CLASSROOM REFLECTION

Program Reflection, Cohort 2

by Nicole Smith, Class of 2022, Missoula

The Flathead Valley is where my spirit feels most at home. My great grandmother Florence, born in 1907, raised her five children in Kalispell. Back then it was primarily a logging community; she told me about how they would buy groceries on credit at the neighborhood store during the winter because no one could work. She had twins in February; my grandma Ila (then age 7) remembers putting a blanket in a warm cast iron pan, heated on the woodstove to keep the babies warm. Grandma Florence would go on to own a farm in Somers, on the shores of Flathead Lake. My family spent many summer days enjoying the clear blue waters of Flathead and exploring Glacier National Park. What an incredible place to call home.

A lot has changed in the Valley over the years, but the spirit of community, adventure, and innovation thrives. Tenacity and a passion for meaningful work were on full display when, on day one, we visited the Kalispell Kreamery. The family-run dairy farm has not missed a two-a-day milking in the 45 years they’ve operated the business. After sampling their cold brew and chocolate milk, we learned there’s not much better than teat to table. Support your local dairy farmer!

It felt like we never skipped a beat as our cohort continued getting to know each other and learn together. We were introduced to the tenants of Gracious Space and saw those in action as the alumni panel raised issues of housing insecurity, lack of public transportation, and experiences of white privilege. The Nate Chute Foundation educated us on the suicide cluster occurring among young people in the Flathead Valley. As the Executive Director of a primary care clinic, I was sobered by the statistic that approximately 45% of all individuals who die by suicide visit their primary care provider in the two weeks preceding their death. When I shared this with my staff, everyone from the physicians to the front desk staff agreed that we should pursue the QPR training to increase our skills and awareness in identifying individuals at risk of self-harm.

Moments of contemplation and introspection were interspersed with great food, great conversation, and amazing scenery. Although we never saw the elusive Grouse Mountain black bear, we did enjoy some fantastic cocktails and the most extravagant charcuterie board at Spotted Bear Spirits in downtown Whitefish.

The training culminated with tours of local businesses, a highlight of the session. What a gift to be a lifelong learner – to find that your curiosity about new things never fades. I learned about issues with the supply chain of fertilizer chemicals coming from China, which doubled the price for the next growing season for Montana farmers. I saw up close, a semi-truck being manufactured as a state-of-the-art communications command center. Innovation, community, adventure – these things are alive and well in the Flathead Valley, and they are defining characteristics of the friends I’m making through Leadership Montana.