Freshman Mateo Madrigal is resolute, easy-going, and has aspiring goals for his future. “My motivation [is] to just do good in life,” he said.

Madrigal’s passion to achieve began with his choice of high school. His decision to attend La Salle after graduating from Portland Christian was straightforward, supported by the wide variety of sports at La Salle, the academics offered, and the fact that his sister is a La Salle alumni. 

Coming to La Salle, Madrigal found himself intrigued by many things the school offered, especially the theater and robotics programs. He views theater as not only a fun experience, but also a great place to hang out and make connections. “I was in the play for Alice in Wonderland, and [now] I’m doing Mamma Mia,” he said.

Madrigal has also competed in competitions with the robotics team, which was an engaging experience for him. “They haven’t been meeting recently because the actual competitions aren’t happening anymore,” he said. “But [I am in] the robotics club, [which is] a ton of fun.”

Athletics were a driving factor in his choice to attend La Salle and he appreciates the ability to do multiple sports. “Over the winter, I did swimming, and in the fall, I did cross country and soccer,” Madrigal said.

His transition to high school has been relatively smooth, “It feels kind of more like ninth grade than freshman year if you know what I mean. It just feels like I moved up a grade,” he said.

Madrigal’s most cherished classes currently are Mrs. Gantt’s Spanish 1 class and Mr. Donnelly’s Concert Band class. They’re actually my two electives, but I just enjoy learning extra leverage. I think it’s cool. And band — was fun to get to play with fun, funky instruments,” he said.

Mr. Swanson’s Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry class has been one of Madrigal’s most challenging courses so far. “Even though his class was hard, he’s really nice to us,” he said. “It’s tricky, but Mr. Swanson makes it easier.”

Madrigal has many ambitions for his future, including his plans to study computer engineering in college. “I want to go to OSU because they have a good engineering program,” says Madrigal. He is also open to the possibility of being a shareholder investor in stocks.

Overall, Madrigal wants to establish a solid foundation for himself, beginning at La Salle. “I don’t want to come out of college and just get a crummy job and then just never move up,” he said. “I want to come out of college and get a solid job.”

In everything he does, Madrigal lives by a motto he made himself: “Have pride in what you do, because if you can’t be proud of your actions, then you have no right making them.”