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Humans of Mt. Spokane, Mead, WA (2026)

06/18/2023

“I went into teaching after I ended up coaching. I learned that I love being with high school students and helping them grow, mature, and learn. Coaching helped me realize that I enjoy that age group. I then decided that teaching was what I wanted to do with my artistic endeavor. So I pretty much got into teaching because I loved coaching. Shannon Bontrager inspired me. She's the one who hired me as a coach when I was only 19, but she believed in me. I was her assistant coach. She was also a teacher at North Central. I've tried to make Mount Spokane better by making it a safe space for students as well as being there emotionally, mentally, and physically for students. Outside of school I spend time with my family and snuggle my animals. Times when I am really proud of my accomplishments are every year when I get to watch my seniors graduate. Even though it's not my accomplishment, it's theirs. But I get to enjoy it through them. My experience at Mount Spokane has taught me that every year I teach I fall more in love with the relationships formed with my students, rather than the actual teaching part. It has helped me build meaningful relationships.” -Mrs. Banger

06/09/2023

“I remember a friend of mine who is two years older than me. She wanted to do an exchange year and that inspired me so I started to look into it. I wanted to try something new. I have always really liked to travel. My family and I always go to other places in Norway over the summer. Embarking on this adventure only seemed fitting.
This experience has helped me to be more confident in myself and especially in my English. I remember in the beginning, I was insecure about my English and having to talk in front of or with big groups. It has also helped me become a lot more secure with myself and my independence.
In Norway, high school is grades eleven through thirteen. So when I go back, I will be graduating with the same class.
The stuff I am going to remember the most from this experience is the friends I’ve made here because I never expected to make as close of friends as I have. I got to move in with my best friend, Anna Miller, and we do everything together.
I would say my favorite memory was football season, it was so fun! In Norway, schools are only academic. No school sports, school spirit, or anything. Coming here and watching the football games, I remember standing in the bleachers and cheering even though I had no clue how football worked. It was like, okay, they are chasing this ball. Oh, wait, now they aren't chasing it anymore. Woohoo! Go cats!
Earlier this year I did cross country. From the start of the season to the end, I ended up improving my time by five minutes. After that, I decided to try tennis for the first time. I ended up making JV, which I was proud of.
Advice I would give to someone considering being an exchange student is to be open because you are gonna experience a lot of things that you may not have thought you would enjoy, hang out with people you wouldn’t typically venture towards, and do activities that you may not think you will like. Remember to be open to trying new things and reach out to a ton of people. I remember when I first got here I didn't know anybody. On the first day of school, I had to introduce myself and try to get to know everyone. It was nerve-wracking but I am glad I put myself out there.”
-Helle Skjefstad 23’

05/28/2023

“I play bassoon, bari sax, mellophone, percussion, and I sing a little. I have always had a love for music that I had to discover on my own. Joining the music department during Covid was difficult and an odd time for music. It was hard to find people who were willing to put in the amount of work it takes and stay determined. I wanted to be the change and demonstrate how with hard work and determination you can get yourself anywhere.
One accomplishment of mine that I am proud of was when I had the opportunity to perform with the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Orchestra. I was a featured soloist. At that moment, it was a blessing knowing that my hard work and time invested had paid off.
It also really helps to have people cheering you on and pushing you to be your best. My friend, Claire Jordan, who is an amazing Trombonist was auditioning for the top ensemble (Spokane Youth Symphony) in middle school and it sounded like a lot of fun so I ended up trying out also. Being involved in the symphony, you get the opportunity to play with this tight-knit group for about three hours every Monday. We make amazing music together and also get to further develop your skills as a musician.
After high school, I eventually plan on pursuing music and going to conservatory; eventually to go on and play in a major orchestra or symphony whether that be in the US or outside of it.
A piece of advice I would give is to pursue what you feel passionate about. I would encourage others to be themselves and seek out what they love because you can find joy anywhere in life, especially if you find it in your passions then your life will be as fulfilling and wonderful as can be. I find being compassionate, loving, and respectful is the best solution in life.” -Jacob Campbell 24’

05/21/2023

“My mom and my grandma are very powerful women, and inspire me and many others. My mom has always encouraged me to push my self as far as I can go. She has helped me see what I can accomplish and pursue talents I never thought I could achieve. My mom is also a very loving woman who has always been there for me. My grandmother has always been there to put me in new activities and learn how to be my own person and make a positive impact for myself. One of my main sports I participate in is track and field. I am very proud of our four by one team by constantly making personal records at meets. My old soccer coach had always helped me become the best athlete I could be, another coach would be my track coach Mrs.Helling who is always there to push us to our next goal and celebrate our accomplishments. One thing people may not know is, I am very creative, I like to try a lot of different art, and I love to explore the world. I like to make my own jewelry, create art and listen to music in my free time. I like to participate in many, different things such as Class Council, Everyday Leadership, and National Honors Society, all these things help me to make this school a better place. Some advice I have for others is to try new things. Even if it doesn’t seem fun, I could peak an interest in the future, you never know until you try.”
- Stella Volpone 25’

