by: Tanya Chang
Sports Editor

LGHS senior and future Brigham Young University (BYU) student Halle Cole is turning her passion for helping others into a future career path.

As Cole prepares to attend BYU, she plans to pursue nursing, fostering her goal of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. Her inspiration sparked from her love of babies and the hospital environment. She looks forward to taking classes that reflect her interests, including nutrition and world literature, and is enthusiastic to explore courses outside of high school requirements. With family ties to BYU and years spent visiting the campus, Cole describes her decision as natural. She shared that it has “always been where I’ve imagined myself when thinking about college,” expressing how the atmosphere feels as though she were at home.

Athletics have always played a meaningful role in Cole’s high school experience, specifically field hockey. Although Cole had hoped to join earlier in her high school career, health concerns delayed her start until junior year. She was primarily drawn to the sport because of the supporting community it offered. As she explained, “I wanted to join field hockey since freshman year, mostly because of the sisterhood everyone always talked about.” A defining moment last year came during a Central Coast Section quarterfinal game, where Los Gatos lost to Willow Glen High School. This difficult loss pushed Cole to work harder and improve for the following year. During the field hockey season, academics remained manageable as she utilized her time well before games and practices.

Community service has also had an impact on Cole’s perspective, as she has had the chance to visit Africa through a volunteer trip, building classrooms for local schools. The physical work, which included mixing cement, carrying cinder blocks, and preparing foundations, was the most grueling but rewarding thing she has ever done. Beyond the construction, the overall experience changed her outlook on life as she witnessed poverty but also so much joy within a community. “My perspective in general changed drastically,” she reflected, adding that the experience helped her recognize how fortunate she is and encouraged her to stretch her limits.

Cole’s faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to guide her values and decisions, which influence both her commitment to service and her choice to attend BYU. She strives to practice daily kindness and hopes to be surrounded by people who practice and share similar beliefs.

Participating in athletics, volunteering, or preparing for a future in healthcare, Cole aims to become someone who “always tries their best in every aspect of life, no matter what,” and approaches opportunity with determination and gratitude.