Freshman Akil Pinney came to La Salle not just because of his family connections to the school, but for the education that it offers.
Coming from a public school, Pinney found the workload at La Salle tougher than expected. However, he’s adjusting to managing his time more efficiently.
He said that his Learning How to Learn class, taught by Science Department Chair Mr. Matthew Owen, helps him find effective ways to stay focused.
Pinney described his mindset towards academic challenges, but also in life as “I can always get there if I just take the first step.”
After Pinney adapted to the higher workload from the first semester, he has taken a bigger part in theater, including some smaller roles in plays such as “Lost Girl.”
One of Pinney’s favorite memories so far is going to Denny’s after every performance. When he goes, he often orders pancakes, though he and his friends usually end up talking more than eating, something he doesn’t regret at all.
Pinney likes to keep life busy with volleyball practice, theater, and voice lessons, which has made time management a challenge. However, he said he’s improved since his first semester.
Pinney has always had a passion for theater, and one of his goals when he becomes a senior is to land a lead role in a play.
“It relieves me from all the stress [of the day],” he said. Theater also allows him to take a step back from schoolwork that might be giving him a hard time. Pinney finds theater to be one of his safe places.
Though Pinney pours a lot of time and passion into his love for theater, he’s still determined to achieve academic success. “I have some goals to get into a lot of honors classes,” Pinney said, looking ahead to next year.
Having been at La Salle for a while now, he considers math teacher Ms. Sue Pinto to be his favorite. “She really helps me because I am more of a visual learner,” he said. He met many of his friends in her class.
When it comes to studying, Pinney is the type of person who enjoys getting comfy, whether that’s sitting by the fire or in a bean bag. “I love having my dog next to me [when studying],” he said.
In his free time, Pinney loves making cakes from scratch. One of his favorite things to do when he bakes cakes is to just look into his pantry to see what he can make a cake out of.
“One of my favorite things about it is how mine never came out perfect,” he said.
