One final year for Lakewood Ranch Prep seniors to chase their dreams

Shaun Ulstad, 16, a senior at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, once lived in low income housing with his three siblings. Education was not a priority.

“We'd be all alone in the house,” Ulstad said. “School was not a thing. It didn't really exist.”

Ulstad spent three years in foster care before being adopted with his older siblings (Lara, Justin and Marco) by his grandparents, Cheryl and Gary Ulstad, who gave him and his siblings a new perspective on education. Cheryl and Gary Ulstad moved from Connecticut to Florida in 2019, in time for Shaun Ulstad to begin his sixth grade year at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School.

“With this new opportunity, my view completely changed,” Shaun Ulstad said. “Getting a fundamental education became important to me as I realized that I would need this knowledge if I wanted a better future in contrast to the unfortunate situation I was born into.”

As the School District of Manatee County began the new school year Aug. 11, seniors throughout the district were looking forward to completing their high school education, so they could pursue their dreams at the next level.

From Mona Jain Middle, Ulstad moved to Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy when it opened in 2022 after a recommendation from his friend Andrew Cordani, 17, who also is a current senior at the school.

Both Ulstad and Cordani are high achieving students who take rigorous courses, work part time jobs and play sports. Aside from being friends, they have an important thing in common. They want to pursue computer science with the goal of doing so at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Cordani visited MIT March 17, exploring the campus and programs there. He said MIT is not just about the prestige, but about the resources and opportunities it provides for students.

“I want to do something for my life,” Cordani said. “I know if I master technology, that I'll be able to contribute to the world in a way that's meaningful.” 

Ulstad said he has been fascinated with technology for as long as he can remember. At 10 years old, he was introduced to an MIT program called Scratch Online, which allows users to create and share interactive stories, games and animations.

“I played my own game, and I absolutely loved doing that,” Ulstad said. “That's when I was like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’” 

Ulstad doesn’t know exactly which area of computer science he wants to pursue, but is open to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software engineering and software development. 

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He said that with the emergence of artificial intelligence, an MIT degree could be his ticket into that world.

Cordani is not trying to think too far ahead in terms of his steps after high school. He said it is important for him to take it day by day, because every day has its challenges. He plays varsity soccer and baseball as a way to get his mind off of school and get fresh air.

“I want to be a leader for my younger teammates in both baseball and soccer this year, leading by example by playing my best, and motivating them to play their best, too.”

Cordani said time management plays a vital role in being a successful student. He said it has been tough to make it to practices and games on time because he would often stay up for hours to finish assignments or study for important exams.

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“We're much more adapted to the lifestyle now and we can handle the classes pretty well,” Cordani said of himself and Ulstad. “This year is not going to be any easier, but we know what to do and we know how to deal with all the classes at once.” 

Cordani said something as simple as using a planner will be a tremendous help to any student trying to balance academics, extracurricular activities and work schedules. 

Although her grandson enjoys video games, Cheryl Ulstad said Shaun always has been goal driven and didn’t need any advice to get his homework done. 

“There were many times where his older brothers might want to go and play a video game or something, but he knew he had to get his work done for school,” Cheryl Ulstad said. “He would sit there for hours while they were playing games and he would just (study) without us even saying anything to him.” 

“Most teenagers, they cause trouble, not these two boys,” Cheryl Ulstad said. "They're very well spoken and they have great manners and they're good friends.” 

“I’ve tried my best with everything and I achieved a lot," Shaun Ulstad said. "I'm going to achieve a lot.”