Your Own Private River Park
Tucked away in the patriotic city of Star, Idaho, River Park Estates rests along a half-mile stretch of riverfront property. World-class homes, modern architecture, and sophisticated design invite you in, while stunning lake views and activities are no longer reserved for the weekend.
Relaxation awaits.
Dear Readers,
At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Egypt’s Nada Hafez revealed that she’d been fencing for two. The athlete, who was seven months pregnant, wasn’t alone, in so many ways. Azerbaijani archer Yaylagul Ramazanova, six months pregnant, felt her baby kick before she shot a 10. South Korean sharpshooter Kim Yeji, her daughter’s stuffed elephant dangling from her cocked hip, earned a silver in less than 40 seconds. Gold medalist Allyson Felix spearheaded efforts to establish the first Olympic Village Nursery, which provided private spaces for breastfeeding, a family lounge, and changing stations.
It was a good year to be a working mother in that regard, and a mostly great year to be a woman at the Olympics. From Ilona Maher’s platform of body acceptance and work to emphasize that athleticism doesn’t have a size to Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles’s bows to Brazilian gold medal gymnast Rebeca Andrade, this year’s Olympic games saw women doing it all. And they were supporting other women while they did it, including the crowds who arrived to cheer on Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif after she faced online abuse over misconceptions about her sex.
These women, and many more, showed up for themselves and for each other, and the people watching at home felt it too. We felt patriotic certainly, but never spiteful when Team USA didn’t get the gold. Call it robust happiness that didn’t include hating the other guy. I am sincerely hopeful that this joy born of witnessing the extraordinary might continue after the Olympics, and as the election cycle wears on, no matter the outcome. These are unprecedented times.
But, while there is reason to be hopeful, there is tragedy happening here and around the globe. In Afghanistan, where girls do not even have access to education beyond sixth grade, the Taliban government has codified restrictions prohibiting the sound of their voice outside the home. Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Paris Olympics, recently died from burns sustained when her former boyfriend set her on fire, a victim of the disturbing rise in femicide in Kenya and other African nations. Moumita Debnath, a trainee doctor in Kolkata, was raped and murdered on campus in early August. Here in Idaho, women in dire need of lifesaving healthcare were forced to travel to nearby states to access the care they needed, which you’ll learn more about in a story by David Adler.
We do not wish to put on display the various traumas of women here and abroad, but to acknowledge that they exist and that we must do better, even as we continue to make progress. Like Wonder Woman, we hold our Lasso of Truth, ugly as it may be.
Brazilian gymnast Flavia Araiva competed with a deep wound on the side of her face and a black eye, the result of an injury sustained during practice. In some ways, it was a peek behind the curtain. Like Diana Prince, Wonder Woman’s civilian identity, Araiva’s suit had allowed her to operate undetected. For a moment on the mat, we glimpsed the worldly warrior, the woman without the mask, battle hardened and ready.
Though she’s been written and shaped into a thousand different versions of herself with an arsenal of magical items, Wonder Woman is always compassionate and calm, with a steadfast belief in love, empathy, and compassion. These qualities, while not exclusively female, are necessary now more than ever, and we honor them in her and in the women who have followed.
In this issue of IdaHome, and in recognition of Wonder Woman Day on October 21, we’re celebrating the incredible women in our own communities, including Alyssa Mendoza and Muffy Davis, competitors in the Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. We have stories of women starting businesses, nonprofits, and difficult conversations, stories of triumph, compassion, and power that goes far beyond gender.
Women’s issues are, as always, human issues. We’re thrilled to tell these stories, today and everyday.
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2024
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KAREN DAY
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© 2024 IdaHome Magazine. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to IdaHome Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher.
ON THE COVER
The suffragette movement, emerging in the late 19th century, fought for women's voting rights. Through protests and civil disobedience, these women initiated significant political reform and secured the right to vote in several countries by the end of the century. Today, women voters play a crucial role in shaping elections and public policy worldwide. Key influencers in healthcare, education, and equality, their voting power contributes to more diverse leadership and social and economic reform across nations.
CONTRIBUTORS
April Neale Jodie Nicotra
David Gray Adler
Aurora Stone Mehlman
Chereen Langrill Elaine Yarbrough
Michelle Stone
Dave Southorn Cherie Buckner-Webb
Juliana Rennó Bounds
Karen Day
Chelsea Chambers
Heather Hamilton-Post
MUFFY IN PARIS
Idaho’s gold medalist ignites the city of lights
BY APRIL NEALE
Muffy Davis is, among other things, a Paralympic champion. Currently the county commissioner in Blaine County, Idaho, Davis also sits on the governing board for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), where she was elected in 2017. From there, she is helping to steer the future of the International Paralympic Movement, wrapping up its Paris showing with over 4,000 athletes competing this year. The sporting event is the world's third most-watched, something not lost on Idaho's three-time gold medalist in alpine skiing and cycling. Davis had no way of knowing her journey would take her there. In 1989, the same year the Paralympics emerged, her life
was upended in a devastating ski accident.
"Every athlete in the Paralympics has had some adversity that they've overcome to get there and compete. I'm thrilled to be a part of it,” she said.
“I didn't have to give up my dream of being a competitive athlete or a ski racer who evolved into a cyclist. I was fortunate I had those same opportunities because this existed,” said Davis. "Athletes have said it forever; we just need people to see it.”
According to Davis, once NBC started airing the games, held in Salt Lake City, people who saw it loved it. The London Paralympics blew up. “People realized this was real athleticism. Viewers were addicted,” Davis said. Wheelchair
rugby—nicknamed “Murder Ball”—is a favorite for Davis, who notes that, with chairs crashing into each other and even flipping over, she can’t move her like they move theirs, even after 34 years.
