Camas High School Senior Luke Basanta is not the average CHS student. In 2016, Basanta moved to Camas, Washington from Ann Arbor, Michigan because his dad found a better occupation. Despite not knowing anyone in the area, Basantas’s fun and easy-going personality made it pretty easy to find some good friends here. Basanta enjoys fishing, lifting weights, golfing, and hanging out with his friends. 

Basanta came to CHS open minded ready to gain knowledge and meet new people. But as soon as he started getting settled into the Camas lifestyle he was given a new opportunity. Basanta was asked to move to Wenatchee, Washington, and play hockey for a ranked team. Basanta was conflicted because this meant he would be away from his family for a substantial amount of time. Eventually, he decided to take this once in a lifetime opportunity and move up north, where he would live with a host family and start his hockey career. 

Basanta said, “It was hard for me at first. Not being able to come home and enjoy a home-cooked meal from my mom, or not being able to see my dog, Stewie, every night.”

Basanta was fortunate enough to travel the country with his team and make new friends along the way. When March came around, COVID-19 was welcomed in the United States, Basanta and his fellow teammates were forced to move back to their families.

He said, “It was truly a blow right to the chest. I was gaining a lot of traction from East Coast colleges right when this pandemic started, and now it kind of feels like I was left in the dust.”

Basanta added, “Everything happens for a reason, before all I knew was hockey, now that I have all this free time I’ve found some new amazing hobbies that I enjoy much more.” 

With all his new free time Basanta fell in love with playing golf.

He said, “One day, my dad just asked me if I wanted to go to the range with him. So, I said why not. I ended up enjoying it and being pretty good too because of my hockey background, that’s when I fell in love.” 

He is most excited about attending Washington State University in fall 2021 where he plans to start his college lifestyle off. Basanta had a taste of the college lifestyle when traveling with his teammates during hockey.

Basanta said, “Ever since I left the do-it-yourself lifestyle I miss it every day, that’s why I’m so ready for college.”