Freshman Hannah Mollenkopf first heard about La Salle from her parents, and chose La Salle in the end for its variety of academic opportunities, as well as the fact that “I heard [La Salle] had a good softball team,” she said. 

Before La Salle, Mollenkopf attended Happy Valley Middle School. Her transition from a much larger school to a smaller school like La Salle was a challenge at first. “I didn’t know anyone,” she said, but now she said she has found her spot in the La Salle community. 

Her favorite class at La Salle is yoga “because it is stress-relieving,” she said. “Ms. Schuster is really nice.” Next year, she is looking forward to her Intro to Theater Arts class. 

Outside of her classes, Mollenkopf has a passion for playing softball. “It’s fun to be able to play a team sport with everyone,” she said. Mollenkopf began playing softball when she was eight years old, and has taken great pleasure in it since. Right now, she plays catcher for the JV softball team.

Mollenkopf’s family moved to Oregon from California in 2016. She loves to roam around Portland and walk into local shops. 

Mollenkopf’s main activity outside of school is playing softball, but it is not the only thing she participates in. “I like to hang out with my friends,” for example, she said. Mollenkopf’s favorite thing to do with friends is attending concerts. “I’ve been to a Nine Inch Nails concert and it [was one of my favorites].”

Mollenkopf aspires to learn to be a nurse after La Salle. Her motivation for this career path comes from her mother, who is a nurse herself. Yet Until then, Mollenkopf is focusing on staying open to connecting each and every day. “I learned that it’s a lot easier to make friends if you just talk,” she said.