For freshman Valkyrie Hepper, her first time coming to La Salle was a bit nerve-wracking, as she said she was more shy and reserved at her past school, and was worried about connecting with other students. However, those initial nerves were quickly eased once she stepped onto campus. 

One of the main aspects she enjoyed about her middle school, Winterhaven Elementary School, was how it was “a pretty small school, and the teachers care about you,” Hepper said. “They actually had a connection with you.” 

She found a strong parallel of that at La Salle. 

When she shadowed — at the encouragement of her mom and older sister, both of whom attended La Salle — she got to visit on a straight seven day, which she appreciated because she was able to see a variety of classes. The things that she said stood out to her the most were the art program and the teachers, as art is one of her favorite subjects.

According to Hepper, some of the teachers that she’s been able to build the best relationships with so far this year include science teacher Mr. Kyle Voge, choir, guitar and religious studies teacher Mr. Otto Wild, and math teacher Ms. Heather Quinter, appreciating how they all make the learning process fun for their students.

Hepper has three classes taught by Mr. Wild: Choir, Guitar 1, and religion. 

“Guitar is really fun, because Mr. Wild is just funny, and he’ll just tell random stories,” Hepper said. 

Additionally, Hepper appreciates Mr. Voge because they have a lot of interests in common, such as the musical “Hamilton” and “The Legend of Zelda” video game. 

In Ms. Quinter’s class, Hepper expressed that she was able to change her opinion on math from disliking it to the opposite.

“She actually helps you work through it, and it’s made math fun for me,” Hepper said. “I can look forward to going to her class.”  

Some of Hepper’s favorite memories are with her best friend, who she met in fourth grade during the pandemic. Despite being physically apart, friendship quickly blossomed for them in the Zoom breakout rooms during online classes.

“We shared an online class and we were put in a little room and we talked … and became friends through there,” Hepper said. 

Hepper said she and her family are planning on traveling to Japan this next year, and that she cannot wait. She really enjoys Japan, but also the experience of traveling itself. 

She believes it doesn’t necessarily matter where you’re traveling because what’s most enjoyable is visiting and exploring a new place. “I’d like to travel literally anywhere because you’re just traveling,” Hepper said.

She understands that most tourist attractions will likely be overcrowded, but she wishes to visit them anyway because “they’re still pretty,” she said.

On the top of her list to visit for her upcoming trip is the Cat Islands, which are a group of islands with a large resident feline population.

Hepper has six cats of her own, along with a hedgehog named Persephone — an early Christmas gift she received when she was 11 — and a tortoise named Yurdel. 

Music of any genre appeals to Hepper, apart from lo-fi, which she said was “a little boring.” Her favorite artists include Kahtsaro, Nirvana, The Smiths, and Tyler, the Creator.

When not listening to music, she enjoys playing her guitar, usually practicing what she had learned in class that day, including songs like “Riptide” by Vance Joy and “Greensleeves.”

Another frequent pastime of Hepper’s is watching movies. Although her favorite genre is horror, which she grew up watching with her dad, she is open to any type of movie as long as it’s interesting. According to Hepper, her favorite movie is “The Black Phone.”

“I’ll watch anything that’s interesting to me,” Hepper said. She prefers fast-paced movies compared to slower ones, as she said she needs “to get hooked onto it.”

Role models for Hepper include her older sister and dad, who works as a nurse at Oregon Health & Science University. She looks up to her sister because feels as though she understands and has experienced similar struggles to Hepper.

She especially values her dad for the kindness he shows not just as a parent but to everyone, including strangers.