Junior Jackson Ehlen attended Merrill Middle School, a small outdoors-focused school consisting of only 50 students total, and graduated with just eight other students before attending La Salle.
The shift to attending a larger school proved to shape Ehlen into the person and student he is now.
During middle school, Ehlen was “a really quiet kid,” he said, and it wasn’t until high school that he began to branch out socially from his previously small class. It allowed him to be more comfortable with a larger group of people, which he said contributed to his strong drive to leadership and extroverted nature.
His academic life is mainly captured by AP English 3 and Biology, both of which he finds challenging and engaging.
Ehlen’s freshman and sophomore years were spent on the baseball team — a sport he has played for six years. He enjoyed his time playing but found it too stressful to balance all of the extracurriculars he is involved in.
Outside of school activities, Ehlen enjoys mountaineering, often through a club called Post 58, a student-run organization aimed at giving teens a chance to learn outdoor skills at a low cost.
He also works on the leadership committee, as the vice president of a chapter of the club, which he said “oversees 100 to 125 people.” The position entails working beside the president and helping with the operations of the club.
The next step of his Post 58 journey is to hopefully become president, a goal he’s set for himself.
Another aspect of the outdoors Ehlen enjoys is hunting with his dad and grandpa.
Usually, he hunts for ducks, geese, and occasionally pheasants. Aside from spending quality time with his family, he likes that hunting puts something “delicious” and “yummy” on the table, he said.
He enjoys the relaxing atmosphere and the quiet sounds of nature while being outdoors. Additionally, it allows him to build deeper connections with his peers who accompany him.
“Playing guitar and hanging out with friends,” are, according to Ehlen, another essential part of his life. He enjoys playing songs by his favorite artists, which include Zach Bryan, Johnny Cash, the Eagles, and Kanye West.
This love of playing music for his friends has led Ehlen to start voice lessons to add to his musical endeavors.
During his free time, Ehlen enjoys watching TV shows and movies. Some of his all-time favorites are “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Good Will Hunting,” while he is currently watching “Mind Hunter” and “The Office.”
In addition to mountaineering, Ehlen works at a vintage shop in the Sellwood neighborhood called Unique Antique.
Ehlen said he was gifted a strong work ethic from his dad, who “never stops working” and has shown him the benefit of hard work. This strong work ethic has led him to develop goals such as summiting the world’s second tallest mountain, K2.
Another influence on Ehlen’s life is his strong faith.
He did not begin life in a religious environment; however, his time spent at La Salle has allowed Ehlen to grow into his religion and allowed him to “love God,” he said.
Currently, he is in the process of being confirmed and wants to integrate faith and “honor God” in his everyday life.
