Bigfork High School senior Lillie Suffia can be hard to pin down and even harder to keep up with.  

A dedicated student and committed athlete, she seems to float through the halls of Bigfork High School on her way to the Monday morning staff meeting of The Norse Code, Bigfork's student newspaper, of which she is the editor-in-chief. As she walks, she mentions that the varsity volleyball team, which she captains, closed out its season on top of the conference and is headed to the divisional tournament. 

When she's not on the court or reporting a story, Suffia is carrying out her duties as student body president, logging volunteer hours with the National Honor Society and tallying straight As in her classes. 

But its Suffia's warmth and care for those around her, even amid a demanding schedule, that netted her this quarter's Winslow Nichols Leadership Award, presented to Northwest Montana high school students who are leaders in their communities.  

"Lillie is an exceptional student, but what makes her truly deserving of this recognition goes far beyond her impressive academic accomplishments. She is a young woman who leads with positivity, kindness, confidence and a genuine respect for the people around her," wrote library media specialist Scarlett Sherman, who nominated Suffia for the award. “The quality I most admire in Lily is her positivity. She has a way of making people feel seen and valued. Something as simple as Lily walking by and always saying hello to me speaks volumes about her character.” 

The youngest of six, Suffia's family moved from California to Bigfork when she was in the third grade. Her father Mike is a handyman around town and her mother Ra decided to stay home to support Suffia.  

"I can come home from a school day of stress and so many things to balance to parents who give me the space and freedom to process it and work things out on my own, but also they're so willing to give me a helping hand or a word of advice... I would say my home life definitely helps me a ton in balancing all of the things that I do," Suffia said.  

In her second year at the helm of The Norse Code, Suffia is passionate about digital media, journalism and writing. Since her freshman year, she has captured more than 15 awards at the University of Montana's Journalism Day, which recognizes outstanding high school journalism.  

As editor, Suffia oversees the publication of eight news magazines per year along with the production of weekly newscasts. She and her staff have collaborated with the Montana Media Lab to create an audio documentary on changing lake levels in Flathead Lake that was later aired on Montana Public Radio.  

Looking back on the work she's done with The Norse Code, Suffia is most proud of a story she wrote while covering the effort to switch to a four-day school week. While the proposal was ultimately voted down by the school board, Suffia enjoyed following often passionate discourse. 

"That was a hard-hitting topic for a lot of people, and it definitely affected the target audience I was trying to get at," Suffia said. 

This week, Suffia published a piece in the Norse Code examining the relationship between the First Amendment and journalism in the Flathead Valley, interviewing Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman for the story. Suffia was inspired to investigate the topic after being selected as the Montana representative for the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C., over the summer. The program brings together the nation's top high school journalists to spend a week in the capital exploring the field of multimedia storytelling.  

"I toured the NBC newsrooms and the Wall Street Journal, all these crazy fun things that I never would even imagine I would find myself in," Suffia said. "It was super big for me as a small-town girl who just picked up journalism as a hobby, and seeing how I compare with all of these insanely high caliber students across the country was a really cool moment for me." 

And Suffia's love of journalism spills into other facets of her life: for her award-winning National History Day documentary project, Suffia and her partner tracked down barrier-breaking news anchor and Bigfork resident Connie Chung. Suffia interviewed Chung about her landmark conversation with basketball legend Magic Johnson after his HIV diagnosis. 

As a Winslow Nichols Award recipient, Suffia also received $250 to donate to a school organization or program. Suffia selected her journalism class, with the money going toward a new camera for the program.  

"Lillie elevates everyone around her, and my hope is that she continues to do that in her future, making the world a better place, because that's what we need," English teacher Annmari Sikon said.  

Next fall, Suffia is headed to Florida College in Temple Terrace, Fla., to continue her volleyball career and study biology and health sciences. The same traits that she has cultivated as a student journalist – curiosity, a knack for investigation and a desire to help others – have drawn her to the sciences. As a highs school senior, she's not yet entirely sure how all of her interests and passions will intersect, but she's excited to chase her goals with the same tenacity that has made her a leader at Bigfork High School.  

"Part of my motivation in leadership and all of the things that I do is making sure I can lead with kindness and positivity and spread God's love and kindness in all of my interactions throughout my day," Suffia said. 

And she's excited to play volleyball at the collegiate level. Throughout the years of both high school and travel ball, the sport has become a refuge for Suffia, away from the busyness, where she's able to unload and focus on something besides school.  

After 10 years in Bigfork, she knows she'll miss the community that raised her as she heads south to warmer weather.  

"Knowing that I'm leaving has definitely given me a lot more appreciation for the people, and even for the nature," Suffia said. "Even on my daily drive to school, I'm always just thinking about how I'm going to miss this, and I'm so grateful for everything that Bigfork has given me." 

The Winslow Nichols Award is presented quarterly to one student from Flathead, Lake and Lincoln counties. The award is sponsored by Logan Health in collaboration with Hagadone Media Montana newspapers including the Bigfork Eagle and Daily Inter Lake.  

Eligibility: High school students in Flathead, Lake or Lincoln counties.   

Academics: Students who value their education by exhibiting academic responsibility; preferably have a 3.0 GPA or higher.   

Character: Students who display integrity, compassion, service and excellence.   

Citizenship: Students who nurture healthy communities through community service, volunteerism or other contributions to their community and/or school.   

Leadership: Students who take initiative and are role models for others.   

Forms are available at logan.org/tomorrowsleaders.

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Bigfork High School senior Lillie Suffia is honored with the Winslow Nichols Leadership Award. (Courtesy photo)
  

    Lillie Suffia uses fingertip control to make a return over Browning on senior day.
 Steve Mitchell