Senior Daniel Rodriguez’s journey at La Salle had started with many challenges, considering “coming off of Covid, my whole freshman year was online,” he said. “Coming back sophomore year was a big struggle for me.”

However, after moving past the rocky start that the COVID-19 pandemic caused so many of the class of 2024 to experience, Rodriguez still holds high praises for his high school experience so far. “I’ve kind of just been building my way back up from that,” he said. “There have been ups and downs definitely, but I think overall La Salle has helped me get past the whole COVID-19 thing better than other schools would have.”

Although in previous years Rodriguez wasn’t necessarily a fan of his Spanish courses, his favorite class so far this year is AP Spanish V. “I like that we get to actually put in a lot of the elements we learned from Spanish I, all the way up, and actually apply stuff we learned and you know, talk with people,” he said.

Rodriguez additionally has been a part of La Salle‘s football team since his freshman year. 

Rodriguez is specifically fond of the bonds formed through the team. “I like the camaraderie, honestly,” he said. “To be fair, if it weren’t for the team, probably after my freshman year I would have quit.”

For Rodriguez, the entire community surrounding football plays a significant role in his motivation and love for the sport and team. “The student section is great,” he said.

Moreover, Rodriguez’s fondest memory in high school was the team’s first win since La Salle’s previous football coach had left.

“I think it was last year, we got our first win after a year of not winning,” he said. “That was a cool moment because we kind of built the whole thing back up. I think this year is going to be a good year for us.”

Additionally, Rodriguez highly values the bonds and strong friendships that he has made through school and sports and hopes to carry them out past his high school career. “I think it’s important to have connections with other people in different places,” he said.

Rodriguez’s biggest aspirations revolve around succeeding in his higher education, which sprouts from the fact that he is a first-generation American. “I would be the first person to get a degree in America,” he said.

Rodriguez has a very close relationship with his culture, background, and family, moving here from Cuba at the age of five. “Being Hispanic, we have very deep family values,” he said. Therefore staying near his family is a priority for the future.

When it comes to specific plans for college, Rodriguez aims to study civil engineering, and is currently planning to apply in-state to Oregon State University, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon.