Meet Jake Hofgard, a 2020 graduate of Fairview High School.

 

Please tell us about your current plans after high school and what inspired you to choose this path? Next fall, I’ll be attending Stanford University with the intention of majoring in math. Throughout middle school and high school, I recognized that I wanted to study something STEM-related, but my interest in math solidified over the past two years due to great learning experiences in both internships and classes.

Please tell us a little bit about your family. My sister Elyssa is currently a physics major at Stanford, and I’m excited to be joining her there next fall. We are both incredibly grateful for our amazing childhoods in Louisville and the effort and care that our parents invested in both of us. Our parents are both lawyers and active participants in the Louisville community.

Q: What are couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?

A: My favorite restaurants in Louisville are Huckleberry, Bob’s Diner, Pica’s Taqueria, Busaba, and the Taj Mahal Restaurant just to name a few.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?

A: In middle school, I took lessons from Haya Gartner, a local educator and tutor. She was one of the most vibrant, interesting, and knowledgeable people that I’ve ever met in Louisville and Lafayette, and I will forever remember my lessons with her.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

A: Due to my upbringing in Colorado, I’ve always loved visiting mountain ranges and alpine zones. At the moment, Chile’s rugged mountains stand out to me, so I would definitely travel to the Andes in southern Chile if I was given the opportunity.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?

A: I would say that my favorite movie is either Good Will Hunting or Dances with Wolves, one for my interest in math and one for my love of the American West.

Q: What’s the best advice you ever received from a teacher? Who was the teacher?

A: I played trumpet throughout middle school and the majority of high school, but when I first started, I wasn’t very good. Mrs. Moriearty, my band teacher at both Coal Creek Elementary School and Louisville Middle School, helped me persevere and improve despite my initially poor technique and embouchure. Her advice to persist even if the odds are against you helped me improve rapidly as both a musician and a student, and I continue to apply her advice to my challenges and hardships to this day.

Q: What is your go to band / singer when you cant decide what to listen to?

A: I’m a big fan of jazz fusion and instrumental music, so Snarky Puppy is my go-to choice for great music when I can’t make a decision.

Q: If you could choose anyone to have lunch with, who would you choose? Why? And where, locally, would you meet for this lunch?

A: William Kamkwamba, the subject of the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, would definitely be one of my top choices. His ingenuity and capacity to find a sustainable solution to any problem that he encounters are incredibly inspiring, and I would love to learn more about his backstory and outlook on life. Our lunch would have to take place at the Huckleberry, the best restaurant in Old Town Louisville in my opinion.

Q: What is your favorite thing about our community?

A: As I’ve grown up, I’ve started to appreciate Louisville’s unique ability to mix the tranquility of a small, peaceful town with the excitement that the Rocky Mountains and the Denver Metro Area bring. In Louisville, you’re never more than 20 miles from a massive concert or an incredible mountain biking trail, but simultaneously, you can always find peace and quiet inside the city limits.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

A: I would like to pursue a graduate or doctoral degree in math or a related field after I graduate college. While this means that I will probably be in school for the better part of the next 11 years, I’m excited to have the opportunity to explore my interests in great detail in college and beyond.

Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?

A: I really enjoy Colorado’s sunlight, so the summer solstice has to be my favorite day on the calendar.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?

A: My grandfather, a longtime resident of Boulder County, always has a positive outlook on life. No matter the circumstances, I always know that I can look to him for positivity and happiness. I’m a bit cynical by nature, so I always strive to be more like my grandfather, a true optimist.

Q: Who or what do you miss the most right now?

A: I miss being able to enjoy and experience Colorado with my friends. Mountain biking and hiking alone are fun, but they can’t replace exploring our wonderful state with friends. Hopefully, outdoor activities with my friends will be possible again soon.

Q: What’s the first thing you want to do when this quarantine is over?

A: Once stay-at-home and safer-at-home orders can safely end, I’m going to go hiking with my friends. Soon, we’ll leave Colorado and embark on the next stages of our lives, so we have to make the most out of the time that we have left.