Shay Cochran
Shay Cochran, a junior at C. M. Russell High School, will graduate in 2026. Cochran is a proficient photographer and hard worker, with experience in photography throughout a singular year of photojournalism and picture taking with handheld devices such as a phone. He is involved in Track and Field, where he is a varsity sprinter, running in the 100M, 200M, 400M and the 4×1 Relay. Cochran wants to expand his photojournalism, aiming to develop his skills in landscape and portrait photos. His long term goals include living comfortably enough to have his photography be a hobby and earning a degree in computer engineering. Cochran is a photographer of the Newspaper club.
Kira Friesen – Kira Friesen is a photographer for Charles M. Russell High School and recently became involved in the yearbook and newspaper club. When she’s not at school, you can find her at the Buckle, her place or work, or at home with her family. She is very fond of her two dogs. Birdie, a mini australian shepherd and Bosco, a Doberman Pinscher. Her taste in fashion is one of her passions, as well as reading, photography, coloring, traveling, and in the summer wake surfing. However, her dream future career consists of none of those passions. Friesen wants to be a pilot, but until then she’s excited to bring what she can to the table.
Malena Gangi- Malena Gangi is a junior journalistic writer and photographer at Charles M. Russell High School. She has had three years of experience in the journalism department, has been an intern for The Electric newspaper, and is currently a member of the school newspaper club. She is an athlete in cross country and long distance track. Gangi also can be found engaging in her outside hobbies, including playing electric guitar, volunteering at the MacLean animal shelter, and sculpting pottery at Paris Gibson Art Museum. She has lived in eight states, due to her dad’s military career, but has settled in for the long run to finish her high school years. She is a big rock n’ roll music fan, and particularly enjoys the bands The Smashing Pumpkins, The Goo Goo Dolls, Megadeth, and Soul Asylum. Besides music, Gangi loves her black cat and golden retriever, Oliver and Bengi, and is obsessed with coffee flavored ice cream. In the future, she hopes to involve herself with a career that exercises her skills in writing, communications, and creativity. However, she is open to embracing the adventure of finding her career path and trying new things.
Kaydence Gilroy
Kaydence Gilroy is a senior at Charles M. Russell High School. Gilroy has always had an interest in photography, but it wasn’t until spring 2024 when she discovered how fun it was. She is involved with theatre, the Wranglers dance team, student government, Newspaper club and is involved in various AP classes. Gilroy enjoys drawing, listening to all types of music, dancing, watching crime documentaries, and reading. She plans on going to the University of Montana to achieve her Bachelor’s Degree in psychology with a minor in criminology. She plans to study and practice photography on the side while working hard to achieve her dreams of pursuing a career in behavioral analysis in the criminal justice world.
Maddy Osterman
Maddy Osterman is a junior at Charles M. Russell High School. She enjoys many things such as learning Spanish, photography, and writing. She grew up in a family of six with many pets, moving all around Montana when she was younger due to her dad being in the military. She’s lived in Helena, Butte, and Great Falls. Osterman usually spends her free time running with the CMR cross country team, training for the Las Vegas Half Marathon, becoming a lady wrestler, and running track. She spends a lot of time with her friends and family, as they are a big priority for her. She enjoys a lot of different genres of music such as country, rap, and 90s hip hop. With many goals in life she aspires to go to college for photography or journalism, possibly join the military, and travel around. She has always wanted to go somewhere in Mexico and has helped that goal with learning Spanish the last four years.
Mia Shawver
Mia Shawver is a senior at Charles M. Russell High School. Shawver has been in the Video Production department for the last 4 years. She is also a 2 year AP art student and plays the flute in CMR’s Symphonic band as well as being one of the band’s Drum Major. Shawver is a big fan of all kinds of movies and is very interested in the process behind making them. In her free time she writes screenplays as well as other fictional pieces. After graduation she plans to go to police academy. She is working towards becoming a deputy for the CCSO and eventually doing some detective work. She plans to continue pursuing her creative writing dreams in her free time.
Ethan Smith
Ethan Smith is a senior at Charles M. Russell High School. Smith is going to graduate this May. Smith is a good photographer and has many years of experience with cameras whether it being with his father’s camera or his own. He is also involved with band being in the program for eight years. Smith wants to improve his skills in photography by going out and creating photos and getting advice from his father who has many years of experience. He is also involved in the Newspaper club and does more of the technical stuff helping with the design of the website. Smith plans to attend the University of Montana and major in Astronomy and minor in photography.
Sofia Wayne
Sofia Wayne is a freshman at Charles M. Russell High School, class of 2028. She is involved in Newspaper club and Art club, and she wrestles for CMR. Her favorite class is English because she enjoys reading and writing, also joining the newspaper club for that same reason. She’s a fan of the Dallas Stars and Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. She’s been living in Great Falls since August after moving from Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived her whole life. She is a cat lover, and she has three cats – Poonie, Chunky and Nancy – and two dogs, Winston and Harper. She likes to write about the sports that go on at CMR, teachers, and other school events. Her favorite food is homemade chicken gumbo, and her favorite drink is coconut Dr Pepper or Diet Coke. She enjoys country music like Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Flatland Cavalry or other artists like Mazzy Star, Beabadoobee, Fiona Apple and Esha Tewari. Her favorite movies are “The Wizard of Oz”, “I, Tonya”, “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2”. Her favorite television show is “Community” or “Elementary” and her favorite color is pink. Wayne is hoping to begin the path to becoming an elementary teacher, wanting to work with first or second graders after college, hoping to either go to Texas A&M or a Montana school. She is excited to continue her journey in Journalism and continue to work on her reporting skills.