by: Megan Saul

Editor-in-Chief

With the finish line in sight, senior Jasper Olson is starting off his final semester at Los Gatos High School with a bang. He’s got it all: passions for both athletics and academics, and the drive needed for him to power his way into Graduation in June.

For the fourth year, Olson is playing on the LGHS Boys’ Soccer Team. Since the age of four, Olson has spent countless hours on the field, dedicating himself to the sport. Although he started out playing recreational soccer, Olson quickly climbed the ranks to more competitive teams and leagues. He has played for Liverpool FC International Academy, Bay Area Surf Soccer Club, and Los Gatos United Soccer Club. For his senior year, he is only playing on the school team, leading as a left winger. Olson explains, “My favorite part of being on the team is the pasta feeds. On the school team, you kind of have a tighter bond with your teammates because you see them every day at school, and you do extra stuff to bond with them. And then club, it’s kind of more like a routine and not as much of a family as high school soccer.” With a strong start to the season, Olson hopes to capitalize on the team’s current momentum and make it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships. He notes one of the team’s assets, stating, “We have a strong team. We have a young team as well, lots of freshmen.”

When it comes to school, Olson sketches his way to the top. As a child, Olson sent in one of his drawings of a ninja to Budsies, a company that holds art competitions and turns kids’ drawings into physical stuffed animals. He won the contest, so Budsies sent Olson a stuffed animal of his design, filling his bedroom with his own art. He is now furthering his passions for graphic design by taking the class Graphic Design Lab with Alexander Czech, whom Olson describes as a great teacher. As it is a workshop class, he prints and presses his designs onto T-shirts. When applying to colleges, Olson created graphic design portfolios to highlight his current projects and work over the years. For California Polytechnic State University, his brother’s college and his favorite, he designed a new book cover for The Great Gatsby. He shares, “It’s fun, but it’s a lot of work.” Olson hopes to both stay in state for college and major in graphic design. Looking further into the future, he eventually wants to make advertisements for companies, capitalizing on the intersection of business and graphic design.

Olson’s interests far transcend the canvas and soccer field. Additionally, he likes to go golfing, explaining, “It’s just nice because it’s relaxing, sometimes.” His favorite kinds of trips are to the snowy mountains and the beach, where he can indulge in both snowboarding and surfing. Meanwhile, he is soaking up all that LGHS has to offer during his final months here, while the LGHS community is wishing he would stay for longer.