05/14/2023

“I do a lot of work with our sports medicine program and I'm one of the student aid athletic trainers so I get to work with our athletes a lot. I also play basketball and I just started playing golf this year. I joined basketball when a family friend started a club team and that was when I really started enjoying it. Now, one of my proudest achievements is the day I signed up to play college basketball because it has been a goal I've been working on for so long. I also got involved in sports medicine when a senior encouraged me to join during my freshman year. I've been in sports med for four years and been in the club. I've met a lot of my close friends in the program and we've traveled to California and across the state for state competitions. It has really helped me find my career pathway because I want to work in healthcare as a physician's assistant.
One of my biggest inspirations has been Mrs. B. She's just awesome she's helped me inside the classroom outside the classroom and she is just really reliable and fun to talk
Coming to Mt. Spokane was really crazy for me because I came from a small Catholic school and there are so many more students here. Being here has just really taught me to be more social and open to other people and find new people in my life. I always try to be friendly to people in my classes, just having daily conversations with them, and trying to start up a conversation with somebody I might not know very well. I would say to never judge a person before you get to know them especially cuz you don't know what they're going through or what is going on in their life”
-Bryten Gumke ‘23

05/07/2023

“My dad passed away a few years ago and he had cancer while I was growing up so that shaped a lot of the things I believe and the way I treat people. What got me through it was the relationships I had developed with doctors, nurses, family, and friends. I’ve been lucky to have some really good friends ever since I was really little so just being able to have those relationships has been something that has made me who I am today.
I play volleyball pretty much all the time but I also spend a lot of time with my friends, family, and my two dogs. I started playing volleyball when I was really little and it became the one sport that I just stuck with. The way I try to make the school a better place is through volleyball and making the program feel safe for everyone because I know sports can be intimidating. I also really care about the planet and things outside of volleyball, there is more to me than just my sport. One of my proudest and most exciting accomplishments is when I made varsity volleyball as a freshman. My advice to you is to be kind and accepting because you never really know what someone else is going through.”
-Jillian Davis ‘24

04/23/2023

“I teach science, mostly biology and chemistry in our world. What led me to study biology was an anatomy and physiology class that I fell in love with because I just thought it was so fascinating. As for my hobbies, I do photography and videography for sports which is fun. I play volleyball once a week with some of my friends in an adult league which is pretty to cool play after high school and college. And I also have my dog, Indie, so we go to the park, on walks, and play fetch. Being a student-athlete playing softball from high school through college gave me an appreciation for my education and everything that I got to learn in school. I think my goal in becoming a teacher is always to make sure that I am a trusted and safe adult for kids at school. I like learning and that's part of the reason why I became a teacher because I think it's so fun to be able to teach people and hopefully help people discover that they like to learn too. I didn't know I wanted to be a teacher until I had an awesome professor when I was in college and I decided that I wanted to make a difference for my students just like he did. I might come off as extroverted when I'm in class and greeting students but I'm very introverted as I like to be by myself and I would consider myself a homebody. I think one aspect of my life that I am insanely proud of is my softball career, especially during my senior year in college when we made it further than any other teams in our school's history in the Western Regional. My advice to you is to be kind because you never really never know what other people are going through just by looking at them.”
-Ms. Wessel

04/02/2023

“I play basketball as a post, football as an offensive and defensive lineman, and track as a shootout and discus thrower. I am also in the class council and FCCLA. I like all of the activities because it gives me stuff to do and a schedule of things to do after school. My mom and dad did a lot of sports, and they just always encouraged me to do stuff and be active. I was a page in the Washington State Senate Page Program and it was a week-long experience. I got to be sponsored by senator Jeff Holy, who is a senator in Washington. I was in the senate chamber and passed out things on the floor. I love getting more involved and active in athletics and activities throughout the school.

Every year there is a state competition for FCCLA, at state, there are many things that happen. One, you can compete in a star event, two you can be an evaluator and help judge star events. Finally, you can listen to speakers and make connections with other FCCLA members. One of my proudest moments was at our state competition for FCCLA, I got gold and I went to nationals for my competition in Event Management. To go to nationals means in your star event you have to of a gold medal, which means you scored 82 points or higher on your project. If you are the highest scorer in your category then you qualify to go to nationals. My advice to you is to get involved, stay active, be there to help people and be nice.”
-Wyatt Santucci ‘25

