When asked about her favorite color or cuisine, freshman Sofia Hartner will likely give the same answer.
“Everything,” she said.
Despite the consistency in her taste, Hartner enjoys change.
“I like being a lot of different things,” she said. “We [don’t] have … time just to be one thing. You should try everything, you know? Why not?”
It’s an approach to life learned early on.
Born in Hawaii to a Canadian father who owned a handful of restaurants, Hartner lived on Waikiki Island before moving to Gresham, Oregon, where her father ran Billy Bob’s, a pizza restaurant that seated over 200 people. The family lived directly above the restaurant.
Between the ages of four and six, Sofia became an unofficial part of the operation. “Helping [her] dad out with the restaurant” remains one of her favorite childhood memories, she said. “I used to just go around taking people’s orders — or pretending to, at least.”
Her father doesn’t own restaurants anymore, but regardless, food remains central in their family. She carries the recipes he taught her between houses, helping to cook dinner using his techniques.
“My dad was always a big food guy,” she said. Sharing his enthusiasm, she particularly enjoys his tacos, loaded with whatever either of them can find in the refrigerator. “I’ll eat anything that’s put in front of me,” Hartner said.
For Hartner, “food’s been a big part of my life,” she said. “It’s always been made; it’s always been shared; it’s always been traded around in my family.”
Along with food, music also plays an important role in Hartner’s home, noting that “there was always some type of instrument in our house, always in the corner.” Specifically, a family piano — an instrument no one in the household plays. Hartner says that its purpose is not for anyone specifically, but instead for “Whenever guests come over, they could just slam their fingers on the keyboard,” she said. “You don’t have to know how to play to have fun.”
As a young child, she bought a five-dollar guitar from Goodwill — dilapidated, untuned, and with only three strings.
Rather than replacing the missing strings, Hartner adapted.
“I never knew how to replace the strings,” she said, “so I would try to learn how to play songs with three strings,” she said. She played on those broken strings “since I could remember,” but, eventually, her father took her to a guitar store for an upgrade.
“Now that I actually have a guitar, I’m actually like, ‘Okay, I’ll try and learn some songs,’” she said. Her current favorite song is “To All of You” by Syd Matters, particularly enjoying indie rock as a genre.
Another creative outlet Hartner pulls from is drawing, though La Salle’s new iPads have created challenges. Typically, she draws during lectures as a way to help her focus, but unfortunately, the school-issued devices don’t allow for certain apps. Hartner has had to draw using the pencil feature that pops up when you take a screenshot.
Director of STEAM Ms. Carie Coleman has become an advocate for her in this department, attempting to help her access art applications by talking to IT and offering her room, the IDC, as available for her to use. “She stands up for me,” she said. “She’s really determined to help.”
For Hartner, “drawing is really helpful for me,” she said. “If I’m drawing, I’ll take in more info.”
This creative foundation has helped Hartner navigate her transition from Christ the King to La Salle. The larger class sizes represent “a big change for sure,” she said, but she describes La Salle as a “very accepting community.”
Hartner’s favorite class so far is math — specifically Algebra 1 — taught by math teacher Ms. Heather Quinter, who also happens to be her favorite teacher. “She just helps me when I need it,” she said. “She gets me. It’s nice seeing a teacher [who] actually somewhat understands you.”
Beyond academics, Hartner has maintained an eight-year commitment to volleyball. For her, the sport centers on connection rather than competition.
“The communication you have with your teammates after you score an ace or a point,” she said. “It’s just fun to laugh with everyone, being able to say ‘good job!’ or ‘you got this!’”
The satisfaction extends beyond the game itself. “Just being able to work on a team, it feels good when you get home and you finally take a shower and you’re like, ‘dang, I just worked with a team … I just made memories I’ll remember forever,’” she said.
As she looks toward her remaining time at La Salle, Hartner is optimistic about the years ahead. “The opportunities I’ll get,” she said. “All the classes I’ll be able to take, all the teachers I’ll be able to meet, all the new people … It’s awesome.”