“The Olympics are always looking for a good backstory. Every athlete in the Paralympics has that story," she said.
For her, it began at age three, when she began skiing. “And by age seven, I told my parents, 'God made me to be a ski racer.' Living in Sun Valley, we had all these other amazing athletes like Gretchen Fraser. I would ski her run and say, 'Someday, I am going to win a medal, and they're going to name a run after me.' And I was lucky, good at a young age. It felt natural [to be] on skis,” Davis said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron receive the Paralympic committee, including Muffy Davis, at the Palais De L’elysee. PHOTO COURTESY OF MUFFY DAVIS
After her accident, life looked a little different, but meeting adversity took Davis through pre-med undergrad at Stanford University, then a robust public speaking schedule—and Idaho politics, too. "The first few years after [the injury], coming to acceptance and tolerance took a few years. I wanted to get better, live a full life, and do my things. It evolved into sports. And the word I would always get from people is, 'Wow, you're such an inspiration.' I'd come home to my dad, saying, 'Oh, dad, they used the "I" word. I can't believe it.' It drove me crazy," she said.
With the help of Davis, Idaho has become something of a powerhouse in adaptive sports. She credits the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation’s decision to back the Challenged Athletes Foundation of Idaho, who created the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse, which added programming and funding for athletes with disabilities. They also sponsor Mission 43 for veterans in Idaho.
“My family created a Sun Valley Adaptive Sports nonprofit, which evolved into Higher Ground in Sun Valley. They have an amazing adaptive ski program, fly fishing, mountain biking, and more. Any athlete with a disability can apply for a grant for equipment and training. Adaptive sports are expensive, and insurance doesn't cover adaptive recreational equipment," Davis explained.
Despite such barriers to competition, Davis never wavered in her resolve. "I went to the Paralympics and got up on that podium seven times, three times on the top, and saw how that motivated people. It made me turn it around and realize that it's a real gift. If I can do what I love and encourage other people, that's a blessing,” she said. Davis does not take any of it lightly, and cherishes her ability to speak and share her challenges and triumphs through the support of family and friends. She’s eager to share her story, and hopes it offers access to the tools people need to help them achieve their own goals.
“I get to inspire people. I didn't let the accident stop me from pursuing that dream,” Davis said. “I love that. That's what everyone needs in life."
At the Stade de France, American Ezra Fretch won his second gold medal of the games in the high jump. “I have known Ezra since he was six. I met him at a Challenged Athlete’s Foundation event in California. He is now one of the top U.S. athletics athletes,” said Davis. PHOTO COURTESY OF MUFFY DAVIS
Muffy Davis and husband Jeff Burley met on an adaptive rafting trip. Together, they’ve traveled the world. PHOTO COURTESY OF MUFFY DAVIS
OLYMPIC BOXER ALYSSA MENDOZA Soaks In Spotlight, Eyes Return
BY DAVE SOUTHORN
“Everyone has a plan until they get hit.”
Legendary heavyweight boxer Joe Louis said it more than 80 years ago, and it is one of those quotes that fits the sport perfectly. Of course, it goes far beyond the ring.
For Alyssa Mendoza, getting hit is part of the plan—and how she has responded is why her current life “feels surreal.”
The day before her 21st birthday, on August 16, Alyssa had never smiled so much, met so many people, or been so celebrated. In her hometown of Caldwell, she was recognized as the youngest member of the United State’s Olympic boxing team, given a key to the city, and honored with Alyssa Mendoza Day.
“I have a new wardrobe, I got a new computer, a new phone, I was in Paris—and it was the Olympics,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “Then I come home, everyone wants to congratulate me. You could say it’s overwhelming, but really, that nonstop support has been incredible.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF USA BOXING
Alyssa did not come home from the Olympics with a medal, but she did notch a win in her opening bout in the featherweight division, a 3-2 over Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova. Alyssa lost 4-1 in the round of 16 to Brazil’s Jucielen Romeu, a 28-year-old in her second Olympics.
If nothing else, Alyssa knows now what it takes to compete at the world’s highest level.
“I can do a lot in four years [before the new Olympics], when I get to LA in 2028, I want more people to know my name—after I got to be No. 1 in the US, I just thought ‘there’s one thing left to do, become No. 1 in the world,’” Alyssa said.
Alyssa’s success has been a family affair, and those who saw her rise every single day knew the success she is experiencing was not some longshot, but in fact a likelihood.
“It’s been a whirlwind…but she’s always had this focus, that if she kept working at it, she would get to that point,” said Alyssa’s mother, Wendy. “When she was 15, 16, that can be an age where you might struggle with that, she said ‘whenever I’ve trusted what you guys have said, it’s worked out,’ and just every day was committed to getting better.”
JR, Alyssa’s father, is also her trainer.
He said he knew she had “it” almost immediately when she expressed an interest in the sport around the age of 12.
She trusted him and trusted herself when things got tough, like losing the final bout of the first Olympic qualifier. To qualify on her last attempt, she went 4-0 to nab the last spot on the Olympic roster.
“As a coach, it’s the greatest accomplishment you can have, but when
it’s your kid? Somehow it’s even better,” JR said. “To even make it on Team USA from Idaho, being the first one to do it, it’s amazing. I think she can go pro, but trust goes both ways—she knows where she’s going, what she wants—and I’m going to help her get a medal, she deserves it.”
