Lake County Gazette

The Roosevelt Elementary School community held a ceremony to remember Mikey Lupo, a former student who died in September 2024 after facing ongoing health issues. A Cherokee Princess Dogwood tree was planted in the school's reading garden as a symbol of life, strength, and hope.

Students and staff gathered on Monday morning for the dedication. Principal Dr. Kevin Dwyer spoke about Mikey's impact on the school, calling him “one of the best students to ever grace the hallways of Roosevelt Elementary School.” Dr. Dwyer said that Mikey “made you better” and encouraged teachers to work together while inspiring kindness among students.

Alyssa Zommick, who met Mikey when she started as student services coordinator seven years ago, described his influence: “within days of starting, I absolutely understood Mikey held Roosevelt together. He brought our teams together, he brought our students together, and the community came and followed him along.”

Linda Mirza, Mikey’s social worker at Roosevelt, remembered him as “social, fun, and full of life. His smile, warm greetings, and joyful laugh brought happiness to everyone around him. He truly embodied kindness and will forever be remembered and honored by all for the incredible opportunity to know him.”

Former District 64 physical therapist Lynn Condon recalled meeting Mikey at age three and noted how he taught others perseverance. Among his milestones were taking his first steps at Roosevelt and receiving an AAC device at the start of second grade that helped him communicate.

To continue honoring Mikey’s legacy, Dr. Dwyer announced a new initiative: a "day of kindness and a day of action" at Roosevelt. Students are now earning paper hearts for acts of kindness; these hearts will be hung on the newly planted tree.

During the event, Michael Lupo shared how other children expressed their condolences at a recent baseball game: “I was so proud of these kids for doing that and coming up to me without being told to do that,” said Lupo. He reflected on how much it meant that children remembered his son: “So not only was I so proud of them, I was so proud of Michael for doing whatever he did to have an impact on these kids' lives that they will likely always remember.”

Lupo added: “One short and simple act of kindness from kids to an adult that they’ve never met before gave me something that I will most definitely never forget,” he said. “Thank you to everyone for carrying us through this past year and for being there for us when we needed you.”