Before attending La Salle, senior Michael Doran spent nine years at Christ the King Catholic School. The decision to attend La Salle was influenced by his dad teaching here, his familiarity with the school, and his relationship with the teachers he had known for the previous 10 years. He discovered a sense of community and has explored several new hobbies during his time so far at the school.
Joining his freshman year, Doran quickly developed a passion for Speech and Debate — a team led by Head Coach Mr. Mike Doran. “I showed up at the first practice freshman year and just loved the activity,” he said.
Doran enjoys the community and the relationships he has built with team members throughout the years.
Doran’s favorite memory of his time in Speech and Debate was his experience last year at the tournament at Clackamas High School, where he placed second in Informative Speaking and third in Radio Commentary. He aims to reach the final round this year.
He looks up to his dad because of the confident leadership he demonstrates. Doran appreciates his dad’s ability to quietly navigate difficulties in the classroom and especially how he stays collected.
Along with Speech and Debate, Doran is also a member of the school’s cross country team. He finds great enjoyment in running, and this past summer, he ran 20 to 30 miles a week. Coming close to state, and getting selected as one of the members to attend the Boise regional meet, Doran reflects that he “had a great season,” he said, and “saw lots of improvement throughout his times.”
Doran’s favorite class is Advanced Guitar taught by Choir & Guitar Teacher Mr. Otto Wild. Despite originally taking the course to earn a fine art credit, his love for guitar blossomed from there.
“I kept on coming back,” he said. “I just like the nature of the class with how simple it is, and Mr. Wild is a great teacher.”
Outside of academics and extracurricular activities, Doran has been a dedicated Boy Scout of America for seven years.
One of Doran’s favorite memories from being a part of the program was when he traveled to West Virginia for the National Jamboree in the summer of 2023. The event brought together a collection of more than 15,000 scouts, volunteers, and members of the local community.
Reminiscing on this event, Doran hopes to return as a leader in his adulthood.
Oaks Park has been a very significant place in Doran’s life and has inspired his interest in the amusement parks. Aiming to go at least once a year, he appreciates Oaks Park for introducing him to his long-time passion: roller coasters.
While he finds challenges in locating roller coasters around the Pacific Northwest, he continues to plan trips over the summer to explore new amusement parks. “I try to ride as many coasters as I can,” he said.
In the future, Doran hopes to pursue a career as an airplane pilot. Hoping to embrace the full college experience, Doran is leaning toward attending college for four years and then continuing to flight school afterward.
For his last several months at La Salle, Doran’s two goals are, first, to keep up his performance in his classes, and, second, to remain supportive and helpful toward others whether it is through sports, encouraging teammates, or in the classroom.
Looking back at his time at La Salle, Doran has learned two main lessons: be confident in yourself and try new things.
“If you would have told me back in freshman year that I would be here right now, going to sports games besides football, going to dances and willingly wanting to participate in pep assemblies and whatnot, I would not have believed you,” he said.