The support of Alyssa’s friends, family, and community is contagious, and she’s felt the love from day one. So what’s next for the young boxer?
“My dad wanted better for me, he believed I could do it. I started believing it myself. I don’t want anyone to beat me,” she said.
Left: Coached by her father, Alyssa Mendoza has quickly become a hometown hero. PHOTOS COURTESY OF USA BOXING
Above: Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner declared Aug. 16, 2024, ‘Alyssa Mendoza Day’ and gave her a symbolic key to the city. PHOTO BY DAVE SOUTHORN
Building a Legacy
How Mary Peters is Redefining an Industry
BY JULIANA RENNO BOUNDS
Strong women come from all kinds of backgrounds. Like Wonder Woman, their journeys are often underscored by genuine caring and generosity. Like Sasquatch, they can be mysterious, elusive, and reclusive. Seldom witnessed in repose, but working diligently behind the scenes.
ough she lacks Bigfoot’s signature size and de nitive shaggy brown hair, Mary Peters, founder and owner of Sasquatch Contracting in Boise, shares his work ethic. Her business is largely rooted in a desire to serve and do better.
“I would describe her as a very sel ess, passionate and hardworking woman, who constantly strives to be the best version of herself,” said Mary’s daughter Desi, a freshman at Montana State University.
Mary’s story started in Nevada, where she grew up in “a strong, supportive Basque family,” one of six kids, fourth generation cattle ranchers. In 2008, she came to Boise alone with her two toddler daughters to attend Boise State University’s pre-med program.
While attending school, Mary also worked full time as a re engineer, designing and building re protection systems for a variety of buildings. During that time, she learned a lot about construction and people’s di cult experiences with contractors. She gured out that Boise needed a contracting company committed to disrupting the status quo. In 2016, she left her job to start Sasquatch Contracting.
“I found that if I want to see a change, I need to make that change,” she said.
Being that change, creating partnerships, taking care of team members and clients, and constantly evolving are values Mary embraces and shares with others.
“A lesson I have learned from my mom is that with the right mindset, anything can be achieved, as long as you are looking at the situation with a forward and open mindset, which she has proven time and time again,” said her daughter Rylee, a senior at Oregon State University.
Mary's positivity certainly helped her plans. She started Sasquatch focused on providing solutions for all kinds of construction challenges. “I thought, how do we improve, how do we change the client experience, especially when it comes to remodels,” she asked.
By 2018, her husband, Dean, joined Sasquatch Contracting to support the company’s growth.
Accustomed to working in industries dominated by men, Mary often nds herself in interesting situations, having to remind others that she is indeed the contractor, the owner, and the one ready to help. “I am the boss,” she laughed. “And I am showing up here for you.”
“We may not be the right company for every project, but we will still show up for every person,” she said. “We treat everyone with the same level of respect.”
For Mary, being the boss is not enough, though. She continues to seek more education about construction, asking questions, talking to other professionals, keeping up with the constant changes of the industry, and looking for ways to better serve the community.
Sasquatch now provides the Yeti Services, a subscription service for home maintenance and regular repairs. e service was inspired by her own grandmother and her challenges of living alone as she aged. With Dean, Mary has also created videos with tips about designing, building, and “aging in place.”
Mary shows no signs of slowing down, even now as a newly empty nester. A “strong and generous” woman, as Rylee described her, Mary is lled with energy for the future.
“I think I am just getting started,” Mary said. “We are barely scratching the surface.”
Before
After
PHOTO BY LINDSAY LODIS
PHOTO COURTESY OF FULL SWING PUBLIC RELATIONS
From Dream Job to GLOBAL IMPACT
How Payton McGri ’s Nonpro t is Transforming Education in Togo
BY CHEREEN LANGRILL
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAYTON MCGRIFF.
“Until every girl and woman can ourish, SHE persists.” at phrase, on the home page for Style Her Empowered, re ects the powerful work achieved by this seven-year-old nonpro t. But it could just as easily be used to describe the tenacity of its founder, Payton McGri .
McGri launched Style Her Empowered (SHE) in 2017. At the time, she was a senior at the University of Idaho and used the $35,000 she was awarded from winning entrepreneurial competitions for seed money to start SHE. As of September, the organization has provided 8,095 education sponsorships for girls in the African country of Togo. In addition to school uniforms, SHE provides school fees, supplies, and tutoring. Its reach expands beyond education. SHE has two factories in Togo, and it has created 33 jobs for women in that community.
Yet it almost didn’t happen. McGri , now 30, was on the cusp of landing her dream job in marketing analytics in the spring
of 2017. She had an assignment to create a business or nonpro t for an entrepreneurship class. McGri thought about an idea she had to provide school uniforms after reading the book “Half the Sky” as a sophomore.
“Growing up in Idaho, we have such a limited view of what it means to be a woman in the world,” she said. “So much of this book is about nding opportunity in times of adversity.”
A statistic in that book stayed with McGri : 129 million girls around the world aren’t enrolled in school.
She was surprised to learn that school uniforms are a signi cant barrier to education. Many families can’t a ord uniforms, which are often required in schools around the world.
McGri started thinking about ways to empower girls to continue their education in Africa while remaining determined to pursue her original career goal. She thought about it for two years, often telling others in hopes of “giving away” the idea to someone else who would make it happen.
“ is idea would not go away,” she said. “It was so imprinted in my mind.”
