Updated: April 5, 2024

Born and raised in Oregon, sophomore Kyra Nguyen is hoping to continue her educational journey in the state she calls home. 

She wants to eventually major in dentistry and go to college somewhere in-state, specifically so she can stay close to family. 

This year, she’s hoping to maintain her relationships with friends while also pursuing academic success. 

Some of the academic success Nguyen is proud of is her decision to take AP Statistics as an elective. “I think at first I was scared because I was going to do it with a couple other people, but they all backed out,” she said. Despite not having any friends in the class she decided to try it out and is doing well in the class.

Along with AP Statistics, Nguyen is currently taking a plethora of advanced classes including Honors English II, Honors Chemistry, and AP Calculus AB.

Out of all of these classes, AP Calculus AB, taught by math teacher Ms. Kathleen Jahn, is one of her favorites because she enjoys math. She finds that it is a subject that she can be academically challenged in while also being successful. 

Despite her rigorous academic schedule, Nguyen still makes sure to prioritize the athletic aspect of her life.

She is on both the JV tennis team and swim team where she works hard to thrive as an athlete. Nguyen admires the inclusivity of her tennis team. “I like how social it is,” she said. She describes her teammates as “welcoming,” she said.

Nguyen has also found accomplishment on the swim team where she made it to finals. 

Nguyen maintains a busy schedule and she partially credits her ability in finding balance to her two older brothers. “They’re smart,” she says. “I want to be like them.” 

She looks up to her brothers and aspires to develop some of their positive qualities. “They’re academically driven,” she said. “They know how to balance life and school; I kind of like that,” she said.

At first, Nguyen wasn’t sure about attending La Salle as she was sad to leave her old friends from middle school behind. However, she ended up being grateful that the decision was made. Ultimately, she’s satisfied with the spot that she’s at right now. “I really like it here,” she stated. “I’m doing so well.”

Correction: April 5, 2024

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Nguyen has two brothers, when she has three.