East seniors who are the Last Lancers in their family to graduate share their favorite moments from high school
Peering over the Shawnee Mission East student section at Lancer basketball games, she saw students draped in columbia blue and black — six-year-old (and now senior) Lauren Dornbusch knew she wanted to be a part of that someday. Her brother, Ryan Dornbusch, played basketball at East. Lauren went to every Friday night game. There was no doubt in her mind she would end up at East, but she didn’t expect to be the last Lancer in her family and ‘graduate’ on these terms. With an abrupt end to school, Dornbusch says that leaving East without proper closure will be tough, because it’s been her home for almost eight years between her and her brother. Dornbusch and her family know they’ll still come back to home football and basketball games, decked out in blue and black. Watching the games from the adult section, she said, might finally give her some closure.
When graduation time would come in May, senior Caroline Seitz remembers her young self standing on the silver bleachers, blowing air horns for all six of her siblings to celebrate a life-marker moment with them. Seitz couldn’t wait for her siblings to sit in the stands at North, blowing air horns for her when her name was called, though she knows she may not get this experience. Being the last Lancer in her family, Seitz is hopeful her large family has left an impact on East. She will miss everything that comes with wearing Lancer blue, but especially the overwhelming amount of school spirit that floods Mission Road on Lancer Day. “[I will never forget] the memories of when I was growing up,” Seitz said. “Being able to be involved in the community for twenty years [has been] an amazing experience for me and my family.”
Senior Paige Cuele always knew she’d end up at East — she didn’t really think there was another option. Both her parents and her brother were Lancers and with Cuele being the last child, her family’s time at East is over. Cuele left the last day of school early after she turned in her senior paper, not knowing that would be her last day as a Lancer. She wishes she would’ve stayed. Cuele will miss being able to relate to her parent’s high school years, because they’re similar to hers: “[The] same school, same building, same neighborhood and knowing everything they talk about and living through it myself,” Cuele said.
Senior Wesley Costello will never forget his elementary school Friday nights spent at basketball games, watching his older sister, now 22, dance at halftime. Being the last of three, Costello has watched his family’s involvement in the East community grow over the years — knowing their time at East was wrapping up, his parents tried to attend as many basketball and football home games as they could. Walking into East as a freshman, Costello was overwhelmed by how big East is. “That first day it was the freshman that went, so there wasn’t much intimidation you know,” Costello said. “The last day at East it was unexpected, [which was] the day before Spring Break, so we were all looking forward to leaving and getting out of there, but we never realized it would be our last day.” He’s going to miss seeing the class of 2020 in the hallways, and hopes one day to tell his kids how impactful Shawnee Mission East was for him.