In her entrepreneurship class, the idea came ooding back. She mentioned it to her professor, Romuald Afatchao, who is from Togo and planned to travel there for spring break. Afatchao invited her to join him so she could see the community
ABOVE LEFT: Founder Payton McGriff and Communications and Business Development Director Fawziyat Sani, hope to inspire women through their organization. ABOVE RIGHT: SHE Assistant Director Elolo Abalou and CEO Payton McGriff work together to create sustainable education and employment opportunities for girls and women around the world. Left: SHE Founder Payton McGriff. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAYTON MCGRIFF
and
focus on three barriers that prevent women from flourishing long-term: limited access to education, lack of formal employment for women, and climate change.
SHE Program Coordinator Sefako Egoh and Communications and Business Development Director Fawziyat Sani are both SHE graduates. A required school uniform is the largest financial barrier keeping girls out of school in Togo and in many countries around the world.
rsthand. McGri rescheduled her job interview to take that trip. By the time she returned, a shift had begun to take place.
“Two weeks before graduation they o ered me the job,” McGri said. “I was surprised, because I wasn’t excited about it. And that was my cue that it wasn’t the right place for me.”
In SHE’s rst year, 65 girls received school uniforms and tuition. But McGri ’s team soon realized the girls would quickly outgrow their uniforms. And that’s how an adjustable uniform, called “the uniform that grows,” was created.
SHE has experienced steady growth since its start, but this year has been transformative. In July, CNN published a story about SHE. Around the same time, SHE released a video showcasing its adjustable school uniform that has generated more than 27 million views on Instagram. Within a two-week period, SHE raised roughly $65,000. at funding boost enabled SHE to add another 500 girls to the fall program this year.
Another measure of success is found within the organization itself. One woman who completed the program was forced to leave home at 14 after her father told her she couldn’t stay if she continued her education. She graduated at the top of her class in math and sciences and is now one of SHE’s program coordinators. Her success illustrates the organization’s original intent to invest in girls’ education and women’s career development.
A friend told Fawziyat Sani about the organization and encouraged her to pursue a job there.
Sani lives in Togo and started working at SHE as a translator in 2018. She is now the lead designer for the uniform and is a member of the leadership team.
“We are all very lucky to nd ourselves here,” Sani said from Togo. “We have the opportunity to work in an organization where we are cared for, as a woman. You get things without asking for them. We are in a country where opportunity is limited. No matter how hard you try you don’t have opportunities where people open doors for you.”
McGri took a leap of faith and changed course to create an organization that empowers girls to pursue their dreams. It’s a decision that showed her it’s never too late to trust her instincts and change her life. And in that way, it’s not that di erent from the impact a school uniform can make for girls in developing countries dreaming of completing their education.
“You don’t have to follow the life path you’ve been prescribed,” McGri said. “You can change your path.”
ABOVE LEFT: McGriff
Abalou
RIGHT:
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAYTON MCGRIFF
Puppy Love
Local teen McKenna Vaughan raises future guide dogs
BY JODIE NICOTRA
McKenna Vaughan, then a middle schooler, was scrolling through movies on Net ix one day when a documentary called “ e Pick of the Litter” caught her eye. e lm followed a litter of puppies from an organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind as they learned to be seeing-eye dogs.
Vaughan was captivated.
"I watched it, and immediately told my mom and dad that we had to get involved in this. Seeing the training and how it changed the lives of the people who were visually impaired gave me a better understanding of what a seeing eye dog is and how you're contributing to that mission," she said.
Guide Dogs for the Blind breeds dogs in San Francisco, mainly Labrador and golden retrievers. When the puppies are eight weeks old, they're sent out all over the western U.S. to foster families. For 15-18 months, the foster families raise the puppies and teach them basic commands. Once they're deemed properly trained and socialized, the dogs are sent to professionals who further train them to work with people who are visually impaired.
Vaughan, now a junior at Boise High School, has been with the organization for three and a half years and is currently fostering her fourth and fth puppies. While she raised the rst two puppies by herself, she has shared responsibility for the others with a co-raiser who takes the puppies every other week.
For the rst few months of fostering, Vaughan trains puppies in the basics, including housebreaking and simple commands. When the puppies get a bit older and better behaved, she starts taking them in public to get them used to social situations.
" e older dog, who's about a year, goes to school with me every day. ey also go to the grocery store, the movies, all kinds of places,” she said. “It's our job to get them used to going to places like that, because if they're going to be with someone who's visually impaired, they could go anywhere."
Only 30% of the puppies who are trained actually make the cut to be guide dogs. Others get "career changed" to be other types of guide
dogs, search and rescue dogs, or "canine buddies" for visually impaired kids who aren't ready for a full-time guide dog.
To be an e ective guide for the visually impaired, dogs need to be adaptive and able to go into a range of di erent environments without showing anxiety. ey also need to be docile and good learners.
While some requirements are strict, others are less so.
"Technically, the dogs aren't supposed to bark at all," said Vaughan. "But the organization has loosened up a bit on that because they realize that the dogs actually have to be dogs. But since the dogs are going to be in public around people in all kinds of di erent situations, they have to be able to be quiet in the background and be okay with not being the center of attention all the time."
While she loves the work, Vaughan said that it can be frustrating at times. Every six months, someone from the organization visits to evaluate the dogs. If the dog has an issue, the evaluators give the raisers some advice and things to try, and fosterers get around a month to try and improve the problem. If the dog doesn't make progress on the issue, often they'll get career-changed.
Letting the puppies move on to their next stage of training is also a hard part of the job.
"Obviously at some point you have to say goodbye to this dog that you've had for 18 months, and you get attached to the dog and want to keep it. But at the same time, you know it's going to be a guide dog and do good work," Vaughan said.
