Coming from Christ the King Parish School, junior Daniel Garbitelli values authenticity in friendships, and the people who stick around through the hardships. 

He came to La Salle because everyone in his graduating class planned on attending La Salle, and he wanted to be with his friends. This decision was also partly due to his experience as a Falcon for a Day.

Born in Portland, Maine, Garbitelli moved to Colorado when he was two, then Oregon by the age of seven, where he attended St. John the Apostle Catholic School for elementary school prior to attending Christ the King. There, he noted his appreciation for the “close-knit community” he experienced.

Garbitelli sees himself as an English and History oriented student, rather than a STEM student. His favorite class is AP English III taught by Mr. Paul Dreisbach. 

As a sophomore, English Department Chair Mr. Greg Larson was one of the teachers who influenced Garbitelli in a positive way.

“His Honors English II class was a really transformative experience and was a big part of influencing how I write and how I think,” he said. 

In terms of extracurriculars, Garbitelli has participated in track and field starting this year, and Speech & Debate since freshman year, due to positive interactions with history teacher Mr. Michael Doran, who had coached the Speech & Debate team at the time.

Track is a positive experience for Garbitelli thanks to the friends he has on the team, even when the sport can be hard at times. Similarly, Speech & Debate has always been fun for Garbitelli because of the community, where he has learned to hone his skills and passion.

“I wanted to do Speech & Debate because I’ve always been something of an argumentative person, and I wanted to kind of hone that,” he said.

When Garbitelli was young, he ran track for a year in fourth grade, so it wasn’t his first time playing the sport when he joined La Salle’s team. Regarding student life, Garbitelli keeps himself busy with the Keeping the Faith Club and Chess Club. 

Garbitelli described himself as a nerd, partly because he has an appreciation for reading outside of school-required reading.

When he was younger, Garbitelli’s favorite video game was “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” His interests extended far beyond that, however. 

“I really enjoyed collecting baseball cards, playing Minecraft, Zelda and the other Nintendo games, and I enjoyed biking and hiking,” he said.

Looking ahead, Garbitelli hopes to attend a good college and continue pushing himself academically. He has considered pursuing a career in law, a field that would allow him to combine his interest in English and history, though he is still exploring his options.

This year, Garbitelli said he wants to prioritize his schoolwork and stay focused, after struggling in past years to fully “lock in.” 

Reflecting on mistakes he made during sophomore year, Garbitelli believes he has learned from those experiences and is beginning to take greater ownership of his time and responsibilities.

“I want to prioritize work,” he said “I’ve spent a lot of time just zoning out or goofing off on my iPad, and I want to lock in, and this year, I think I’m starting to do that.”

At the core of Garbitelli’s high school experience is his belief in authenticity and meaningful connection. Whether through friendships, academics, or extracurriculars, he said he appreciates consistency and commitment, especially the ability to persist through adversity.

As he continues his time at La Salle, Garbitelli emphasizes his focus on growth — both academically and personally — while staying true to the values that drew him to La Salle.