The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

I’m Mikayla Higgins, and I have lived in Electric City since I was 2. Two years ago, I left for the first time when I began college in Seattle at the University of Washington.

When I got the opportunity for the internship at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, I was excited to spend a few more months in the town I grew up in, and to reconnect with people I have known my entire life.

I have been reflecting on how much the area has shaped the young adult I have become. When I first moved to Seattle, I was moving to a large city to attend a university that has more students than the population of all of the small towns in our area combined. I had to get outside of my comfort zone to make new friends.

Despite this, Grand Coulee helped me handle this new chapter. In a town where I know almost everyone, no matter where I go, I am always stopping and having conversations with people. Being able to approach anyone and have a conversation in Grand Coulee has helped me develop immaculate communication skills and has allowed me to thrive, even in a large city.

Coming back to the place I’ve called home my entire life after living in Seattle for two years has been eye-opening. In Seattle, I have grown so used to being able to walk 15 minutes to the nearest store or movie theater. Living in Grand Coulee gives me the convenience to drive to a lake in five minutes, something that is not as easy in Seattle.

I have been so lucky to have called this place home for so many years, but for now, Grand Coulee will be a destination rather than my home. I am pursuing a career in fashion merchandising, and Grand Coulee does not have the industry for the path I have chosen. I look forward to the rest of my summer here, spending time with family and old friends, boating, and learning more about marketing and communications through my internship with the chamber.

Even if I never live in Grand Coulee again, it will always be my home and somewhere I will always be excited to visit.

My name is Danielle Setniker, and I grew up in Bothell, Washington, not including a couple years in Nebraska when I was little. Now I live in Snohomish with my parents and younger brother and will be a junior at Walla Walla University, majoring in English.

I was nervous to come here for the internship simply because everything is new, and I’m on my own, similar to Mikayla’s transition to Seattle. I’m still learning about the area, which I haven’t been to before. I’m only here for the summer, but I’m not a tourist, which gives me a somewhat unique perspective. Things locals or even yearly vacationers might take for granted I am seeing for the first time: the dam, the lakes, the towns. I may not be able to give tourists directions, but I’m allowed to laugh with my coworkers at stories of people launching their boats by disconnecting the trailer from their truck.

Thanks to Walla Walla, I’m already used to living in a small town where I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone I know. Here, I run into people I’ve never met who somehow know I’m one of the chamber’s interns.

There are lots of things to do in the coulee, but they aren’t typical activities for college students. People adapt to rural living in interesting ways. It surprised me to learn that some folks here are willing to drive an hour or more to get fast food or see a movie. Since I grew up with lakes, parks, boating and hiking, I’m perfectly content just exploring the outdoors and knowing there’s WiFi. That said, I’m only here for a couple months of the summer. As much as I love the area, to find a career in journalism or publishing, I’d probably have to freelance online to live here permanently.

I definitely intend to visit Grand Coulee, and I look forward to seeing how the towns grow in the years to come.