Junior Miles Timberlake was born in Mesa, Arizona and raised in Gold Canyon, Arizona. After moving to Portland, he attended Duniway Elementary and later, Sellwood Middle School. 

Timberlake came to La Salle with a tight-knit group of friends, but now, he’s one of the few still enrolled from that original circle.

Among his classes, French stands out as a favorite, which he enjoys for both the engaging atmosphere and the beauty of the language. “It’s an absolutely fantastic curriculum,” he said. “The teacher is amazing as well as the classmates.”

Timberlake also has a strong appreciation for his parents, especially when it comes to supporting his passion for theater.

“I couldn’t have done theater if it wasn’t for my parents,” he said. “They signed the permission slips, gave me the green light, and took time out of their day to pick me up after school.”

One of his favorite recent experiences was traveling through Europe with his family over the summer. 

“We went to all these different countries — like France, the UK, Ireland,” he said. “It was great to connect with my parents and my family.” 

The trip wasn’t just a vacation — it marked a turning point for him personally.

“That entire experience, I think, really had this transformation of me, because sophomore year, I was still leaning towards my freshman awkwardness,” he said. “But by the time I was back from my trip, I discovered so much about myself, and I guess it built up a lot of confidence. 

Timberlake enjoys the theater program because he believes the community there is strong. “Ever since I started in freshman year, my first performance with “Puffs,” it was just such a changing experience,” he said.

When Timberlake first joined the theater program, his relationships with fellow cast members were more professional than personal. “At first, we were colleagues, if that makes sense,” he said. “[It was] just sort of like, ‘okay, you’re working on the same subjects. You’re doing the same thing that you’re assigned to, and then once there was free time within those spaces, it allowed me to connect with them.”

Looking ahead, Timberlake sees himself studying international relations, foreign affairs, or politics. In 10 years he envisions himself working in a state department as an ambassador or diplomat. Dreaming big, Timberlake would like to be president of the United States. “If we were to push even beyond that into my 30s, maybe even being president of the United States,” he said.

Because Timberlake was color blind he was not able to pursue his dream job of becoming a pilot. “So my higher goal of wanting to be a pilot, since when I was really young, back in elementary school, came to a sudden stop,” he said.

Though aviation was no longer an option, Timberlake’s interest in politics has remained strong. This past summer, a trip to London gave him a unique opportunity to be around people involved with politics, deepening his passion for it. 

Timberlake believes that many people in the United States are not living the American Dream. “There’s people who are not having that experience of safety and security and having that sort of economic stability,” he said.

While Timberlake appreciates life in the U.S., he is also drawn to the U.K., especially London. “I love the English countryside — basically all those places,” he said. “I think the UK would be a place I’d go outside of U.S..” 

Timberlake believes the city is the best place to see innovation, technology, education, and people. He said he was able to experience a lot of communication and culture in the city.