Coming to Lakeland High School as a new student in your junior year can be difficult for many new students. Caitlin Eliuk did this, and then later, as a senior, she won homecoming queen.
Eliuk can be recognized for many great accomplishments that not many see. She is a kind and caring person that brings joy to the people she is around.
“I moved to Lakeland the summer after my sophomore year from Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was a very abrupt change, but it was probably the best and most opportunistic experience to move across the country,” Eliuk said.
Switching from not only a new school but an entirely new state is difficult for students. On top of coming to a new place and becoming a strong student, Eluik was also able to build connections with her peers strong enough to win homecoming queen.
Almost every high school girl dreams of becoming homecoming queen at some point, and Eliuk did just that. As she said, it was the most opportunistic move in her life.
Eliuk is not only a star student and homecoming queen, but she is also an athlete. Eliuk plays lacrosse as a club sport, and she played soccer for the high school team this year.
“I have played lacrosse since 6th grade and currently plays for Top Left Nationals, Lilac City Lacrosse, and Spokane Stealth,” Eliuk said.
Playing a challenging sport from sixth grade and now being on multiple club teams shows how resilient Eliuk is as an athlete.
Lacrosse alone is a hard sport that is physically challenging and takes grit. Starting soccer as a senior on top of that is something that shows Eliuk’s athletic abilities.
“I had a lot of fun trying a new sport and being able to make connections with the girls on the team,” Eliuk said.
Karstyn Kiefer is a part of the Lakeland girls’ soccer team and got to play with Eliuk for her first year.
“It was cool to see how cool she was just from playing lacrosse and seeing her grow throughout the season. She was a really good defender and definitely a team player,” Kiefer said.
Due to her experience with lacrosse, Eliuk brought a new power to the soccer team’s defense, according to Kiefer, and was an upbeat and fun player to be around.
Sports and academic achievements represent Eliuk as a student, but who she is outside of Lakeland gives the true light to who she is.
She is interested in many different hobbies and has many close friends that build up her personal life. Wake surfing, hiking, snowboarding, weight lifting, and traveling are some of Eliuk’s favorite hobbies.
Eliuk has made traveling a big part of her life, and it is really important to her.
“My favorite place I’ve traveled to and recommend others to go to is Turks and Caicos,” Eliuk said. An outdoorsy and avid traveler, Eliuk is a person who likes to get out there and see the world.
Eliuk also has goals she wants to work towards and achieve in her future career. She wants to study Biology and go to medical school to one day be a dermatologist.
Family and friends closely surround Eluik in her personal life.
Owen Forsmen, Lakeland’s star football kicker, is also her boyfriend, and Peyton Sterling a star softball player, is her best friend. Her close circle here at Lakeland is a group of remarkable and kind students.
When you walk through the halls of Lakeland, you can see the young woman who won her title as homecoming queen in front of the whole of Rathdrum.
Flash her a smile, spread kindness, and maybe make friends with an interesting and kind soul.
