| There is a particular kind of hope that walks through our doors every August, and this year it arrives in greater numbers than we've seen since 2020. The Class of 2030 is 69 students strong — not only our largest freshman class in six years but also 23% larger than the Class of 2029 — stepping into a school built for exactly them: motivated, capable, and ready to be seen for who they truly are. Watching them arrive, I'm reminded why we do this work.
I am deeply grateful for what that growth represents. It means more families trusting us with their most precious hope. It means more North and Northeast Portland students who will graduate not just admitted to college, but ready and supported to finish it. And it means our mission — to open a transformational education to those who need it most — is not just alive, but growing.
That's why this year, we've also invested in something new: a College Success Specialist, dedicated entirely to walking alongside our alumni through the years after graduation. We've always known that getting a DLSNC student into college is only half the story. It's what comes next — the financial aid form that feels impossible, the semester that gets hard, the moment a student wonders if they belong — that determines whether a diploma becomes a degree. Now, our graduates have someone in their corner for that whole journey, not just the first day.
A larger freshman class and a new role supporting our alumni both take investment, and neither happens without this community. To our parents, thank you for trusting us with your students. To our current students, we're proud of you and excited for what's ahead. To our alumni, keep going — we're still with you. And to our supporters and corporate partners, thank you for making all of this possible.
Much gratitude,
Ashleigh de Villiers
President
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Director of College Counseling & Alumni Advising Wins National Award!
DLSNC is part of a larger organization, the Cristo Rey Network, which encompasses 41 schools across the nation, all of which combine a faith-based college preparatory education with professional work experience for underserved students. The Cristo Rey Network offers broad support to the amazing work we are doing here locally in Portland. Last month, our Director of College Counseling & Alumni Advising, Ms. Weingarten and our new College Success Specialist, Ms. Williams, attended the Cristo Rey Network Summit on College Success, hosted at Georgia Tech in Atlanta
DLSNC had a strong presence at this year’s summit! Ms. Weingarten presented two sessions and was honored with the Network’s Excellence in University Partner Commitments Award, recognizing our strong partnerships in support of students on their path to and through college— a first for our school! Adding to the DLSNC pride, Mohamed Bullo '22, was recognized for his accomplishments during Summit as well.
Ms. Weingarten and Ms. Williams are excited to lead our work to turn our college-bound mission into college-graduated alumni.
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 | front: Ms. McCord, Ms. Williams;
rear: Mr. Bushman, Ms. Brown, Mr. Watson
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| Meet Our New Faculty & Staff
Each new year at Knight Nation brings a fresh wave of energy, and we are thrilled to welcome a few inspiring new staff members to our classrooms and hallways. These newest Knights are diving into the new school year with enthusiasm, a passion for collaboration, and a vibrant community spirit that fits right in. We are proud to have them on board and cannot wait to see the impact they make this year. Click here to read a little more about our new Communications & Development Manager, Theology teacher, Math Teacher, Vice Principal for Academics and College Success Specialist.
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All in a Knight's Summer!
Below is a round-up of some of the amazing ways DLSNC students spent their summers. These summer opportunities not only help our students build their resumes but also hone in on their college and career planning.
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Lasallian Youth Assembly
At the end of July, six amazing Knights, accompanied by Ms. Clark and Mr. Kong-Ellison, attended the Young Lasallians Assembly (LYA) at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, where 200+ students from 14 different high schools in our Lasallian District joined together to connect, swap ideas, and work collaboratively in service. Our LYA students this year were: Soliana Menghis '28, Louvanny Bojorquez Perera '27, Denisse Arriola Ramirez '27, Ni'Rai Rist '27, Jose Alfredo Rivera '27, and Eden Tesfatsion '28.
“It wasn't just about connecting about faith, service, and community, it was about broadening my view. I was on the service track where I volunteered at a soup kitchen. I formed connections with so many people because there were so many opportunities to collaborate and just have fun,” Denisse shared.
Ms. Clark reflected on the experience from the teacher perspective. “Watching students form meaningful relationships with Lasallians from around the country was incredibly powerful. Not only are they leaders at DLSNC, they are leaders within a larger Lasallian context. Students working together for a shared purpose is a powerful way to make change in our world.”
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Health Career Explorations
This summer, six DLSNC students prepared for potential careers in the healthcare field by participating in a stipended week-long shadowing experience facilitated by Kaiser Permanente Interstate. The participating students are all members of the class of 2027: Rosmery Onofre Cervantes, Kamiya Hale, Louvanny Bojorquez Perera, Sofia Hernandez Pulido, Denisse Arriola Ramirez, and Guadalupe Meza Rodriguez, all of whom are pursuing DLSNC’s Health Sciences Pathway Certificate. Guadalupe shared, “My experience at Kaiser helped me clarify my interest in going into OB/GYN and Pediatric ultrasound. The doctors and nurses were really welcoming and always explained what they were doing step by step, so I feel like I learned a lot. I got to watch surgeries of the retina, elbow and three tonsillectomies!"
