Going into ninth grade, freshman Isabella Montecucco had some big expectations. Luckily, her experience so far has, “definitely passed them,” she said.

“There’s a lot more opportunities and a lot more things to do in high school than what it was in [my] previous school,” she said.

Coming from a relatively small school, Montecucco has recognized the value of the new opportunities to make connections which La Salle has provided her. “[La Salle] has really helped me develop my social skills and make a lot of new friends,” said Montecucco.

For Montecucco, part of taking advantage of these opportunities includes growing as a person. “I think I’ve had a lot of problems with procrastinating and so I’d like to kind of get out of that habit,” Montecucco said.

Although — like most people — Montecucco wants to achieve straight A’s, her motivations are more unique. Montecucco places a lot of value on learning itself: “the more knowledge you have, the more power you have,” Montecucco said. 

Montecucco loves the feeling of applying learned material to practical situations. “I like it when I learn something and then I use it in my everyday life,” Montecucco said. Not only does she find satisfaction in applying her knowledge, but also enjoys the learning process itself. “I like it when it just clicks in your mind,” Montecucco said. 

Montecucco anticipates that she will be a lifelong learner, “Oh yeah, I’m gonna learn till I die,” she said. Because of this, Montecucco considers herself to be mostly self motivated.

This philosophy of hers is not just limited to academics, it also applies to the rest of her ambitions. “I really do want to get a steady paying job, a good amount of money, but also, I want to do something that I really enjoy,” Montecucco said.

When it comes to hobbies, Montecucco enjoys a variety of things. In her free time, Montecucco likes to cook, and plays softball and volleyball. “[Volleyball] gives me a chance to be with my friends and develop better bonds with them,” Montecucco said.

Montecucco considers one of her biggest strengths to be her ability to help those around her. “I’m very good at helping people academically,” Montecucco said. Her desire to help others extends beyond academics as she has taken an interest in charity work. “I like volunteering at food banks and stuff like that,” Montecucco said. “It feels good in my heart.”