Dear Mr. Lagnese,

Sometimes life has a funny way of bringing people into your life when you need them the most. I wholeheartedly believe that about you. It has been years since your infectious laugh and beautiful smile lit up the halls of Herricks High School and Herricks Summer Camp. It has been years since I've heard one of your many jokes and watched as anyone within hearing range joined in laughing. It has been years since you were taken away from this Earth prematurely.

But no matter how many years have passed, your mark and legacy have remained strong and the impact you made on your students' lives is undeniable. I first met you when I switched into your biology class in 9th grade. You greeted me with one of the most genuine smiles that I've ever seen in my life. I felt welcomed in your classroom, like I had a place- something that in 9th grade, I rarely felt.

In 9th grade I suffered with feelings of depression and felt very isolated. You had no way of knowing this, but I wish I had had the chance to express to you what going to your class did for me every day. It was the only period where I actually found myself laughing and that meant everything to me. Your classroom was never really a classroom, it was a community and a home.

About a year later, I found myself asking you about volunteering for Herricks Summer Recreation. I didn't know it at the time, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. Your ran your camp much like you ran your classroom- with love and acceptance for every person who walked through the door.

I quickly learned that your camp was not just a group of counselors, but rather a family that cared for and looked out for one another. There was something magical about the way you were able to effortlessly bring together people from all ages and backgrounds. I will never forget the way you spoke to every person in the same manner, whether they were 5 years old or 25. You had faith in all of us and because of this, I know that I, along with every student who knew you, was forever changed.

I found out that you passed away on a cold, November day, and I can still recall sitting at my kitchen table crying uncontrollably. I knew that the halls of Herricks and Herricks Summer Recreation would never be the same, and I was right. I have returned to camp for summers following that heart breaking day, and it's an extremely bitter sweet experience.

It's bitter because of the sadness and longing that your absence has left in all of our hearts. But, it's sweet because everyone from your camp family returned for that first difficult summer without you. We stuck together and did our best to honor you and all that you stood for. We proudly wore our lighthouse themed camp shirts and I know that even though you weren't there physically, you were looking down on us and still are.

For the past few years, I have watched your camp family as well as myself grow up- all of them graduating high school, then college, then going on to professional jobs and even buying their own houses. But no matter where life has taken us, we all still share one common thread- We were brought together in the camp that you poured your soul into.

I believe that in the short time that you were here, you touched far more hearts than you could have ever known. I think life had a funny way of placing you in a community that needed someone like you- Someone who gave everything they had to creating spaces where people who didn't necessarily have a place elsewhere, found it with you in your camp family. I am also certain that you have left behind something incredible and unforgettable.

When you passed away, we lost a teacher, community leader, and friend, but heaven gained an angel. Fly high and know that I am forever grateful for the memories, the laughs, and for having the privilege of knowing someone as wonderful as you.