The Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education honored three students in the area of academic achievement naming them “207’s Best” at a recent meeting. Lawson Wetendorf from Maine West was honored for his constant curiosity, outstanding work ethic and natural ability to support his peers in their learning
The following information was written about Lawson Wetendorf as a part of the nomination by Maine West principal Dr. Eileen McMahon.
LAWSON WETENDORF, MAINE WEST
Lawson Wetendorf’s qualifications for this award are very compelling: he has a flawless transcript in the most challenging program of study I have seen a student at Maine West undertake; he is a National Merit Finalist; he scored a perfect 36 on the ACT; he has a string of 5’s on 5 out of his 6 AP tests so far – all alongside being a 12-season athlete (anticipating this spring season), an accomplished violinist, and a standout on the Math Team. Not only has Lawson written an incredible record for himself over the past three years, he has done so at an accelerated pace, completing Multivariable Calculus – the District’s highest-level math course – as a junior. He made time for Warrior Strings, West’s Got Talent, National History Day, Scholastic Bowl, Class Council, Golf, Swimming, Water Polo, and the Science, Math, and Social Science Honor Societies. He took advantage of summer school opportunities and volunteered at a camp in Colorado for students with special needs. Without question, I am presenting him to you tonight not only as an accomplished high school student but as a phenomenal young man.
Even so, I haven’t yet arrived at the distinction that makes Lawson truly deserving of 207’s Best recognition for academic achievement. This came in his answer to my question about how he became the student he is. He spoke about the healthy relationship to learning that he cultivated as a young student and nurtured throughout all his school experiences. He said, simply, that he really enjoys the learning process, but does not think about chasing grades. He said that he wants to do his best, but he puts no pressure on himself to be perfect. He relished the classes that challenged him to do great thinking, and not just do a lot of work. He talked about the great teachers he had who made themselves available for supporting students, but also about the learning he did from other students and from his experiences outside the classroom. He acknowledged that math and science are his areas of strength, pointing him in the direction of actuarial science, but spoke fervently about Human Geography and AP Language & Comp, which he called formative experiences where he leaned into his less comfortable subjects and discovered real fulfillment. He told me about the joy he finds in training as hard as he can in the pool during his high school and club swim seasons, knowing that every hard day of training produces results that he can see when he races. Lawson in the pool is patient, determined, supportive, and process-oriented, just as he is in the classroom and the orchestra pit.
Every quality we want to see exemplified in learners, we see in Lawson. Every quality we want to see in the learner’s experience, I heard about in our conversation. Lawson isn’t only excellent in one thing; he does not sacrifice the quality of his experiences for the outcomes; he does not sacrifice his enjoyment in one area of his life for labor in another, regardless of the “points” he may have accumulated by limiting himself. He talked about his vision for a meaningful life as an actualized, accomplished adult, and with the versatility, curiosity, dedication, and compassion he has embodied on his path thus far, he leaves Maine West with no doubt of his success.
So say his teachers, coaches, and sponsors.
AP Chemistry teacher Mr. Panzilius gave an example that illustrates what Lawson is like as a learner. “This humble puzzle-loving problem solver has a constant curiosity. Often Lawson would tell me about what he was reading and learning about on his own. Most of the time, I was familiar with the topics. More than once though, Lawson mentioned a lab process or current research topic that I had not heard about yet. He would also take on challenges from class discussions. During the molecular structures unit, I mentioned to the class that there is a geometry proof using calculus to show the bond angles of a tetrahedron is 109.5 degrees. Lawson was not convinced that it required calculus to do it. The next day, he came in with the start of the calculus free proof where he hit a snag. We discussed it. By the next day, he worked the proof from the ending backwards to a different snag. “Well now I just have to connect the dots.” Laws did this out of the joy of the mathematical connection to a conceptual chemical idea. A few days later he came in with a solution.”
Ms. Murray loved looking back to teaching Lawson in AP Human Geo as a freshman. “In having Lawson as a 9th grader, I can attest to the fact that he has been absolutely dedicated to his studies his entire high school career. He distinguished himself among his classmates not only for his outstanding work ethic, exemplary analysis, thoughtful writing, and highest scores, but perhaps even more importantly for his humility and kindness. He was always interested in discussions about what we were learning, in sharing his ideas with others, and exuded a general joy about life and its possibilities that was infectious and impactful to those fortunate to be around him.
Mr. Swistak, chair of the Science Department, also taught Lawson in Chemistry. “I had Lawson in my Accelerated Chemistry class during his freshman year. He was one of only two ninth graders in a class otherwise made up of sophomores, and he demonstrated early on that he absolutely belonged academically. What stood out even more, however, was his natural ability to support his peers in their learning. Lawson brought others into the fold with his affable nature and remarkable emotional intelligence, elevating not just his own experience but the learning environment as a whole…Since ninth grade, I have had the pleasure of watching him continue to grow as a human being, becoming an even more indelible part of the Maine West community. I am honored to have played a small part in his development as a learner, a leader, and a communicator.”
Mr. Trella, Lawson’s swim coach, also spoke about Lawson’s leadership and consideration. “Lawson is not only a talented All-Conference, record-breaking athlete, he is also an extremely thoughtful and respectful leader and teammate. It’s been a pleasure to coach him these past 4 years.”
Golf coach Ms. Voigt sums it up. “I had Lawson in Freshman PE and was lucky enough to coach him on the golf team, as well. Lawson has always been someone who stands out as a hard worker and someone who is super coachable. He is constantly striving to be better and put all of his effort into whatever he’s doing. On top of that, he is an awesome kid who is kind and personable. Lawson is very deserving for this honor.”
On behalf of all the Maine West staff who have thoroughly enjoyed working with this versatile, committed, brilliant young man, congratulations, Lawson.