SUSAN STODDARD SERVICE AWARD

Balsamides, Class of 1980, earned the Susan Stoddard Service Award following his many years of commitment to giving back to the Lakeside community. In 1977, he landed a job at the Chick-fil-A in North DeKalb Mall, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. What he thought was just a high school job became an integral part of his life. He learned what it meant to not only serve the perfect chicken sandwich, but also what it meant to serve your community.Through countless interactions with customers and classmates, Balsamides developed invaluable skills in leadership and teamwork that became cornerstones for the rest of his life. After graduating from Lakeside in 1980, he pursued a degree in finance at Georgia State University all while continuing his work at Chick-fil-A.In 1984, he traveled to Racine, Wis. where he ran the only Chick-fil-A in the state—and more importantly, where he met his wife, Mary. In 1987, the two returned to Snellville, Ga. where Balsamides became a Chick-fil-A operator, emerging as one of the first operators of a freestanding store.Together, he and Mary raised three wonderful children, instilling in them the same values of dedication, service, and community that shaped Balsamides’ own life. He views each chapter of his life as a testament to the importance of hard work, resilience, and community—along with the occasional craving for a chicken sandwich.

Spratte, Class of 1983, is a proud Lakeside graduate whose connection to the school has spanned athletics, service, and community leadership, earning him the Susan Stoddard Service Award. A four-sport letterman, he also served as captain of the golf team his senior year, experiences that helped shape his lifelong commitment to teamwork and leadership.After graduating from Lakeside, Spratte returned to the community where he grew up as the Operator of the Northlake Chick-fil-A with the mission of making a difference in the community where he lives and serves. Through that role, he has been able to give back to the Lakeside community in meaningful ways – supporting athletics, sponsoring a student Leadership Academy, and investing in education through scholarships.To date, Spratte and his organization have awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to over 200 team members, many of whom are Lakeside graduates, with an additional 30 scholarships to be awarded this year. Spratte also served on Lakeside’s Advisory Council as the school’s community partner, continuing his commitment to supporting students and strengthening the connection between the school and the community.Professionally, he serves as Chair of the Tucker Northlake Community Improvement District, where he works to ensure the long-term vitality of the community’s commercial district. He also serves on the board of a local community bank, further reflecting his commitment to strengthening the community he proudly calls home.

Dr. Stoddard grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended Ballard High School. As a Bruin, she was a standout athlete on the hardwood, playing all four years on the varsity basketball team. She set the school’s single-game scoring record with 44 points, all before 3-point shots, eventually reaching the milestone of 1,000 career points. In 2017, she was inducted into the Ballard High School Athletics Hall of Fame in its Inaugural Class.Stoddard received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Florida where she played point guard and earned a B.A. in Education. For 18 years, she served as a special education teacher and coached a variety of sports, being recognized as both "Teacher of the Year" and "Coach of the Year".She then moved into school administration for 12 years while earning a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2020, she entered DeKalb County to serve as principal of the Lakeside High School Vikings and was recognized as "Principal of the Year" for DeKalb County in 2025.However, the measure of success she values most is watching the students, who thought they’d never graduate, cross the stage, or experiencing how Lakeside embodies their collective and powerful mantra “No Viking Walks Alone”. Her contributions to Lakeside will now be reflected with the annual "Susan Stoddard Service Award", given to those who help strengthen the school and community.