Find Guide Dogs for the Blind online to learn about volunteer programs and services for potential clients.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCKENNA VAUGHAN
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCKENNA VAUGHAN
PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
Falconer Juliana Myhre Takes Flight
BY CHELSEA CHAMBERS
She soared through the air with precision, diving towards the rabbit that Juliana Myhre had scared out into the open. Ghrelin stood on her prize while Myhre made her way to dispatch the rabbit. Myhre offered Ghrelin a lure garnished with a sizable piece of meat as an equitable trade for her prey. Once Ghrelin had made the trade, Myhre carried her, her meal, and the rabbit back to the car.
“I’ve had birds my entire life,” Myhre said. “I begged my parents to get me a parakeet when I was a kid, and it was something of a gateway bird. From there I had parrots, chickens, geese, ducks…” she trails on, listing the myriads of animals she’s loved and rescued throughout her lifetime. Ghrelin, her red-tailed hawk, is named after the hunger hormone and was the first bird she’d trapped herself. The two bonded over their shared hunger—for both knowledge and prey.
Nearly halfway through the pursuit of her General Falconer’s License, Myhre aspires to join the ranks of Idaho falconers. “According to Fish and Game, we have one of the highest ratios of falconers per capita, at about 300 total in Idaho,” shared Mike Garets, Master Falconer and one of the mentors Myhre works with while she’s apprenticing. “For comparison, the entire state of California only has about 700 falconers.”
Myhre has been working and volunteering with animals for years. Alongside her affinity for the natural world, she’s spent time at the Ruth Melichar Bird Rehabilitation Center and was recently offered a supervisory role. Soon, she will be applying for veterinary programs with an emphasis on avian medicine. “It’s a really underserved portion of the animal community,” she said passionately. “In a perfect world, I would like to eventually have a mobile practice, because as you can imagine, it’s often stressful for birds to travel.”
Myhre’s voice caught as she shared that Ghrelin had recently succumbed to a fungal infection. “I had the unique opportunity to be present at her postmortem exam.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. You could feel the love in her voice as she said, “I learned so much from Ghrelin. But it’s hard, sometimes, to remember that they are wild animals, and they can get sick and come down with parasites. It’s a hard truth.”
Myhre plans to trap another bird in the coming season as she continues her General’s license certification. “Falconry helps wild passage birds survive the winter,” she explained. “First year birds are not often as skilled at hunting, and when prey is sparse, survival rates drop.” The mortality rate for juvenile raptors can be upwards of 80% in their first year. By spending the cold season with falconers, they are guaranteed a meal, even if their hunting rates are low at first.
In the coming spring, Myhre will release her second hawk back into
the wild, get married, apply for her General’s license, and prepare to attend veterinary school. With Ghrelin’s memory forever implanted in her heart, it’s a guarantee that Myhre will continue to make leaps and bounds in conservation and avian medicine. Who knows, maybe in a few years you’ll see her mobile clinic driving down the road— saving lives and making the world better, one animal at a time.
Since childhood, Juliana Myhre has had a heart for birds. Now, with veterinary school on the horizon, she works with the Ruth Melichar Bird Rehabilitation Center and is pursuing her General Falconer’s License.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIANA MYHRE
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2024
LonniLeavi -Barker’s
BY MICHELLE STONE
Work with Your Whole Heart
PersonalJourneytoSupportFamilies
Long before Lonni Leavitt-Barker had ever heard of Camp Rainbow Gold, she was the recipient of an unexpected surprise. At a stage in life when she thought her family was complete, Lonni and her husband welcomed a little boy into the world, who brought with him a warmth and excitement they hadn't anticipated.
Of course, the proper way to receive a gift is with open arms, which is exactly what the family did. ey lovingly called him their "dessert baby," a sweet and delightful addition that added a new avor to their lives. “We thought we were full,” Lonni said. “But we always had room for something yummy!”
e baby, named Nathan Kean, was born ready to ght. Kean is Welsh for ghter, and Lonni said there has never been a child more appropriately named. After she spent 75 days in the hospital on bedrest, Lonni gave birth to Kean, who would spend another 45 days in the newborn intensive care unit.
She said she thinks of it as a kind of “dress rehearsal” for the cancer diagnosis that would come when Kean was two years old. In so many ways, the diagnosis changed the course of Lonni’s life, including introducing her to Camp Rainbow Gold. Initially, one of Kean’s doctors suggested that maybe her three daughters would bene t from the camp’s sibling program. In the 15 years since, Lonni has volunteered at the camp, served as a fundraiser, emcee, and board member. Now, she’s the camp’s capital campaign director.
From her youth in Las Vegas to her journey to become an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter, Lonni said that this is truly her "heart job," in part because of her desire to support other families. is desire began in the early days of her son’s diagnosis when she founded Baldapalooza, a music festival to bene t Idaho families and children battling cancer.
e e ort, which was originally suggested by a neighbor who wanted to raise money for Kean’s treatment, inspired Lonni to work with families who hadn’t received the overwhelming community support that she and her family had. She dedicated the proceeds from the rst festival to create the Hall of Heroes on the fourth oor of the children's cancer unit at St. Luke's. e hall features portraits of children who have undergone treatment there, each holding a picture of themselves during their treatment with a note that shares their journey and o ers encouragement to families beginning their own treatment journeys. e space serves as a beacon of hope, showing that courage and resilience can lead to triumph. Proceeds from the two following festivals were donated to Camp Rainbow Gold.
Lonni credited her mom and grandma as her biggest heroes and role models, whose "perfect balance in life" has guided her in shaping a balanced and ful lling life of her own.