03/27/2023

“I participate in Super Smash Bros tournaments. At my peak, I would go once or twice a week to Spokane Valley for the smash tournaments which have double elimination brackets all done within the day. Sometimes I'll travel out of state like to Canada (most recently), Oregon, or California for two or three-day events. Once you lose twice you are out, so the goal is to get as far as you can.
What I like is that when I just pick the right decisions over and over again, I could be the best player in the room. Beyond that, I really like the community, everyone there are just super friendly, fun, friendly, and talented people, it's really just a fun crowd. I've been playing smash bros since before I can remember with my brothers, it's how I bonded with them. My oldest brother was way way better than me, and I'm really competitive in my heart so I kept working so I could beat him and all my friends too. I thought I should pursue this further and it turns out I was actually pretty good when I got to a bigger state scene. One of my proudest accomplishments was when I beat the best player from Central Washington, and now I fight the guy all the time, but back then that was a really big step for me.
I’m also one of the three team captains in improv and we meet twice a week for two-hour sessions where we usually do scenes and different games all from straight out of the mind, mostly centered around comedy. Covid hit really really hard and got me pretty secluded funnily enough, Improv and smash bros were the only two things that kept me social during those two years. That kinda got me to figure out what I value. When you are deprived of speaking to people, you start to value them a little bit more.
My advice to you is to be different. It's really really easy to be a cog in the machine, but you’ve got to give it everything you got and give it with individuality.”
-Reed Martin ‘23

03/19/2023

“I appreciate in poetry that I can read a lot of different perspectives quickly; I just love the variety of the authors, and I feel like I get a snapshot into so many people's lives that I never considered before. I had strong English teachers in high school, so I always liked the subject but it wasn’t until college that I chose to pursue the teaching profession. I really commit to trying to keep things positive each day in my classroom. I try to start every day with “What’s Good?”, and just try to look at the silver-linings of each day and why we’re here. Before I had my son, I used to run, play volleyball, ski, read, and write for fun. Now, with all my free time I hang out with my son and help him grow.

Grounding myself in good people has been the biggest influence in my life. I have just always been very fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people. I was raised by a really wonderful family, and I have great friends which has made me stronger. These people give me a community and a place to go when times get tough.

I love to see when my students succeed. I know the AP classes can get rigorous and add an extra layer of stress, but one of my favorite parts of being an AP teacher is that at the end of the year I get to see in concrete ways how students earn college credit because of the intelligence and the skills we built together.

One of my favorite poets is Mary Oliver. I'd like to echo the advice in her poem "Wild Geese" by saying: just be yourself and surround yourself with good people. That will be enough."
– Mrs. Scourey

03/12/2023

“I am a part-time intern at a hospital at Deaconess because I'm interested in medicine. I follow one of the nurses around and just help them all day with whatever they need. I put EKGs (tracks heart rate) on people and help the staff. I'm interested in healthcare being because I like interacting with patients from a medical standpoint and this is because I'm interested in becoming a biomedical engineer. With this career, I would be able to make new medications and medical equipment.
My main hobby is that I'm the president of the yarn club and I have been crocheting since the pandemic. I started crocheting because I kept seeing TikToks of people crocheting which is how this all began. I like making crochet patterns and using soft yarn because it's so soft and wonderful. One of my favorite things I’ve made was a strawberry cow for my sister which was cute. I made a giant mushroom that was also soft yarn. I try to be open and welcoming and I even made a yarn club because I knew some people would maybe want to join it and create a group so that we could all have a common hobby. Something I’ve learned from my family is how to build relationships with other people. My advice to you is don't procrastinate because you will be less stressed and have more free time.”
-Rae Whitney ‘24

03/05/2023

“As a college counselor, I meet with a lot of young people to talk through their plans and help them send applications, job shadow, or intern. I have so much fun talking with students about what is next in their lives helping them figure out what they're passionate about and then equipping them with the right tools to see it through. I was in the Army before I was a school counselor and my job centered around taking care of the soldiers and that meant helping them out with education, promotions, money, and sometimes family problems. So I thought about which jobs have lots of interpersonal stuff and a high school counselor popped up on my radar. I coach two sports currently at Mt. Spokane (football and freshman baseball) and I love it because those young guys are such a joy to be around. When I got hired I was looking for other opportunities at Mt. Spokane to get to know people and the opportunities to coach football and baseball landed in my lap. I think the thing that makes Mt. Spokane is special that the staff tend to stay here because they are invested and they like Mt. Spokane.
My time in the Army was really difficult and I deployed to Iraq twice which shaped me a lot. I think getting to know people and understanding where they are coming from in their life and empathizing with them has helped me grow as an individual. The more experience you have about the world, the more appreciation you have for the people around you. One of the things I love doing is making a tangible difference in a short period like helping a student who was struggling with the FAFSA and later walked out away from my office with the FAFSA done. I think the people that I look up to the most are the ones who are authentic people and they come from all different walks of life and are the same regardless of whatever setting you see them in. My advice is to find the thing that gives you goosebumps that you love, find out what that thing is, and then pursue it relentlessly.”
-Mr. Cowart

Humans of Mt. Spokane

06/18/2023

06/09/2023

05/28/2023

05/21/2023

05/14/2023

05/07/2023

04/23/2023

04/02/2023

03/27/2023

03/19/2023

03/12/2023

03/05/2023

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