Dear Sir,

My name is Dylan Barker, and I am a high school graduate. Up until last year, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to say that.

First of all, this letter is long overdue. For that I am sorry. This is a letter of thanks to everyone at Lakeside. To those of you who funded my trip and education, to the kind and supportive people at Lakeside Little Theater, to anyone who bought coffee and muffins at the Lake Chapala Society, and to those of you who who laughed uneasily at my drawings and shameless sarcasm. I thought that I had returned to the U.S. after seven years in Mexico to learn important life lessons, while in reality, I had learned some of the most valuable while living at Lakeside. My time in Mexico was the most enriching growth period of my life, thank you all for that. I can’t help but feel like the luckiest guy on earth when I think about all the things the selfless folks at Lakeside have done for me. I can’t say that I don’t enjoy my new life in Chicago, but I will never forget the time I spent at Lakeside. Each and every one of you will live on in my memory forever. Thank you.

Dylan Barker