Lukas Frenes is a Staples High School senior. He spent his internship working with “06880.”
Every member of the Class of 2026 has a story. Lukas’ is unique: This was his only year at Staples. How did it go? Read on!
Entering Staples High School as a senior is an experience few graduates ever face.
When I walked through the sprawling doors last fall, the crisp autumn air wasn’t just signaling my first day of the school year; it was marking my first week ever living in Westport.
I was still figuring out the winding roads, let alone the labyrinthine hallways of Staples.
Lukas Frenes
These first steps into an entirely unfamiliar environment felt worrisome. Trading the hushed, highly structured quads of a tiny boarding school for the massive kinetic energy of a public high school was a profound culture shock.
I had to brace myself for the “Westport way of life,” anticipating Staples to be an intimidating pressure cooker of Ivy League ambitions and impenetrable lifelong cliques. It felt like I had to jump onto a moving train.
The students themselves were the ones who truly dismantled my self-conceived fears. In Children’s Lit, the ice broke not in a stiff classroom setting but on the seats of a rumbling yellow school bus.
We were bouncing along new roads, the thick, nervous air filled with the smell of diesel while we debated whether our assigned elementary kids would actually connect with us.
I was worried about my kid, Jacob. But before I could overthink it a laptop hit
“record,” asking me predictions on our teaching abilities.
The curriculum was demanding, but the growth happened in the small, quiet moments.
Navigating an intense senior year with dyslexia was always going to be an uphill battle, but the Staples faculty met my learning differences with open arms, prioritizing genuine understanding over routine busywork.
Mr. Feagin’s AP Economics classroom, in particular, became a sanctuary. Instead of leaving me to struggle silently with a sea of swimming letters on timed exams, he would meet with me afterward to give me extra time.
He never made me feel the shame I usually felt regarding my dyslexia. I wasn’t a burden; I was supported, allowing me to find my footing, culminating in an Academic Excellence award.
I still recall my first day in the Staples cafeteria. The energy was palpable; a loud, kinetic room of students completely engrossed in years of shared memories, while I passed through crowds of people alone as a first-year senior.
Then members of the Saugatuck Rowing team waved me over to their table. In an instant, I had an anchor.
Lukas Frenes, in action.
Rowing was my community through it, but there were distinct trade-offs. The grueling practice forced us to sacrifice traditional senior milestones, such as many sports events, and build a stronger bond of solidarity.
As senior year winds down, the perspective I gained has been invaluable. Staples wasn’t just a waiting room for graduation; it provided the space to test my abilities, learn about myself, and explore what I want my future to look like.
The profound judgment-free support I received from teachers, combined with the joy of seeing Jacob’s face light up during my Children’s Lit lessons, illuminated my path to pursue educational studies at Colby College next year. I am driven by the goal of helping students like me who would hate the education system without phenomenal teachers like the ones at Staples.
While being fast, challenging and intense, I wouldn’t give up calling myself a Wrecker for anything.
(“Students Speak” is a regular “06880” feature. Any student living or studying in Westport or Weston can submit a piece. Email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support this local blog, click here.)
I made my way throughout my three years at Staples with undiagnosed dyslexia. I struggled with math and chemistry, Latin and English! I was Gentleman C! I played football three years, sang in the choir, was a Downshifter, and in the VSC. I was blessed with a lot of friends who didn’t seem to care that I wasn’t actually as gifted in the class room as they were and that was my saving grace. They took me for Charlie Taylor from rural Mayfield KY. I might as well have been from France Italy or Mars. My accent and sense of humor drew people to me. I believe now, 65 years after graduation, tha with ever challenge we are dealt we get twice as many gifts. We just have to find them! Congratulations Lukas!
Thank you for sharing your unique perspective and insight into your year at Staples, Lukas. And huge congratulations!
What a great story. Staples has obviously changed a lot since my days. The old open campus style, the way courses were offered, how you had to build your own schedule, then sign up for classes prepared students for what awaited them at college.
Then throw in the large student body, the many extracurriculars offered along with a top-notch faculty and it is hard to come out of there without an advantage over kids who didn’t live in Westport.
I’m betting that Lukas has gained a ton of confidence and is set up for success no matter what path he choses next. Good luck!