Hill eyes bright future through camera lens

Move-in day on the campus of the University of Montana is on Aug. 20 and Whitefish High School senior Zach Hill is excited for the adventure.

Not only is he starting his freshman year studying journalism, but he will be starting an internship/part-time job with the Grizzly football team, taking the films that players study in order to better their performance.

Hill played football for three years, then filmed for the Bulldogs during his last three years in high school.

“It was super cool. I was just up in that booth … during game time, and I traveled with the team,” Hill said. “For practices, I would be on the drone getting good aerial views of every player’s movement.

“The film is really what got me into what I want to be doing, which is journalism at the U. of M. in Missoula,” he added. 

Hill is stoked to bring his passion for film to his new job and his new team in Missoula, where he will be filming games and practices, as well as highlight videos.

“I could spend the whole game or practice just focused on one player,” he said.

He will be taking three journalism classes in his first year. He finds one thing about that to be especially exciting.

“I’ll have no tests, which I'm really happy about. Just projects which will be really cool,” Hill said. ”I hate tests so much.”

Seemingly, tests are the only thing this Whitefish-born teenager hates. He is a naturally happy person with a bright smile and unruffled nature. 

“I’m just a really happy person. I'm always smiling in school,” Hill said. “I always say ‘hi’ to everyone I come across. I think I just bring good vibes out.” 

An autoimmune disorder, likely caused by mold in an old house, led to a myriad of food allergies for Hill. He said his sixth-grade year was bad and he missed a lot of school. His condition flared up in ninth and 10th grades.

“That first practice of summer in sophomore year, I threw up twice and couldn’t run,” he said. “It was hard for me.”

He talked to Coach Brett Bollweg, who offered Hill a job as a team manager, and, as Hill says, “It worked out.”

“It doesn’t really affect my health right now but back then it really did,” he said. “The only thing I'm really allergic to now is soy. I can’t go out to Asian restaurants a ton.” 

Coach Chad Ross was Hill’s first coach at the high school level who introduced Hill to the drone camera and to filming. Coach Bollweg was an influential person for Hill, too, especially when he considered quitting the football team during his senior year.

“He (Bollweg) said, ‘You’ve had a brotherhood for 12 years — do you really want to give that up?’

It really sparked something in my head senior year that I want to stay here with all the guys because they are awesome,” Hill said. “I grew up with all of them. Why not finish it off.”

His appreciation for his parents, Lisa and Steve Hill, is palpable. He describes his mom as his rock and said his dad knows everyone and was the life of the party when he attended the U. of M.

Hill’s gratitude extends to others, too, so he gave a few shoutouts. He said Whitefish High School’s Culinary Arts teacher, Chef Jason Sanders, is a happy person who has been a good influence.

“Chef Sanders has always supported me,” he said. “He was just awesome. I can talk to him about anything, fishing, skiing.” 

He also appreciates Coach Bollweg’s support over the years and his encouragement to keep filming.

“Mr. Bollweg has always been really big in my life,” he said. “He was the P.E. teacher all through middle school – it was just a blast, always my favorite class.”

This year, his office aide class gave Hill insight to the workings of the school, the principal’s job and the work that secretaries do. 

“They deal with everything about the school and no one really knows that,” Hill said. “It’s crazy that they can still be as happy, and support you as much as they do, when they have that much stress and stuff to deal with.”