Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and recently graduated from All Saints School, freshman Parker Lasher joined La Salle with an open mind, and is enjoying the sense of community.
One of the biggest pivots in Lasher’s life was switching from public to private schools back in middle school, when he transferred to All Saints. However, despite the shift in environment, Lasher believes it was the right decision for him.
“I’ve made strong friendships along the way,” he said.
When Lasher arrived at La Salle, one of the first things he noticed was the strong sense of community, with one major point of interest for Lasher being the connection between teachers and students.
“I noticed in the Open House, all the teachers — they knew the students’ names,” Lasher said.
Since his first day of school, Lasher could tell he would like La Salle. The mock first day — which freshmen experienced to get acclimated to La Salle — assisted Lasher with familiarizing himself with the school campus.
For Lasher, math has always been his strongest subject, with it being his favorite alongside physics. Both subjects, especially math, revolve around a sense of logic that Lasher enjoys applying. “The principles of math are based on rules — stuff that just makes sense to me,” he said.
Motivated by his love for mathematics, Lasher is considering engineering as a potential career choice. After he graduates from La Salle, he aims to attend the University of Oregon to pursue his interests there.
Lasher also enjoys studying history. “I like learning about how past events have affected how the world is today,” he said.
Lasher is an athlete, participating in cross country and track, which he does in the spring. Alongside that, he has also practiced taekwondo for five years.
“Cross country and track [are] just appealing to me,” Lasher said.
Lasher’s future career and work life is a crucial part of what motivates him to succeed. As Lasher progresses through his time at high school, he works hard to achieve both a high GPA and also hopes to excel in his favorite sports, track and cross country, and intends to make varsity. Lasher said he works hard due to his desire for those achievements and because he values his education.
Lasher’s goals extend outside of his focus on his academics. He wants to be as well-rounded of a person as he can be, and that includes extending his social circle. Lasher enjoys hanging out with his friends, particularly at lunch.
“That’s where I can talk to people and talk about my day so far,” he said.
When Lasher is not busy with homework, he enjoys watching TV. His current favorite programs to watch are basketball and football or the Netflix series “Outer Banks,” which he particularly likes because “it keeps me on the edge of my seat,” he said.
In the coming years, Lasher intends to join the Introduction to Design Thinking and Tools class taught by Director of STEAM, Ms. Carrie Coleman, and currently is a member of the Maker’s Club.
Looking ahead, he hopes to continue pushing himself in all aspects; academically, socially, and athletically.
“I want to challenge myself,” he said.
