Griffen Smith will be working as a reporter and photographer with the Pathfinder this summer.
Enjoying your work is one of the greatest feelings a person can have. I questioned what job was right for me but I think if there is any that I can truly appreciate it is the one I have now.
I am just two semesters into college and 19 years old. Yet in my short time at the University of Montana, my interest in journalism developed quickly.
It took just a week in Missoula before I found myself as the student newspaper sports reporter. While my stories did not reach a large audience, I saw how significant they were to people. Storytelling is not only important to me for information on the world around us, but it is there to bind us together in our communities.
After COVID-19 sent most Montana college students back to their homes, I stayed on-campus to deliver the student paper across the city of Missoula and to write about how the remaining people in Missoula were being affected. I found that to write a truly meaningful story, you have to be there in the moment, so you can see the true emotions and feelings of others.
Before my jump into journalism, I was born in Orange County California, but I spent most of my childhood in Austin, Texas. The Lone Star State is beautiful, and I love the hill country, but it got way too hot in the summer for me. Anyone who can withstand 20+ days over 100 degrees is insane.
The search for cooler weather led me to my love for Montana.
My family has had a history in the Western United States since the late 1800s, and like my ancestors, I explored the seemingly endless mountain ranges and enjoyed the crisp air of the Rockies.
Now, I can not only beat the heat here in Seeley but I can also join an amazing community built on tradition and pride. I look forward to documenting your 2020 summer, a year that has shown the resilience and determination of small communities like Seeley.
While here I want to explore the great outdoors. I am just beginning to backpack, and the beautiful Swan Valley seems like a great place to get out. I also like to play my guitar, read and cook.
I am so excited to be here with you and tell the beautiful stories that live here among us.
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