The Boulder Monitor met online with two graduating Jefferson High School seniors on May 21, Hadassah Auch of Boulder and Mariah Maichel of Montana City. They both volunteered to share their views. They told us how COVID-19 has affected their senior year, they looked toward the future, as well as reminisced, and they talked about the community they grew up in but will soon be leaving.
What we heard was that time has been robbed and goodbyes rushed. But they remember Jefferson High and the community in a good light, as well as the four years the community backed them all the way.
Both students’ comments have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
How has COVID-19 impacted your life beyond school being closed? Has it changed the way you think about relationships with other people and personal responsibility?
Hadassah — My dad survived cancer and he has other health or medical problems, so we have to be very careful not to… we have to keep ourselves safe for our dad. Looking at it like that, because I have somebody so close to me that could be impacted heavily by COVID-19. I work at a restaurant (The River) and we have a whole bunch of new sanitation rules and we have to take our temperature when we go in. There are a whole bunch of new rules and restrictions to keep us and others comfortable and as safe as possible. It has affected my life outside of school.
Mariah — It affected me getting a job because everything was closing down. I work better with school while in school so I’ve been struggling a lot to get all of my work in. Because of quarantine you can only have so many people together at a time so I haven’t hung out with a lot of people.
Perhaps more than at any other time in your lives, you are facing a time of uncertainty. How are you dealing with that?
Mariah — I’m just trying to take it one step at a time and not letting it weigh me down too much. I’m just focusing on what I can do to get through it well.
Hadassah — I’m taking it one day at a time and just focusing on what I can control. For me, it’s getting up and going to work, helping tutor kids who come over to my house. What I can control about my future, I’m focusing on that instead of what’s uncertain or scary right now.
How would you rate your high school experience? Anything you would want to change?
Hadassah — I would rate my high school experience probably a nine out of 10 because even with all of the high school stuff people have to go through there was still a lot of positive things that happened. When I look back on my time at JHS I see more of the happy days than the bad days. The happy days and the bad days shaped who I am as a person now and how I view the world and how I get through adversity and work through problems. I wouldn’t really change anything about my high school experience because I’m grateful for all the experiences I had.
Mariah — I don’t want to change it because it is definitely unique what we are going through, but I would rate it.. Fair, I’ve had my ups and downs in it.
How would you describe the relationships you have developed within the community? Do you plan to stay in touch?
Mariah — Like my teachers and friends and that?… I think I’ll definitely stay in touch with them. I’m going to try to. But it may be difficult at the same time. (she’s going to Louisiana).
Anybody in particular you would like to keep up with?
Mariah — Just my closest friends, the ones who have been there for me all throughout high school, like Hadassah for example.
Have you been able to see each other during this or not at all?
Hadassah — I was able to go to one of my foreign exchange student friends’ going away party before she went back to Sweden. But yeah, we have been pretty cut off from each other.
How has that affected you? How do you feel? Do you feel robbed of some time?
Mariah — With all of the missed opportunities we are having like our senior high school prom. We don’t get to really walk at graduation like everyone else has in the past.
Hadassah — Yeah, the last few months we have really had to say goodbye to not only our friends but also our teachers who have been there and supported us all throughout these four years. We don’t really get any closure for the last four years and building all the relationships that we’ve had.
Mariah — An unexpected goodbye pretty much.
Hadassah — Yeah, because the last day of school we really had was the Jazz concert, that was the last real normal event that we had. It was so crazy how fast everything happened. I mean nobody expected it (school) to close down on a Monday. And we said goodbye to our friends, see ya Monday and I haven’t seen them for two months. Just how quickly it happened, how unexpected, and how long it has been going on.
What do you imagine for yourself 10 years from now? What would your ideal life look like?
Hadassah — Well, 10 years from now hopefully I will be in medical school finishing up my stuff. I want to be a pediatrician so hopefully in 10 years I will be in good standing with my career and my schoolwork and my relationships. Hopefully I will be happy, I guess is the big thing. I’m going to Western (The University of Montana- Western) to major in biology and then my plan is to go to Washington or Oregon.
Mariah — I want to work with animals but more specifically, any type of reptile, so that is why I will be going down south (Louisiana).
