By Dani Tietz
dani@sjodaily.com
Oakwood’s Caleb Lashuay knows the gift he’s been given.
A Class of 2020 Valedictorian, Lashuay entered high school with his sights set on getting straight A’s not because he wanted to prove something, but rather because he was just appreciative of the opportunity to learn.
“I would say this came from being home schooled before high school,” Lashuay said. “I was taught at a young age how important learning was. This became stronger when I went to Ethiopia right before my freshman year. They have nothing and would do whatever they can to get an education and it opened my eyes to how important learning is and how we take it for granted so often.”
With his family behind him, Lashuay was named an Illinois State Scholar and received an Academic All-State award for wrestling. He was also named the SAR for Oakwood High School, along with being chosen to compete in the WYSE academic challenge.
“My parents pushed me to be the best I could be in school,” he said. “My brothers lead the way by having good grades so I had big shoes to fill.
“My teachers were definitely all behind me. I would say every one of them really wanted me to learn and pushed me to be better. This really meant a lot and I am very grateful to each of them.”
Lashuay’s dedication outside of school paid off, too. He was part of the 2016 Oakwood soccer team that won the school’s first IHSA Regional title. He went on to lead the Comets as captain in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
His soccer talent paid off on the football field, too, where he almost broke the career record in two years.
Like all Illinois senior athletes, Lashuay was disappointed that the 2020 IHSA baseball season was canceled. But, after dislocating his knee during soccer season, Lashuay knew that sports can easily be taken away.
Instead, he knew that it was the impact he’d made on his fellow athletes that was most important.
“It was important for me to participate in sports because I and a pretty active guy and I’ve always liked sports,” he said.
But his contributions to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is equally important.
“We would have Bible studies once a week and play games with everyone who came,” Lashuay said. “Those were always good times and it was important to me to do that because I feel it’s really important to get Jesus back into the schools any way we can.”
Continuing to grow through education and faith is what Lashuay has his sights set on now that the Oakwood graduation ceremony is completed. He will attend Cedarville University, a private Christian college.
“I will not only be getting a really good education but I will also be growing in my faith,” he said.
That faith led him through the final weeks of high school. While e-learning was an adjustment, Lashuay knows that it is also something that he needed to be prepared for as he moves forward.
“I trust God has this under control,” he said. “I felt really good going into graduation because I knew that I couldn’t do anything about the situation so I did the best I could in the circumstances I was dealt.
“That’s another thing I learned more at school: how to let go of things that are out of my control and focusing on what I can control.
“I will definitely remember to prioritize the things that will last and not the things that can be taken away.
“My faith family friends, those are what comes first then everything else.”
