Top grads: Jacob Unruh, Cd’A Charter salutatorian
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years AGO
Unruh
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | May 21, 2020 1:11 AM
I'm originally from Coupeville, Wash., then moved here when I was 11. I've been playing the violin for 10 years. Though I love living in Coeur d'Alene, I'm excited to go to college in Denver!
Activities/clubs/sports: Tennis, Spokane Youth Symphony, acting.
Hobbies: Playing violin, hiking, skiing, stargazing, drawing, video editing, photography.
Favorite books/movies/music: “1984,” post-apocalyptic novels, “Schindler's List,” “The Office,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Parasite,” romantic and modern classical music (especially Russian classical music), indie rock, all kinds of jazz, Hilary Hahn, Jacob Collier.
Favorite school subject: Government.
Senior quote: "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." — Walt Whitman
What has been your proudest moment in your school career? Playing lead roles in “The Odd Couple” and “The Foreigner.”
What has been the biggest challenge you overcame to become top of your class? I didn't overcome challenges simply to be at the top of the class. I overcame challenges because they added meaning to my life. In that sense, finding a healthy balance between my social life and my academic life was the greatest challenge that I overcame.
What is one of your favorite school memories, from K-12? Playing Christmas carols on a clarinet carrot throughout the halls.
What are your plans for after high school? I'm studying violin performance at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, as well as political science. I will also be minoring in leadership studies in the Pioneer Leadership Program. During my time at college, I want to do service projects that promote universal basic income, the policy that was the focus of my senior project.
Who has been your biggest influence or your biggest cheerleader through your academic journey? My parents. They have always been proud of my achievements, but they also encouraged me to live a balanced life.
What will you miss most about high school? The people. I've made some great friends.
What advice do you have for younger students that will help them excel in their studies? Make friends, then work hard. Humans are social beings. Without a foundation of solid relationships, academic achievements might feel meaningless.
What is your legacy to your school? I hope I have inspired younger people to become more dedicated to music, and I also hope that my fellow introverts were encouraged when they saw me playing very eccentric characters in two plays. I helped contribute to a collaborative atmosphere through my respect for different perspectives, my strange sense of humor and my noncompetitive nature. I hope these qualities endure in future classes.
• • • The Class of 2020 is filled with stars so bright, even a worldwide pandemic can't overshadow their accomplishments. This series will highlight the top graduates of North Idaho's high schools. Top seniors, we salute you!
ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS
At long last, first-time homeowners move into Post Falls' Britton neighborhood
At long last, first-time homeowners move into Britton neighborhood
Puffy white clouds rolled across the deep blue sky as that new home smell wafted on the breeze. The sun shined on the celebration unfolding on Britton Road in Post Falls. And just as happens on a lucky wedding day, the skies opened long enough to sprinkle rain and blessings on the first-time homeowners who received the keys to their brand-new homes. "We are standing in the middle of a first-in-the-nation solution to restore the American Dream of homeownership for our hard-working families whose wages have not and will not catch up to our escalating market rate prices for real estate," Panhandle Affordable Housing Alliance Executive Director Maggie Lyons said Thursday.
Panhandle Health's Ekizian leads charge for Medical Reserve Corps volunteers
Panhandle Health's Ekizian leads charge for Medical Reserve Corps volunteers
Although she didn't grow up in a family of doctors or first responders, Jennifer Ekizian found her calling in the realm of public health. This was after she set off to become a nurse but ended up obtaining an emergency medical technician license and a master’s degree in public safety and leadership with an emphasis on fire and working in law enforcement and fire dispatch. “However, I ended up doing my internship with the Office of Emergency Management," she said Wednesday in her Panhandle Health District office in Hayden. "That was my first exposure to emergency preparedness.” While continuing her emergency response training and experience, she spent years working in real estate, which was never a truly fulfilling career for her. “I just got to a point in my life when I wanted to help people," she said.
FAST FIVE Abbie Waters: Teaching Project SEARCH interns how to navigate life
Meet Abbie Waters, who was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene and continues to raise her own young family in the area. A University of Idaho Vandal grad, Abbie is a special education teacher with the Coeur d'Alene School District and has been working with individuals with disabilities for almost a decade. Currently, her role within the district is co-instructor for the Project SEARCH program at Kootenai Health. She has worked with the program since 2017. The 15th class will celebrate graduation Tuesday, June 3.