“It is just all about balance and this perfect recipe of doing your best in life but also nding time to give back and to help others," Lonni said.
Kean and Lonni / PHOTO BY CAMILYNNE PHOTOGRAPHY.
Lonni and family / PHOTO BY NICOLERENAYPHOTO
I Walk In Her Shoes
BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB
We knew she was coming. We knew not the day nor the hour, yet we were confident, resolute that the time was near. We waited eagerly yet steadfast, with great expectation. The time for her unveiling was imminent.
We were eager to herald her arrival— joyously awaiting that “new day” just beyond the horizon. We engaged in purposeful collaboration and coalition building; holding fast to the unique values of the many: broad based, inclusive, honoring, and balancing the needs of the individual and community. We continued to make preparations for the long-awaited announcement, a time of celebration, fully committed to the attendant work now and on the horizon: strategizing, evaluating, celebrating, envisioning, knocking,
walking, and talking the gospel of a broader enhanced leadership world view. This wasn’t the first time. For generations, many laid the foundation, shared the promise of women of power, passion, and purpose. No one lost hope. We kept the faith, were prayerful: we did not falter nor faint. We heard her voice in the admonitions of our mothers, felt her fervor in our DNA, tasted her freedom in our dreams. Her determination swelled in our hearts. Our destinies were woven
with the will and perseverance she would possess to overcome the naysayers and adversaries. We remained vigilant. All the while she was learning the ways of the advisory and how to best address the myriad of paradoxes she would face as a woman of color in a white world. She learned the formidable lessons of diplomacy, order, tact, and finesse, while understanding that there is opportunity in chaos. She acknowledged the juxtapositions she represented, those
IMAGE COURTESY OF BRIA GOELLER AND WTF AMERICA-GOOD TRUBBLE
OFFICE OF SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
HARRIS WITH RUBY BRIDGES /OFFICE OF SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
that confounded the dominant culture. In every endeavor of her life: educationally, personally, professionally, and politically, she was pushed back and pulled forward, heading toward the future. Our future. She did not accept either/or as the only answer. She worked, listened, and learned from those who came before and inhabited her paradox like a second skin. She is clear about being an individual and being a member of a group, always aware of her sameness and difference. Knowing how and when to challenge and when to support and serve an ideology, a person,
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, representing New York’s 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969-1983. She announced her candidacy on the steps of the Brooklyn Concord Baptist Church.
“I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman…I am the candidate of the people of America.”
the greater good, made her a leader. She is the first and will not be the last.
She honors the women who forged the path for herself and all of us. She epitomizes the skills and capabilities, the cherished “firsts” in the political and in life—the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Carol Moseley-Braun, Rosa Parks, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges—the first African American child to attend a white elementary school in southern America.
We knew not her name, but that she would embody the whole of all women,
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was the first African American state senator (Texas) since 1883 and the first woman ever elected to that chamber. In 1974, with the support of Lyndon B. Johnson, she was appointed to the House Judiciary Committee, where she gave the 15-minute opening statement of the impeachment hearing for Richard Nixon. “I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.” Jordan served in the 93rd, 94th, and 95th U.S. Congresses from 1973-1979.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
races, backgrounds, cultures, and professions. And finally, she is here. We call her Kamala Harris. We call her sister, mother, trailblazer, Vice President of the United States of America, and now candidate for the President of the United States.
We stand ready and willing to march with and for you in service to the greater good of our families, communities and our country.
We welcome you, Kamala, to this place in our time. We knew you were coming.
Congresswoman Carol MoseleyBraun was a Democratic senator from Illinois (1993-99) who in 1992 became the first African American female elected to the U.S. Senate. “I cannot escape the fact that I come to the Senate as a symbol of hope and change.” Women across the U.S. cheered her candor. “The Senate absolutely needed a healthy dose of democracy,” she observed. “It wasn’t enough to have millionaire white males over the age of 50 representing all the people in the country.”
Cherie Buckner-Webb is a former Idaho State Senator, executive coach, speaker, business consultant, strategist, and fifth-generation Idahoan. In addition to her work in corporate and nonprofit environments, she assists institutions of higher education in the development of diversity curriculum and training and sits on a variety of local and national boards.
PHOTOS PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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Cookies to Confidence
BY CHELSEA CHAMBERS
In a time before su rage and well before the women’s movement, women were still adhering to strict social norms—they stayed home, they tended the children and the household, and they had only just begun to ght for their right to wear pants. Behind the scene, a lot was happening though. Juliette Gordon Low (also known as Daisy) found a way to bring independence and opportunity to girls across the world. From humble roots, 18 girls formed the rst Girl Scout Troop in Savannah, Georgia circa 1912.
Fast-forward to 2024 and there are more than ten million Girl Scouts spanning 152 countries, each learning the tenets and skills to help them ourish and succeed in any matter of pursuits—from business and entrepreneurship to kayaking and knot tying, these girls are doing it all.
“Girl Scouts has given me practical lifelong skills,” said Jaidyn Astleford, Girl Scout Board Member and lifelong Scout. “I’ve been CPR certi ed twice with my troop, and I’ve learned rst aid basics over the years. Girl Scout camp taught me wilderness survival skills, and as someone who is always outdoors and on an adventure, they’re some of the most essential and practical skills I have.”
Astleford continued, “Our program is so much more than just selling cookies! It’s friendship, sisterhood, life skills, and a place of belonging. I haven’t regretted my choice for a second.”
