For junior Alex Thekkedom, school work has served as an escape through some of the tougher parts of his childhood.

“I guess I’ve just been through some tough times and I feel like considering the circumstances, I’ve been able to persevere and even use [school] almost as like my solace to help me get through some of those difficult times,” he said.

When he’s not studying, Thekkedom enjoys participating in recreational activities. “I also enjoy baseball,” he said. 

After high school, Thekkedom says he is still weighing options on what to do. “As of right now, I am trying to decide whether or not I want to stay in-state,” he said. If he does decide to attend a college outside of Oregon, he would like to attend school in California and said that he particularly enjoys San Francisco. “I just really liked the environment,” he said.

One of the people Thekkedom believes he can learn important lessons from is his grandfather. “I’ve always really admired my grandpa on my mom’s side,” he said. “He’s one of the most kind, understanding, and wise people that I know and I think I just have a lot that I can learn from him,” he said.

Growing up, Thekkedom has been engulfed in multiple different cultures. His dad’s side of the family for instance is originally from Kerala, India, but moved here in 1977. Thekkedom feels that this “is pretty cool because it’s the year the Blazers won the championship,” he said, and he is a “pretty big Blazer fan.”

Even though Thekkedom does not participate in any sports at La Salle, he said that basketball has played a large role in his childhood. “I kind of grew up watching and playing basketball since I was five years old up until freshman year,” he said. “It’s always been a big thing in my family and with my friends so it’s been a pretty big influence on my life and who I am.”

As he looks towards the future, Thekkedom looks to continue his academic success for the rest of high school and is “really excited to travel and just be independent,” he said.