Passing the Torch

 

Shane Griffin, Garrett Smith and Amanda Steiner

I enjoyed the good fortune of having coffee with three amazing people yesterday. 

Garrett Smith and I have known each other since the early 1990s when he was a student in my sophomore honors English class. 

He has been home from France with his family for the past couple of weeks. 

Part of his visit involved a 30-year SHS class reunion, which Garrett actually spurred from his home in Grenoble, France. 

He also spent time with his brother and sister at the Smith family home. 

Garrett's journey after high school took him to Boston University and later to Boeing in Seattle as an engineer. 

During high school, when a group of French students spent a couple of weeks on an exchange at Sandpoint High School, Garrett's future wife was assigned to the Smith home. 

Eventually, the two married and moved to France where they have raised their family.   Garrett worked at Airbus and later decided to go on his own as a wind energy entrepreneur. 

Working with kite energy, Garrett and his partner hope to complete a product which, in some cases, will provide energy to a single home.  They also envision developing the product to serve several homes in populated areas. 

You can read more Garrett and his company's  innovative ideas by clicking the link. 

https://wind-fisher.com/

Over the 30-plus years of knowing Garrett, I have become very aware of his passion for family, for outdoor recreation and for "giving back." 

I'm not stretching one bit when I say he's an all-around gifted, talented and caring individual. 

These qualities became very apparent to me a couple  of years ago when he wrote me an email expressing his interest in founding and funding a scholarship for future Sandpoint High graduates. 

In doing so, he honors four of his high school teachers who influenced his pathway forward:  Richard Gehring (math), Woody Aunan (chemistry and physics), Marianne Love (English) and Gareth Abell (engineering shop). 

Gareth's "GALA" award, which uses the letters of each teacher's last name came to fruition this year with two 2022 Sandpoint High graduates chosen as recipients.

While developing the scholarship, Gareth asked me and Jeralyn Mire to work with him on creating the criteria and in facilitating the scholarship application and the eventual awards. 

Our purpose in getting together for coffee yesterday was to get acquainted, in person, with Shane Griffin and Amanda Steiner, whom we knew only through their scholarship applications.

One would have thought we'd all known each other for years as conversation flowed freely. 

Shane lives out west of town, and he's a very involved student athlete and scholar who's bound for Boise State University next week.  

Shane hopes to major in environmental studies and later transfer to the University of Idaho to earn his law degree.  

His hope:  to use his legal skills and knowledge to help protect the environment. 

Meanwhile, Amanda will be directing her studies at the University of Montana toward a degree in physical therapy. 

She told us, that as a dancer, she has had ample personal experiences with physical therapy. Plus, through the SHS health occupations program she has worked as an intern for several local physical therapists. 

Our coffee session also provided Garrett and opportunity to share his own educational and career journey AND to provide some inspirational words to Shane and Amanda as they set off on the next chapter in their lives. 

And so, three generations sat at that table yesterday, exchanging personal stories along with a touch or two  of cheerleading. 

It was inspiring and fun, to say the least. 

Thanks to Garrett for his vision, his generosity and for passing along the enduring torch which ignites the promise of education. 

Also, best of luck to Shane and Amanda. 

It was both fun and an honor to be a part of this wonderful and long-lasting undertaking.