Alumni Spotlight: The Lachowecki Family

from Memorial Memories Magazine — Fall/Winter 2022

Photo Feature: Tiger Athletics

Ever since Gracie (Lachowecki) Wedding attended her first Memorial Girls Soccer Camp as a first-grade student, she couldn’t wait to be a Tiger.

“My experience at Memorial was even better than what my little first-grade self imagined it would be like,” says Gracie. “Memorial felt like home from day one, and it was so special to go to school where my dad attended and meet so many people who knew our family already.”

The Lachowecki Family has been part of the Reitz Memorial High School community since AJ Lachowecki attended the institution from 1977 to 1980. They credit the school with preparing them for a life of excellence “on and off the field.”

“Memorial has always been a great community for our family,” says AJ. “The school has great teachers, mentors, and coaches who helped to make sure we could achieve as much as we wanted and stay humble and grateful. Along the way, we were lucky enough to have a lot of success with some great teammates.”

Whether playing, cheering, or generally supporting, the Lachowecki family has always loved soccer, and soccer was part of what originally drew AJ and Kay Lachowecki together.

“We met at the University of Evansville in the library,” says Kay. “AJ was playing soccer for UE, and I really enjoyed soccer and going to the games. Soccer has been a great thing for our kids, and I loved being involved as a parent. They naturally gravitated towards it and excelled.”

Max Lachowecki attended Memorial from 2007 to 2011 and recently moved from St. Petersburg, Fla., to Dallas, Texas, to work in marketing for Monster Energy. He credits Memorial with his work ethic and found his years there particularly meaningful because of the support he received.

“Not everyone has the same high school experience, but I believe Memorial is a place where you can feel encouraged at every step,” says Max. “I always felt like I was free to do and try anything there because I had friends, classmates, and faculty who were as supportive of my aspirations as I was of theirs.”

Gracie attended Memorial from 2009 to 2013 and now lives in Louisville, Ky., with her husband, fellow Memorial alum Logan Wedding. She worked as a nurse for several years at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and recently started working at her brother-in-law’s orthodontic practice in Owensboro.

During her years at Memorial, Gracie shares that she grew in the areas most important to her — faith, education, and soccer — and that Coach Lensing continues to support her in every facet of her life.

“Memorial has high aspirations for students in the classroom, in the community, and on the field,” says Gracie. “Memorial provides an environment for students to learn and excel while also challenging you to get better. After graduating, I was prepared to work hard and knew I had the tools to succeed in the workforce.”

AJ and Kay are grateful that they returned to Evansville and found professional work there after AJ’s soccer career. Kay worked in advertising at the Evansville Courier, and AJ worked for Mead Johnson.

They believe that Evansville is a wonderful place to raise a family and that the Memorial experience shaped their family into who they are today.

“Memorial has always been a special place to me, but watching Max and Gracie enjoy their experience there brought back some great memories,” says AJ. “We all feel like part of a family, and we met our best friends through Memorial. It has always been a great community.”