Isaiah Lee
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSenior Isaiah Lee is an unsuspecting extrovert. On most days, he ‘rep’s’ unassuming, muted American Eagle clothes. From the outside, one could assume he’s an average teenager, but with a second glance, all bets are off.
“He has always been inclined to class clownism but he has moved to the next level,” said Jeff Olofson, science teacher.
Lee could easily be summed up as a class clown. He can endlessly stack jokes on top of each other like a pyramid of comedy gold.
“He can make you laugh until your stomach hurts and turn any of your bad days into good ones,” said classmate, Senior Cassidy Busse.
Lee feels a sense of joy when he can make others happy. The comedy he uses in his daily life makes him more “relatable.”
“I think everyone has a sense of humor. That’s something we all have in common,” said Lee.
Lee advised underclassmen to embrace change.
“High school will change you so much,” he said. “You will evolve, but you have to expand your arsenal of activities. Don’t try to fit in and don't be afraid to have confidence.”
Lee booms with confidence. In fact, upon meeting him, his bold self-confidence is one of the most noticeable things about him.
“Coming out increased my confidence,” said Lee. “I wasn’t afraid to be myself anymore. I gained a lot of friends that year.”
Lee came out at the beginning of junior year.
“He is so courageous,” said Schoenrogge. “He came out as gay in possibly one of the most intolerable towns in Kansas and that says a lot about his character.”
Being part of a small school and living in a small town made it both harder and easier for Lee. Knowing everyone made the action easier but with most small towns, it spread like wildfire.
“When some parents found out, they thought less of me. They didn’t want me around their kids,” said Lee.
He carries himself in a manner that shows great pride, yet is very approachable. He is known by his closest friends, to have helped many peers throughout high school by putting one of his best attributes to good work: his honesty.
“He’s helped a lot of other people discover themselves,” said Brady Schoenrogge, former SFCHS student. “Isaiah is so real. He won’t lie to you because he isn’t about being cliche. He will point out something he doesn’t like in order for you to be aware and possibly fix it. That’s helped me develop as a person a lot.”
Through the struggle of coming out in high school, Lee has stayed true to himself: comical, confident, and intelligent.
“He still manages to not lay victim to the circumstance and he does the best with the opportunities he is given,” said Schoenrogge.
“I just realized that now I’m living my best life,” Lee said. “If they want to take time out of their own lives to judge me, that is on them.”