Girls Scouts of Idaho Empowers Generations to Lead, Thrive, and Serve
Astleford started in second grade as a Brownie and has worked her way up for more than a decade. She is a member of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Teen
Advisory Committee and serves on the Board of Directors. “Essentially, I bridge the gap between our members and the board and my fellow Girl Scouts to ensure that their perspectives are being heard,” she said.
Kate Milburn was a Scout for several years as a girl and is now in her seventh year as a Troop Leader. “I have had the absolute pleasure and joy of seeing girls uplift, support, cheer, and protect each other,” she said. “My troop is a true sisterhood of diverse personalities, likes, and experiences and these girls are brave, funny, hardworking, and smart.”
One of Milburn’s Scouts, Rosalie Cisneros, is grateful for the lessons and adventures being a Girl Scout has brought her and she encourages anyone who is interested to get involved. “Being a part of Girl Scouts has given me a voice, it’s made me a leader,” Cisneros said. “I live my life following the promise and law and I’m constantly reminded of how strong of a support system Girls Scouts can be. I love the fact that our troop is a sisterhood, and we all empower each other and support each other through our goals and dreams.”
Beyond cookie sales and wilderness adventures, Idaho’s Girl Scouts also serve their community. Milburn’s troop will often volunteer at memory care facilities and complete service projects. “ e unique thing about Girl Scouts is that our sole focus is on empowering girls to learn, grow, and lead,” she said. “I love getting to be a part of that mission.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE MILBURN
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE MILBURN
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE MILBURN
How Women Can Own Their Strength, Impact, and In uence EMBRACING POWER
BY ELAINE YARBROUGH, PH.D.
Personal power is agency, the willingness and ability to have impact. On yourself (deciding who and how you will be), on your relationships, family, community, and world. When we feel empowered, we are authentic, one of a kind, capable of being in supportive, loving relationships. Many women, however, spurn power. They confuse it with its abuse, domination, and control. Why?
Historically, we have been expected to serve others, behind the scenes, using indirect influence, if at all. We are called aggressive, overbearing, and much worse if we deign to express and go after our passions. In reality, our goals almost always include others,
improving families and communities and supporting those in need.
The United Nations finally realized as late as the 1990s that when resources are given directly to women in developing countries, the health and welfare of families and communities improve. When women are at the bargaining table in post-civil war areas, they negotiate for the benefit of the community, not just who gets land and arms. When women are elected to Congress, they focus on human and family issues more than men: child care and protection, family support, and violence against women, for example.
During the pandemic, women global leaders far surpassed their male counterparts in learning about
Covid, following scientific regulations, demanding shut-down early—all of which saved many lives. The same was true of states led by women governors.
Women’s leadership supports current, critical needs. Research indicates that some of the most needed qualities in leadership are intellectual stimulation, which men and women apply in equal measure, and five other traits (inspiration, participative decisionmaking, setting expectations and rewards, people development, and role modeling) which women apply more frequently by huge margins.
Anecdotally, women who own their power are healthier, happier, and live longer.
Left: Elaine Yarbrough and daughter Lindsay Y. Burr, two generations of powerful women. Their book, ’Leading with Power and Authenticity’ is forthcoming. Right: Cheri Buckner-Webb, Lindsay Y. Burr, Elaine Yarbrough. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELAINE YARBROUGH
So how can women identify and access their power?
1. Start early. Tell your daughters and granddaughters how smart, capable, and beautiful they are. Have them do assignments on women leaders. Take them to lectures by women. Provide appropriate choices for them at an early age. Choosing between food items, curriculum, and more can broaden their world in immeasurable ways.
2. Seek role models for yourself and others. If you see it, you can be it.
3. Read women’s history, knowing that many of our accomplishments are omitted from standard books you might encounter. Not until graduate school did I read (and cry) about what the suffragettes had endured for 70 years to get us the vote. Few know actress Hedy Lamarr obtained a patent in 1942 for a frequency hopping technique that is an important development in the field of wireless communications, the basis for cell phones. Cecilia Payne is a forgotten genius of science who discovered the nature of the universe in 1925. Only recently has she been mentioned. African-American women Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, spotlighted in “Hidden Figures,” were essential to the success of early spaceflight.
4. Garner connections. Be around other women who unapologetically go after their passions and help each other in volunteer and professional work.
5. Seek out mentors, champions, and allies. Mentors tell you the truth about organizations and relationships. Champions open doors for you to achieve. Allies applaud your talents when you are not in the room and connect you to others who can support your goals.
6. Set boundaries. You do not have to please everyone. Your self-worth is not dependent on all others’ affirmations of you. Decide who is important to you. Who do you want to please? Who pleases you? When you set boundaries, some will be displeased, even in your own family. Do not neglect your own needs to satisfy these people.
7. Be visible in your communities and organizations. Many women have had the experience of doing a report, only to have their male counterpart assign his name to the document. Claim your work and have the support of others who will help you own your accomplishments.
8. Remember, constructive power is not limited, not a zero-sum game, and does not have to be at another’s expense. When you know others’ interests and help meet them, you have influence. You may want someone’s support on a project and you can connect them to people they want to know in your network, a win-win.
9. Let people know your interests and aspirations. They can’t help you if they don’t know you.
10. Do your personal work. Women have internal barriers (as well as external barriers) that block their aspirations. We need trusted others—friends and professionals—to help us. Clarify what you have internalized about your competency and leadership. What did your family, teachers, media, churches, communities have to say about women?
The real questions to ask are how much value do you place on your own worth and what can you do to claim it?
