Sophomore Rui Dunlop said she values her traits of honesty, ambition, and care for others. She feels it is better to be honest and real with people instead of just nice. 

Previously attending Our Lady of the Lake for middle school, Dunlop chose to come to La Salle for its inclusive community and supportive staff.

“I really hated middle school,” Dunlop said. “I was super excited to go to high school to get a fresh start of friends, teachers, and environment.”

She continues to enjoy La Salle’s welcoming community during her sophomore year. This year has been a little different from freshman year, with a larger workload and in-person learning, but she said not much else has changed. 

Because of her interest in learning past events, Dunlop loves history. It has always been a favorite class of hers and that continues to stay true at La Salle. 

“I enjoy having that knowledge just in the back of my head somewhere,” Dunlop said.

Dunlop has been playing basketball since the fourth grade. This year she is on the JV basketball team and is looking forward to the coming season. 

A big part of Dunlop’s life is her love for art. 

“I’ve drawn since I was a kid, and it was kind of just something I’ve always done,” Dunlop said. 

This year, she has been taking Advanced 2D Art as her elective. She has recently gotten into photography after taking pictures on her phone and wanting to take it to the next level. She is more interested in taking pictures of landscapes or inanimate objects rather than portraits. 

After high school, Dunlop wants to go to college. She expressed her desire to get out of Oregon, but will definitely not go as far as the East Coast. At the moment, she does not have a specific college in mind but is thinking of going to school on the West Coast of Canada or to a UC school. 

She intends to pursue a major in criminal psychology or psychology in general. “I’m really interested in human behavior and why people do what they do,” Dunlop said. 

Beyond college, Dunlop thinks a major in psychology could lead her to become a police interrogator.

Whenever Dunlop has free time, she enjoys picking up a book and reading. A book she especially loved was “The Sun Is Also A Star” by Nicola Yoon. Since she does not have much time for reading anymore the most common spot she reads is in her bed. 

Dunlop described her family and their traditions as “an ordinary American family.” They have lived in Oregon for most of her life, though for a short time in her childhood Dunlop lived in Nebraska, where her mother’s family is from. Her memories of Nebraska consist of big family gatherings with lots of food. 

Dunlop does not have any siblings, but she does have a six-year-old dog named Ozzie, who is a mix between a Labrador, Collie, and Golden Retriever. 

Dunlop for the most part likes being an only child. She enjoys having time to herself and not fighting over belongings with anyone. The only negative she sees is when on vacation there is no one to keep her company. 

In her future years at La Salle, Dunlop is not looking for much to change. She likes her small group of friends and the life she has already created in high school. She hopes that the connections she has made will only get stronger.