As part of our Student of the Week feature, one student is profiled for their outstanding academic achievements and involvement at La Salle.

With only half of her senior year left, Kalina Rivera has maintained an impressive 4.0 GPA all throughout high school. In addition to her regular classes, Kalina is currently taking Honors Spanish 4, AP English 4, and AP Biology. During the fall of 2015, she helped to lead the Varsity Volleyball team to get second in state and will continue playing sports this spring on the track team. We talked to Kalina about her schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and schedule. Here are some of the questions we asked her:

What was it like being the December student of the month?

• “It was really nice to be recognized by the school community for all that I have done and accomplished so far this year. I worked hard under the radar and was rewarded. Although being the December VIP was short, I’ll never forget the experience and fun that came from it.”

What outside activities do you do?

• “I play volleyball, create and do workouts, and try out different food places around the Troutdale/Gresham and Portland area outside of school.”

What colleges and majors seem interesting to you?

• “I have applied and been accepted into Pacific University, Oregon State University, and University of Portland. I plan on playing volleyball at Pacific University next year and majoring in either Chemistry or Biology and minor in Spanish. Biochemistry, in particular, would be most important for me to learn in college because I want to become a pharmacist in the future.”

Is it stressful taking Honors/AP classes? If so, how do you manage that stress?

• “Spanish has always come naturally for me, but my two other AP classes are quite challenging especially because I have them back to back. I think the most stressful part about these classes are being tested or writing essays because the teachers are expecting higher/college level work instead of what a non AP/honors student would produce. I’m pretty good about managing my stress for my AP classes by doing work ahead of time. I try to check Schoology often because sometimes a teacher will post a future assignment and I’ll do it right away so that I am able to prioritize my time and not be too stressed.”

What do you do in order to maintain such a high GPA?

• “I check Powerschool a lot to keep track of where I’m at grade wise. Other than that, I work hard in my classes and try to stay as focused as much as I can in gaining a deeper understanding with the the material. Don’t procrastinate. Be progressive about what you are doing.”

How do you balance your schedule?

• “I have a pretty set routine. I wake up, go to school, grab a snack, then do homework as soon as possible. Once homework is done I am free to do whatever I want. My schedule isn’t as hectic as it was last year because I’m not playing club volleyball right now, but I’m sure it will get crazy again once track starts.”

What is your motivation and what advice can you give to people looking for motivation?

• “Look far into the future. Create a long-term goal for yourself then back track. Once you have a path, make small short term goals that you can achieve because once you achieve something all you can do is desire to achieve more. Become the person that you want to be by acting upon your greatest desires.”