When junior Parker Lomax needs to take a breath, he relaxes with his four dogs and two chinchillas.

The dogs — Cider, Ginger, River, and Whiskey — and the chinchillas — Churro and Chorizo — help keep him energized as he seeks to emulate his family by always keeping himself moving and motivated, he said.

“My goal is to never slow down, and to always be moving, always be doing stuff,” he said. That goal came to him because of his grandpa, who he said “never slowed down in high school,” playing football, track, and then tennis all the way into his 60s.

He is equally inspired by his grandma, who is also always active, always working, and doesn’t back down, he said.

“If you tell her to take it easy, she will tell you no,” he said.

During his favorite sport, track and field, his ambition becomes physically embodied, as he wants to push himself in all of his events, whether it’s the long jump, pole vaulting — his favorite — or races. Recently, he has been proud of how he has lived up to his own expectations. 

“I got to race in a varsity heat for the first time,” he said. “It was a tough competition. I’m very tired, but it was still a lot of fun.” 

Before coming to La Salle, or joining track and field, he attended Christ the King Parish School. 

“It was pretty strict, not a lot of people,” he said. Now, at La Salle, he appreciates the larger community with more classes, opportunities, and freedom.

“Everybody knows everyone,” he said. “It’s like you never have to worry about talking to anyone. Everyone gets along perfectly, I think that’s what’s really special about La Salle.”

Academically his favorite class is choir and guitar teacher Mr. Otto Wild’s Guitar 1, even though it’s often nerve-wracking.  

“It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had here in a specific class,” he said. 

Generally, he thinks his strength lies in problem-solving and STEAM, which has influenced what he wants to do when he is older — possibly civil or structural engineering. 

However, he still does love music, even if he doesn’t intend to follow it into a career. While he can enjoy a variety of musical genres, he especially enjoys rock, and has recently been listening to a lot of pop-punk, he said. 

“The Eagles definitely hold a special place in my heart,” he said. “That was my first ever concert. I went all the way to Vegas to see him at the sphere.”

For now, wherever he goes later in life, he continues to look to his family to motivate him to keep his head up, keep moving, and not give up in the face of life’s challenges. 

“[My dad] experienced organ failure, had to get a double transplant, and he bounced back from it so fast,” he said. “There was never any despair, there was never any doubt … I’m definitely inspired by my family.”