Graduation Culminates Intertwining Lives of Lake Forest High School Triplets

Four short years ago, triplets Allie, Caroline, and Parker Stride left the familiarity and comfort of the and began a new chapter of their lives as freshman at .

On Saturday (June 4), donning royal blue caps and gowns, they will participate in the last formal event of their high school careers before embarking on their next journey, college.

Caroline, the Student Council president, will address the Class of 2011.

Having been born as triplets has been a blessing for Allie, Caroline, and Parker. They are not only siblings; they are close friends, which made the transition from the School of St. Mary to Lake Forest High School an easy adjustment.

As they look back at their high school experiences, and forward to the college years ahead of them, they know that the bond that they share has and always will make their lives a little more manageable.

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch sat down with the Stride triplets and their parents, Marianne and Chip, to learn about what life at Lake Forest High School was like when multiplied by three.

Four years ago you left the small, close-knit community of the School of St. Mary and entered the doors of Lake Forest High School. Do you think having each other made the first day of school easier?

Allie - I think it was easier. You always had someone there to start with so even if it was just saying hi to someone in the hallway, you had somebody you knew who was going to be there the whole time.

Caroline – Yes, it helped that we had a lot of friends from St. Mary’s and that we had a group of friends already.

Parker – We also had a lot of friends from sports, football and travel basketball.

Allie – Sports really helped me. We (Caroline and Allie) were both cheerleaders so it was nice to have each other.

The Strides were active in sports throughout their high school years. Parker played football and lacrosse all four years and basketball his freshman and sophomore years. Allie and Caroline were on the cheerleading team together freshman year and the track team, along with their younger sister Martha, their senior year. Caroline was on the softball team her freshman year, ran on the cross country team and was on the track team her sophomore through senior years.

Where you ever in the same class?

Allie – Parker and I had the same freshman year health class. Caroline and I had an English class and calculus class together this year.

Parker – Freshman year our health teacher had the class line up by birth date and then looked at us and said, “Wait, are you twins?” I told her we were triplets. She never even knew that we were siblings until that day!

Caroline – Parker and I had AP U.S. History and AP Biology together.

What was it like to be in the same class? 

Parker – It helped me a lot because I sometimes forgot what to bring home, and it was nice when someone else had the homework.

Caroline – I knew that Parker would sometimes forget to bring the homework sheets home, so I would usually bring two home.

Was there a competition between the three of you for grades?

Allie – I think that they (Caroline and Parker) compete with each other. I don’t compete with sports or academics; I just don’t get involved with it.

Caroline - We keep an eye on each other where the grades are. He tends to edge me out slightly.

Parker - Slightly?

Caroline – It’s fun competition, it’s not like we’re legitimately competing.

Lake Forest High School is known for its many successful students, did you feel pressured to keep up academically?

Allie – I never felt pressure. I did what I could do and accepted that was it.

Parker – I didn’t feel pressure among my peers, usually it was more helpful. People helped more than they put pressure on you. We really helped each other.

Caroline – Freshman year you’re in classes with a lot of different people, but by sophomore and junior year it becomes the same kids who are taking the same types of classes. You become very familiar with each other and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It really becomes more helpful than a negative pressure.

Parker – The three of us helped each other, too.

You share the same group of friends so you socialize with one another on the weekends. Do you keep each other in line?

Parker – Yes, I’d like to say that I keep them in line.

Allie – Parker likes to act like the older brother. He’s very protective.

Caroline – We all look out for each other.

You’re all so active outside of school, what was it like logistically to try to get everyone where they needed to be?

Caroline – We only need one car to go to the same place on weekends.

Allie – Because we share the same group of friends.

Chip – One weekend we had 19 games over one weekend in eighth grade.

Marianne – we divided and conquered! School conference nights were tough, we had to split up. Curriculum nights were the hardest; they were exhausting.

Caroline and Allie, you’re identical, did you ever play any practical jokes on teachers, friends, or family?

Caroline – We always wanted to but it never worked out.

Marianne – They always talked about pretending to be one another on April Fool’s Day, but the day always landed during spring break.

What was it like to see your little sister Martha roaming the school as a freshman?  

Caroline – She did track with Allie and me this year and that was really fun. It was our last year, her first year, so it was the last thing we could do together.

Parker – It was really weird seeing her and her friends because I’ve known them since they were little. We had the same lunch so I saw her a lot. It was good to see her in the hall, and on her birthday my friends and I sang to her in the hallway and she was mortified because we drew attention to her.

Allie – It was great seeing her in the halls and being on track with her.

The college application process is difficult for one person, how did you get through it with three people?

Parker – It wasn’t bad, we didn’t really talk to each other about the applications we filled out.

Allie – I hate to fly so I knew that I wouldn’t go to school more than a six hour drive from home. We toured St. Mary’s in Notre Dame at the end of our sophomore year and I fell in love with it. I knew that’s where I wanted to go.

Caroline – I wanted to get out of the Midwest.  My choice came down to Santa Clara University in California and Boston College. I chose Boston College because I spent last summer in Boston and I loved it.

Chip - We traveled the country looking at schools. One weekend Caroline and I landed in Chicago after visiting California and the next morning we took off for the East Coast.

Parker – I filled out 10 applications at schools all over the country. At the final hour I chose Notre Dame over Vanderbilt because I really liked the Catholic part of the school.

As you say farewell to Lake Forest High School, what do you think you’ll miss the most?

Parker – I’ll miss the teachers, especially my math teacher Mr. Aronson. I’ll also miss the Deans.

Caroline – I’ll also miss my teachers and the Deans, especially Mrs. Clegg.

Allie – The teachers, the small size of the school, and being able to see all of my friends during the day.

What are your fondest memories of Lake Forest High School?

Allie – Senior year on the track team was so great, I’ll really miss it.

Parker – The senior football team. The closeness of the players and winning one of the first playoff games in many years.

Caroline – Being elected as the Student Council president for the school. Parker was the Student Council vice president and Allie was the Student Council freshman advisor.

What will you miss most about home and what, if any, fears do you have about leaving home?

Parker – I’m really going to miss my bed!

Caroline – My friends.

Allie – I am a little nervous about getting used to something new.

Marianne – I don’t think they realize how much they’re going to miss each other.

What advice can you give the Class of 2012 and the incoming Class of 2015?

To the Class of 2012

Caroline – Enjoy it! It’s easy to miss the fun stuff when you’re focused on filling out applications and studying. It goes so fast.

Allie – Get your college applications done early so you can enjoy your senior year.

To the Class of 2015

Parker – Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Caroline – I agree, a lot of people stress about getting one C on a test; don’t stress out over every little detail.

As the Stride triplets prepare to separate for the first time in their lives, they do it with excitement and anticipation.

Parker, who will major in biology and theology, and Allie, who will major in elementary education, will only be a short walk across campuses from each other. They will be able to support one another in person, go to the Notre Dame Football games together, and share rides home during the holidays.

Caroline, who is undecided on a major, will be on her own halfway across the country, but she is looking forward to the adventure and knows that she will never really be alone.

Fortunately, the three have separate move-in dates. Allie and Parker’s move-in dates are one day apart. Allie is first, so she’s relying on Parker to help her with the heavy lifting.

Caroline will move to Boston two weeks later.

The entire family is looking forward to the Notre Dame vs. Boston College football game that will take place just before the Thanksgiving holiday.  “We’ll all be able to attend together,” said Caroline.

In the meantime, the Strides will enjoy the few months of family time before the triplets leave for college.

“I’m not allowing myself to think about it. I want to enjoy them over the summer and not let myself be sad, thank God for Martha,” said Marianne.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have these great kids,” said Chip.