After three years at Dexter McCarty Middle School, sophomore Max Shevtsov chose La Salle over other high schools because of the academic opportunities it provided.
During his time as a Falcon, he founded the Coding Club alongside sophomore Johnny Liebler, saying how it would be fun to “just create games.”
Outside of academics and the Coding Club, Shevstov spends his spare time on the pitch, playing soccer for the Eastside Timbers, a well known Oregon-based soccer club. He said he loves the sport because “it’s something that makes me happy.”
In addition to this, Shevtsov has taken to track and field, where he competes in three events: pole vaulting, triple jump, and long jump.
For pole vaulting, the physical movement of this event stands out. “You get to put the pole in the ground, and then it just flings you up into the air,” he said.
He especially enjoys the movement that the sport allows. “I just get to run as fast as I can and then just jump as far as I can,” he said.
Shevtsov’s favorite classes are Computer Science 2 with Mr. Kyle Voge and Honors English 2 with Mr. Greg Larson. He enjoys computer science since he has the “freedom to do whatever I want,” he said. He also loves his English class because of the way it’s taught and the content of the course, appreciating how it gives him the ability to learn so much about the world.
In the future, Shevtsov hopes to take AP U.S. History and Honors Spanish 3. He said he wants to continue taking Spanish in order to increase his proficiency in the language.
“There’s a lot more people here in America nowadays that speak Spanish,” he said. “I want to be able to communicate with everyone.”
One of the reasons Shevtsov has a personal preference for the Spanish language is because it would help allow him to travel the world, specifically Mexico, although he’d also like to visit Germany to experience its fast highways and history.
Outside of school, Shevtsov’s hobbies include playing chess in his free time, as well as an interest in cars, with his favorite car being the Audi Quattro from the 1980s due to its quick speed and interesting design.
After La Salle, Shevstov does not know where he is going to college, but his goal is to study engineering or mechanics. Specifically, he is looking for a school with good athletics, as he aims to continue his track career in college and beyond. He thinks it will be difficult, but he wants to make a Division I roster.
He also finds inspiration in looking up to the previous seniors who ran before him, such as 2024 graduate Sean Snow.
“He inspired me to be a better runner and just to work harder,” Shevstov said. “I’m someone who strives to be great and [do] my best to complete everything.”
