Wall of Excellence
Lake Orion Community Schools has a rich history of achievement and success.
Now there is a visible sign of the best and brightest.
The Lake Orion High School Wall of Excellence debuted in the fall of 2017.
A committee of administrators, teachers, and Board of Education members meets annually to sift through nominated candidates and decide on the group of inductees.
In 2020, despite the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lake Orion High School had a large number of nominations for the Wall of Excellence, with six alumni in its fourth induction class. The 2020 inductees include wheelchair racing record-setter Bob Gibson, professional golfer Tom Gillis, Disney/PIXAR artist Angela McBride, NBC News journalist Shannon Pettypiece, electronic musician Seth Troxler, and muralist and children's author Katie Yamasaki.
The 2020 inductees were honored at a live induction event along with the 2021 inductees.
The Wall of Excellence recognized six inductees in its 2017 inaugural class: astronaut Dr. Andrew Feustel, Col. Daniel Choike (US Marine Corps.), musician John Upton, teacher Blanche Sims, businessman Fritz Henderson, and martial arts champion Dr. Ronald Tripp.
The second class featured broadcaster Greg Bowman, Air Force commander James Ramirez, fashion designer Caroline Swierszczyk, and innovator, scientist, and entrepreneur Dr. Bo Zhao.
The third, in 2019, included businessman and engineer Dr. David Carlson, professional athlete Jeff Heath, and actress Cynthia Watros.
Nominations for the next induction class are accepted until June 1. Here is the nomination form.
The school would like like to thank the sponsors who helped make the Wall of Excellence possible: Mike Macy MEEMIC Insurance, Kohl’s, Pine Tree Elementary, Dr. Ron Tripp and the Lake Orion Education Foundation.