submarines before going on deployments and finishing military requirements in 2007.

“When I was in high school, a lot of it was about trying to fit in and make people like you,” he said. “Once I realized what really mattered — that’s when my morals changed.”

Wood married his wife, Andrea, in 2003. “I absolutely love marriage,” he says. “It’s a great way to force yourself to work through things and not give up.”

CREATING A TEAM
With Lakewood Ranch’s football team a consistent force on the gridiron, it’s hard to imagine their humble beginning 10 years ago.

Lakewood science teacher Faust DeLazzer, the first head coach, said his players — many of whom had no football experience — struggled those early years.

“We had only freshman and sophomores, but we played schools that had juniors and seniors,” he said.

Ranch alum Jonathan Blevins laughed as he recalled Lakewood’s first game.

“We got beat so bad they didn’t even stop the clock (between plays),” Blevins said.

DeLazzer said one player even apologized for a failed tackle attempt, despite breaking his arm in the effort.

“We had videos of the game (and we didn’t watch them),” he said. “We buried the football tape behind the goal post. I said, ‘We’re never going to speak of it again.’”

2001 SENIOR PERSONALITIES

Most Involved
Brooks Roland
Ashley Curtis

Most Likely To Succeed
Chris Bauer
Tarah McNaughton

Best All-Around
Chris Schwartz
Rachel Nickens

Best Leader
Matt Litzenberger
Nima Desai

Most Artistic
Gil Malari
Lacey Ogline

Most Unique
Bryan Tupper
Jessica Young

Most Athletic
Thomas Lanier
Susie Gobczynski

Most School Spirit
Adam Montone
Susie McGiffin

Most Likeable
Kyle Dawson
Laura Vandel

Most Talented
Scott Bowman
Misty Flanagan

Most Shy
Gustavo Alverio
Amanda Staubach

Best Smile
Brandon Johnson
Jenny Dean

Biggest Sweethearts
Jay Cox
Jessica Blanco

Craziest Driver
Rekha Rajan
Kevin Berecz

Most Dramatic
Brad Burnside
Grace Brendle

Best Dressed
Ryan Taylor
Taryn Hall

Class Clown
Travis Wood
Andrea Peters

Most Laid-Back
Derek Martin
Lauren Griffin

Biggest Sycophant
Thomas Dilandro
Jenni McNally

Biggest Flirt
Arnaldo Soto
Brittni Murphy

Biggest Airhead
Corey Pedersen
Aimi Jackson

CLASS OF 2001
Number of graduates: 288
First Principal: Roy Larson
Senior Class President: Ashley Curtis
2001 Homecoming Queen and King: Jessica (Blanco) Forristall and Kyle Dawson
2001 Miss Lakewood Ranch: Nima Desai
Traditional Class Song: “Time of Your Life” by Green Day
Popular Class Song: “Higher” by Creed
Class Flower: White rose
Class colors: Black and silver