Lakeside High School: Kaleb Gorr found his path out of darknes on the football field
It may be a stretch to say that Lakeside High School senior Kaleb Gorr has come back from the brink to successfully complete an up-and-down four years, but it’s probably not much of an exaggeration.
Along with the academic lessons that Gorr has learned during his time at Lakeside, in the Plummer-Worley School District, he has learned something even more essential – how important it is to communicate his feelings to family, peers, and everyone else who cares about him.
The path to that realization has been a crooked one, including both mental and physical health issues and even hospital visits for treatment of those issues.
“My first two years of high school weren’t the best,” Gorr said. “I isolated myself and was depressed. I was struggling with stuff at home, and I bottled up my emotions. When COVID hit and we were sent home from school, it got worse. I had already not been going to school regularly, and I wasn’t talking with anyone about how I was feeling.
“It took getting really sick for me to open my eyes and to realize how much my peers care about me and love me. I had been mad at my family, but I finally realized that everything they did for me was out of love. The summer after my sophomore year, I figured out that I have a lot to live for. It started with things like getting up every day, making my bed, and doing what I have to do.”
A big part of the process for Gorr was when he joined the Lakeside football team during summer camp after his sophomore year. He had played briefly in middle school, and Lakeside coaches had urged him – unsuccessfully – to turn out.
“I finally pulled my head out,” he said, “and said yes because I wanted to fit in, do what my friends were doing, and to make my family proud of me. It has probably been the most fun I’ve ever had. It’s been a good escape from my anger and other problems.”
Neither of Gorr’s biological parents is in his life. Instead, he has been raised by his grandmother, and says that he couldn’t ask for a better family. He also credits his counselor, Jaclynn Watson, for pushing him to do his best and being there for him during the past two years.
The appreciation, and praise, are mutual.
“Kaleb has not had a typical high school experience,” Watson said. “Last year was truly the start of his high school career academically as he leaned on football to push through. During his junior year he passed all his classes and was awarded Student of the Month. Going into this year, he had to pass all his courses with an additional eight credits, and he did it!
“Kaleb is a natural leader among his peers. He draws a crowd wherever he goes due to his friendly, outgoing personality. He is the type of student who will greet and befriend any student in the school. His willingness to be open to his peers about his own mental health battles has truly saved lives. He is a gift given to us to truly change lives of others.”
Gorr knows that depression does not magically disappear, and he is alert to signs of its return. Graduation will be an emotional experience for him, and he says he will miss Lakeside and the connections he has built. It is the place where he learned the importance of finding the people who show him love and support, and that’s a life lesson he hopes to never forget.