Students shadowed physicians in the areas of Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Ophthalmology, and Pediatrics. All of the students had the opportunity to observe surgeries, including eye surgery, tonsillectomies and joint surgeries on the hand and elbow. Each student was given a stipend at the end of the week to honor their time spent in the program.
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Our Knights continue to do exceptional things! Arturo Isaisa Perez ‘27 shares about his summer experience working on specialized cancer research at OHSU. “I had the privilege of participating in The Ted R. Lilley Continuing Umbrella of Research Education (CURE) internship program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Through this program, I worked alongside researchers in a cancer biology laboratory, gaining hands-on experience with biomedical research while learning how lab discoveries can directly contribute to improving patient care. My project focused on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is the most common and lethal form of pancreatic cancer. Specifically, I investigated how modulating "fucosylation" (a process involving sugar attachment to proteins and lipids) affects cancer progression. By testing mouse-derived PDAC cell lines in 2D and 3D culture models, our lab found that suppressing this process could help inhibit tumor growth. Understanding these cellular interactions is a critical step toward developing more effective therapies.”
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Oregon Business Academy
Knights Amiyah Berry ’27 and Micah Leary ’27 leveled up their career skills this summer at Oregon Business Academy’s Business Week at OSU. Joining over 250 high schoolers from across Oregon, Amiyah and Micah dove into hands-on training, building key skills in resume writing, interviewing, public speaking, teamwork, and business strategy. Each of them worked with a group of students to develop a business idea that they took from concept development to marketing to launch. Beyond sharpening their business savvy, they spent the week expanding their networks with industry professionals and ambitious peers from all over the state.
Amiyah shared, “The program helped me build skills in teamwork, resume writing, and college dorm living. Working with new people taught me how to collaborate and combine different ideas into one strong project, QuickFit. Living in a dorm with my roommate also helped me solve small problems, like finding the best time to use the showers!"
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CWS Launches Soon for 2026-2027!
The CWS team spent the summer preparing for an amazing 2026–27 school year, and is preparing to launch!
Beyond building CWS partnerships, summer was also a busy season for hands-on training. In June, our incoming freshmen and transfer students joined us on campus for Summer Employment Foundations Academy to prepare for their upcoming fall job placements. Thanks to a host of incredible volunteers, these students gained experience in essential skills like professional etiquette, time management, and specialized software, while also gaining confidence through practice job interviews. Then in August, we hosted a dynamic training session for 70+ CWS partners at our CWS Supervisor Training here on campus. The workshop covered operational essentials like time cards, transportation, and labor regulations, but also dove into best practices for mentoring young people. We are incredibly thankful to all of our Knight Nation partners and volunteers who gave their time this summer to ensure a stellar, impactful year for our students and supervisors alike.
Here’s what a few supervisors shared at the training:
“We at Legacy are excited to play a role in getting more students interested in and exposed to different career opportunities within healthcare. My goal as supervisor will be to introduce our students to many different departments, and give them a deeper dive of what it’s like to work within a healthcare organization.” Chartisha Roberts, Legacy Health
“We wanted to get involved with DLSNC because we see clearly that a program like this can really be a game changer for students. We are passionate about connecting with the community, giving back and being of service, so this feels like a really great fit for us. We are excited about introducing construction management to more students, especially to get more females involved in the industry!” Maddy Stolowitz, Andersen Construction
“We are so excited to give to our community in this way, and it feels like it will be fun for all of our staff and office culture, to have young energy around the office - and be doing service at the same time!” Erika Kelley, Radius Recycling
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Calling All New Knights: Admissions Team Around Town!
Our admissions team—Jasmine Taylor and Monica Vargas—has been all over town these past few months at many public events spreading the word about DLSNC. Our bright blue banner, SWAG, and printed brochures, along with Ms. Jasmine’s and Mrs. Vargas’s welcoming smiles have attracted potential new families in lots of different Portland neighborhoods.
The admissions team received vital help in representing our inclusive school community from our President and staff, Mrs. de Villiers, Ms. Frangipani, Ms. Stahr, Ms. Warrington, as well as alumni (Khadija Jones '18). Thanks to the support of these admissions ambassadors, DLSNC was represented at Sunday Parkways, Good in the Hood, and Juneteenth Oregon as well as public events hosted by the Matt Dishman Community Center, the Multnomah County Health Fernhill Health Center, Cullyfest, and Cesar Chavez K-8. Many thanks to everyone who took action to promote our school this summer!
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Knight Nation SWAG!
For a limited time only, lots of Knight Nation SWAG is available for purchase. Check out our back-to-school pop-up shop with branded tees, hoodies, polos, accessories, and more! The shop is only available for a limited time, so place your orders ASAP. This current edition of the Knight Nation pop-up shop will close on September 11.
Note to current families: The tees, sweatshirts, and hat available in the pop-up shop are not dress code compliant. but can be worn for spirit days and sporting events.
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| Ways to support
Fred Meyer Reward Cards + De La Salle North Catholic
By linking your Fred Meyer Community Rewards points to De La Salle North Catholic, we will receive a quarterly donation from Fred Meyer. It only takes a moment to sign up:
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