In the future, what do you think happiness would be for you both?
Mariah — Doing what I love. That’s me.
Hadassah — Yeah, I guess that’s the correct answer doing what you love and being surrounded by people who support you and love you… and having dogs.
Will you some day return to Jefferson County? If not, where would you like to live?
Mariah — I may return to Jefferson County but I will probably not live here. I’ll just visit. But down South anywhere.
Hadassah — Like Mariah, I plan to visit here and see my family and everything but I will probably go where I;m needed and wherever I can provide the best care. But I would like to settle down in the west coast, Oregon or Washington kind of area. Because I went to Portland on a field trip with the art club and I kind of just fell in love with the area. Somewhere over there would be good.
What’s your vision for the future of this area?
Hadassah — I’ve never really thought of this. I don’t really know I mean I kind of like the way our town is now. Everyone just kind of knows everyone and everyone is really friendly with each other. I guess I don’t really have an answer for that. I’ve never really thought of it. I kind of like how … I wouldn’t really want us to grow because I feel like we would lose the kind of like homey feeling tha Boulder has. You can drive down the street and I know exactly where everyone lives and who is in each house and what their dog is named. It’s kind of just like if I feel like if anything changed it wouldn’t really feel like home for me. So I’m not sure.
Mariah — There’s some spots and houses in Boulder that just aren’t the cleanest, like the trailer parks. They could maybe clean that up a little bit and it might help the town out a little more. (She lives in Montana City now, having moved almost a year ago).
How is it different in Montana City than it is here?
Mariah — Considering it is right by Helena, like right there. It’s really different. I see a lot more people. Boulder is kind of a low town and Montana City is a lot more higher up, so you see more fancy houses and stuff like that. A lot of the houses are nicer here, a lot of the vehicles are in better shape and stuff like that.
Hadassah — I feel like that it is (a small town) cause we don’t really have a lot of businesses or a lot of jobs here in Boulder. We have a few Main Street businesses but I guess that is something that we would have to change.
In what ways could Jefferson High School be improved, and by extension, the Boulder area?
Mariah — They need an hour lunch instead of 30 minutes. I don’t know what to actually change about it because it is such a good little school for a little town. They could add some more programs. For me, only biology and ecology are at the school, and for wanting to study reptiles there’s not really a whole lot of classes. I love all the teachers. All of them are really nice.
Hadassah — I think Jefferson High School is a great school but it could definitely be improved upon. I’m really proud of the fact that they are doing mental health and how to help. Boulder is such a small town and we are so far away from everyone, substance abuse and depression and mental illness is really really high in Montana. I really appreciate the programs they are doing but they could be improved upon. Also pay more attention to the clubs because I feel like a lot of the money the Booster Club gives out goes to sports and I feel like a very small portion actually goes to the clubs. Which is really sad I feel like, because the clubs are just as important as the sports. Even though people don’t gather for the clubs they are just as impactful for the students’ lives. I wish they didn’t cover the murals too. I’m not 100% sure why they covered them.
I understand that new equipment is needed every so many years and athletes need money and I’m not trying to say they do not deserve money or any less money, but I do think that we should be promoting the other clubs and activities. Also, I’m friends with athletes and I know it’s frustrating when the boys get new gear and the girls are working with old gear.
Would you say Boulder as a community is open-minded?
Mariah — They are pretty open-minded. I think people really just let them be them. At least that is how I’ve seen it.
Hadassah — I think it kind of depends on the people. I think it depends what you are talking about with open mindedness. I feel like most people are willing to listen to other people when it comes to that sort of stuff. Like a lot of the Boulder community that I see and I interact with are more of the elderly people. It just depends on what we are talking about if that makes sense. Overall I think Boulder is just kind of you be you and I’ll be me.
How do you feel about the upcoming graduation?
Hadassah — I’m happy we’re having one and we’re having one where everyone gets to graduate together. We’ll be as much together as we can get. I’m just glad our school thought of a creative way to celebrate the end of the chapter. I’m thankful for all the time and effort they took and that they listened to what we had to say. It just shows that they really do care about us. I appreciate everyone who put together our graduation.