Suffragettes taking part in a pageant by the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, June 1908. PUBLIC DOMAIN
Hedy Lamarr / PUBLIC DOMAIN
Dorothy Vaughan / PUBLIC DOMAIN
Katherine Johnson / PUBLIC DOMAIN Mary Jackson / PUBLIC DOMAIN
Cecilia Payne / PUBLIC DOMAIN
BY DAVID GRAY ADLER
No area of American law reflects changing political calculations, headspinning reactions, and sweeping confusion in quite the way abortion law does at this point in the nation’s history. Idaho is just one judicial microcosm in a disjointed puzzle of states for and against.
At this juncture, and perhaps only temporarily, pregnant women in Idaho may obtain emergency abortions under a federal statute, if necessary, to provide stabilizing medical treatment. Otherwise, Idaho’s legal landscape is governed by the state’s near-total abortion ban. This reflects the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old precedent that had guaranteed a fundamental constitutional right to abortion, and declared that access to reproductive health care is left to the discretion of state governments.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATIONS
The windblown reality of abortion law in America today is a patchwork quilt that divides the nation between states that permit access to abortion clinics and those that deny it, those that have enshrined protections and those that have imposed restrictions. The confusion surrounding the changing status of reproductive rights across the country resembles an earlier, fraught historical period—antebellum America—in which geographical lines were similarly in disagreement in distinguishing free from slave states. In a legal system dedicated to stability, predictability, and continuity—three vital components of the rule of law—such unpredictability
reflects and feeds division within citizenry and ignites legal challenges. When and how do these battles end? Idaho is a case in point that has yet to provide an answer.
The state’s abortion law—the Defense of Life Act—prohibits abortions unless necessary to prevent a pregnant woman’s death. The law makes no exceptions for abortions necessary to prevent grave harms to the woman’s health, such as organ failure, permanent disability, or loss of her fertility.
PHOTO BY IAN HUTCHINSON
In the wake of the Dobbs ruling, and before the law could take effect, the federal government sued Idaho under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires Medicare-funded hospitals to provide essential care to patients experiencing medical emergencies. The government argued that EMTALA, under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution (Article VI), would preempt the state law in those cases where the law prohibits hospitals from providing abortions necessary to prevent serious harm to the patient’s health.
On August 24, 2022, the U.S. District Court of Idaho, believing the federal government was likely to prevail, issued a preliminary injunction—effectively a legal pause on the criminal and civil penalties that attach to those providing abortions-—that prevented provisions of the Idaho statute from taking effect. In the year that the injunction was in place, women in Idaho could obtain abortions in medical emergencies. Meanwhile,
“...Idaho enforced its ban on abortions, even when terminating a pregnancy was necessary to prevent grave harm to a woman.”
Idaho sought to lift the injunction. When the en banc Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to grant a stay, Idaho filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court.
On January 5, 2024, the court, in Idaho v. United States, stayed the injunction and granted Idaho’s petition for certiorari. With the stay in effect, Idaho enforced its ban on abortions, even when terminating a pregnancy was necessary to prevent grave harm to a woman. Six patients in
the care of St. Luke’s Health System suffered severe pregnancy complications and were airlifted out of state. The Supreme Court’s intervention thus dramatically changed the lives of women who might have received health care in their home state.
On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court, in a rare admission of error, issued a 6-3 decision that dismissed the case and sent it back to the lower courts to determine whether the state law violates EMTALA. The court acknowledged that the writ of certiorari, issued just six months before, had been based on “miscalculations” and thus “improvidently” granted. In a concurring opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, tried with little success to explain that the court’s miscalculation was based on the premise that “the shape of these cases has substantially shifted.” Whether the record substantiates that assertion is debated, but the majority acknowledged that it had prematurely intervened in the proceedings.
Idaho v. United States, now in the hands of lower courts, will likely cycle back to the Supreme Court to determine whether EMTALA preempts the state’s Defense of Life Act. The Supremacy Clause, 200 years of precedents dating back to the early 19th century and, in this instance, judicial comprehension of the fact that the state law does not permit abortions to prevent grave harms to a pregnant woman suggest it will/ might/maybe rule in favor of the U.S. But for now, women in Idaho and America resume the wait.
BRIAN JACKSON / ADOBE STOCK
The QUIET REBELLION of Annabelle Jenkins
BY CHEREEN LANGRILL
If Annabelle Jenkins was a character in a novel, she would be the reluctant protagonist. She’s more comfortable in the background rather than leading the revolution. But like many great literary characters, Annabelle stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight to defend something very close to her heart.
In May, Annabelle walked across the stage to receive her diploma from Meridian’s Idaho Arts Academy, reaching into the sleeve of her gown to remove a book she had been hiding there for two hours. After turning quickly to show the audience her copy of the graphic novel version of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Annabelle tried to give the book to West Ada School District Superintendent Derek Bub. When Bub didn’t take the book, Annabelle dropped it at his feet and walked off the stage.
A video capturing that moment at graduation generated more than 26 million views on TikTok.
“It was a very cathartic moment,” Annabelle said. “I think that's something that a lot of people don't realize when they're watching the video. It wasn't so much for people to look at, but more about regaining power and showing that we weren't giving up.”
Annabelle’s senior year at Idaho Arts Academy took a pivotal turn in late 2023 when the West Ada School District removed ten books from libraries in the district. The graphic novel of “The Handmaid’s Tale” was the first book to be removed.
Annabelle joined a group of students that tried to fight the ban and met frequently with school district leaders. But at one point in the spring the meetings stopped, and she felt like she hit a brick wall.
“This whole thing just struck a chord with her and brought out a fire in her that just wasn’t typically Annabelle,” said her mother, