Hope that each student can find their passion

After each passing year, it seems as if I am asked more and more difficult questions, and know less and less of the answers. When I was little, it was “what game do you want to play?” and when I fell down it was “where does it hurt?”

While at age 10, I had to pause and contemplate what I wanted to be when I was older, it was only this year, my senior year of high school, that a flood of questions arising from college interviews, scholarship applications, and curious adults threatened to completely overwhelm me.

In reply to each question, I delivered a rehearsed answer I deemed sufficient enough until I change my mind yet again. Despite this inundation, I have never had to second guess myself on this single question: “What was your favorite part of high school?” FREEFLOW. To anyone not familiar with this Whitefish High School club, my response may seem a bit cryptic. FREEFLOW is a field science and environmental club led by co-advisors Eric Sawtelle and Nikki Reed. Some of its many purposes are to conduct water quality studies, encourage recycling, and compete in the Montana Envirothon.

My involvement began when I was a freshman. I stumbled upon a club meeting at lunch one day and decided to join in. That decision was by far the most important one I ever made in high school because being in that club made me realize what I really wanted to be when I grew up — an environmental steward. Whether this meant majoring in environmental engineering in college, or advocating for measures to reduce climate change as an impassioned citizen, I will always consider myself a spokesperson for the environment due to the knowledge I have acquired through FREEFLOW.

I’m not just saying that FREEFLOW was my favorite part of high school because we traveled to numerous incredible locations and were educated about environmental issues and ways to restore impacted habitats, but because I learned about myself during my time in the club. Mr. Sawtelle and Mrs. Reed always want to know what we, the students, think and what we want learn about. Being two of the most selfless people I have ever met, they are always willing to give advice and truly listen to what people say. They have aided in my journey of self-discovery, along with countless others, and helped me unearth my true passions in life, and for that I am eternally grateful.

There is no way I am going to be able to avoid difficult questions in the future; the only way to deal with them is to answer honestly and present my genuine self to the world (something else I learned through FREEFLOW). I didn’t share in the same experiences with all Whitefish High School students, but I hope that when asked about their favorite part of high school, they answer with their version of “FREEFLOW,” and know exactly what it is.

Congratulations to the graduated Class of 2016!

Cassidy Grady is a 2016 graduate of Whitefish High School.