Matthew Waeckerle, Class of 2015 and current social studies teacher, believes it is important for students to focus on their happiness in life. 

“Enjoy your life, have fun, get involved. It’s a long ride,” he said.

While attending Lafayette, Waeckerle was very involved with sports. His favorite sport was football, and he was involved in lacrosse, wrestling and The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Waeckerle went to the University of Saint Mary, where he majored in history. After graduating college, Waeckerle returned to LHS as a teacher.

Waeckerle now is a social studies teacher and dedicates his free time to being a football coach.

Looking back on his time in high school, he regrets not focusing as much on classes that could have helped him with his success.

“Personally, I wish I had paid more attention to language arts. As a history student, the writing process must be ironed out as much as possible. History and language arts are comparable to one another. The better I would’ve made my writing, the easier classes would’ve been,” Waeckerle said.

Waeckerle said there was one key to his high school success: time management. He suggests students focus on that skill now.

“Manage your time well. Don’t get caught up in schoolwork. Live your life. Have fun. Do the work and then when it’s done, do what you love because the students and teachers are amazing. It’s a great environment to be in and be a part of,” he said.