Senior Harris Nguyen has started his final year at La Salle on a new foot, taking on the role of Officer of Faith while also juggling a varsity tennis career and preparing for college.

During his middle school years, Nguyen attended Christ the King. He came to La Salle due to its close proximity, and the fact that “all three of my brothers went here and they all graduated from La Salle,” he said. 

At La Salle, Nguyen feels that “being a person of color in our school, it just plays a major role that I have a voice for our people,” Nguyen said. He is hoping to use his voice to create a more welcoming community at the school.

Even though Nguyen is new to the role of Officer of Faith, he has not taken the position lightly and is actively trying to make the school a better place for learning. He feels that “being a senior and now being the Officer of Faith, I get the opportunity to talk to more people,” Nguyen said. “I would like to really reach out and really use my voice for people who can’t.”

Nguyen’s favorite class is Spanish IV with Spanish teacher Ms. Lisa Moran. He feels that the class “is not stressful and it gives me the opportunity to really learn to speak,” he said.

This year, he has “a heavy workload,” with taking on Officer of Faith while also applying to colleges, but he still feels that “even though we have this big workload, we still have teachers and staff that are willing to work around it,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen has played on the varsity tennis team throughout all four of his years at La Salle. He feels that sporting events are a way to gather people together, which is one of the reasons why he enjoys playing and supporting his school in its athletic endeavors.

This year he is looking forward to his last tennis season and graduation. He is happy to “be able to graduate with all my friends that I’ve had throughout freshman year,” Nguyen said. 

Looking towards next year, he is applying to the University of Portland, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon. He is hoping to pursue mechanical engineering, but is also interested in becoming a car mechanic or a firefighter.