Winning Essay by Joshua Standley
“What Lake Springfield Means to Me”
Gallons. I have drunk gallons of lake water over my many years of swimming, boating, tubing, and relaxing in the glorious brown water of Springfield’s greatest man-made reservoir. If you go into Lake Springfield you are bound to get a mouthful of the glorious brown slurry found within the murky waters of our city’s great puddle. Do I regret swimming with my mouth wide open so that the brown water of Lake Springfield is shoveled into my stomach by the bucketful? Absolutely not. The taste of that water is an essential childhood memory for me, Lake
Springfield, even if it probably wasn’t very healthy for me to drink, is an important part of my life, and I will forever be grateful for the memories I have made there.
My grandparents have had a house on lake Springfield for as long as I can remember. Because my grandparents had a lake house, a majority of my free days in summer were spent playing in the water with my cousins. Tubing, in. particular, was one of my favorite recreational activities on the lake. My cousins and I would try our best to hold onto the tube without being flung 15 feet skyward. Without the lake, my childhood would have been boring, but that’s not the only reason I appreciate it.
I picked up a variety of skills on the lake. I learned how to float on the lake as a child, with the guidance of my mom I laid the foundation to begin swimming. While I didn’t learn how to swim on Lake Springfield, I practiced swimming faster over the countless summers I spent in the water. I also learned how to ski on Lake Springfield, one of my favorite outdoor activities. A tradition my family has is to go out on the lake every winter when the lake is as frozen as possible and ice skate (that tradition led to me knowing how to ice skate very well).
Without Lake Springfield, undoubtedly I would’ve drunk. far less lake water —but where’s the fun in that? Lake Springfield will always be an essential part of my life and past. I have made so many great memories thanks to Lake Springfield that I will cherish forever. Lake Springfield is my home-away-from-home. Even more than being a second home, Lake Springfield is a place for family, friends and fun. Lake Springfield is so much more than some big reservoir, Lake Springfield a place for memories.
Winning Essay by Alaire Gordon
“What Lake Springfield Means to Me”
My first memory of Lake Springfield was when I was very little. My mom used to take me there to play at the park and feed the squirrels, geese, ducks and any other creature we could find. We always walked along the wooden walkway which to me was a mile long because I was so little. I remember all the little spider webs and bugs caught in them and how fascinating they all looked. Another memory I have was from a couple months back, we went to the lake when it was colder outside. We took a bunch of bread and crackers to see if we could find some hungry animals. We found a lone gull and tossed it a piece of bread. To our amazement, another flew over from literally thin air and then another and soon enough, there were forty or fifty gulls asking for a bite.
Lake Springfield has been a big part of my life. When I was three or four years old, I went on a boat for the first time, which I was given the privilege to drive, or at least that is what they made me believe. It was dusk where you see the sunlight reflecting on the lake shimmering on the slight waves and highlighting the tiny bugs flying around. This was the first time I found myself mesmerized by all the lake life there is because we saw an eagle and her baby eaglet sitting so proudly in a tree. Every year we go to the lake we look for new baby eagles and to our surprise, we nearly always find some. I never knew baby eagles are pure black. Over the years, we have found our family going back to the lake for many reasons.
We have spent many birthdays in the Lake Springfield parks, fishing, running, laughing and celebrating another year. Then my memories changed to my teen years where I went to the lake to swing on the swings with my friends and take pictures for all my dances. Our pictures always turn out incredible with the lake and sunlight beaming through the trees. I don’t live too far from the power plant and when you look out my back window of our house at night, you can see it lit up. It really is beautiful at night.
Now I am leaving for college. I am sadly leaving all these things behind. My mom promised to keep taking my sister there too when am gone so she can enjoy all the lake has given me over the years. It is funny how memories between me and my sister who is 9 years younger will be so similar. I would like to hope that when I graduate from medical school that I will work here in our community where I can start my family and make our own new memories on the lake.
Winning Essay by Larson Nestor
“What Lake Springfield Means to Me”
To someone whizzing across the I-55 bridge, Lake Springfield might look like any other lake—but to me, it’s everything. I was born and raised on its shores, and nearly all of my best childhood memories happened on or around that water.
I learned to water ski at just three years old, swallowed up in a life jacket, gripping the rope with all my might. That moment kicked off a lifetime of watersport challenges including wakeboarding, slalom skiing, windsurfing, and even trying a hydrofoil board. Every summer, I added a new skill to my list, spending countless hours improving and then teaching my friends how to kneeboard and ski too.
The lake has also been a classroom to me. I’ve learned about its diverse wildlife—watching blue herons squabble over fishing spots, listening to barred owls call across the channel at night, and being dive-bombed by barn swallows. Once, I accidentally uncovered turtle eggs while building sandcastles on our beach. Another time, I found paper-thin snake eggs. I love watching the white pelicans pass through each year and always hope to catch a glimpse of a bald eagle. On land, we see deer, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and the occasional mink or coyote. My neighbor once even snapped a photo of what we think was a bobcat.
Fishing has been another key part of life on the lake. Taught by my cousin, I’ve caught sunfish, catfish, crappie, smallmouth bass, and bluegill. My proudest catch was a giant catfish that almost pulled me in.
Summer days are for dock lounging, tubing with cousins, and swimming under the stars while music drifts over the water. Fourth of July is a lake-wide celebration with fireworks, food, and neighbors who feel more like family. Every February, at school I promoted the Power Squadron’s Boater Safety Course so others can safely enjoy the lake too. I looked forward to turning 12 just to get my boating license. And each spring, my mom and I help with the Marina’s Lake Clean-up.
Fall transforms the lake into a peaceful, reflective escape. It’s perfect for canoeing and bonfires. I’ve celebrated nearly all of my September birthdays lakeside, with the tradition of going on homemade nature scavenger hunts that taught my friends and me about the native trees, their nuts, pods, and plants. By high school, the parties turned into co-ed boating trips and lakeside bonfires filled with laughter and stories. Many of my friends feel like the lake is their second home because of our numerous backyard campouts throughout the years.
Even in winter, the lake doesn’t sleep. We ice skate across the frozen cove, play hockey, and dare each other to polar plunge. Every season here brings its own kind of magic. Lake Springfield isn’t just where I live—it’s where I’ve grown up, learned about nature, pushed my limits, and made unforgettable memories. It’s taught me to be brave, curious, and deeply connected to the world around me. This lake is part of who I am—and always will be.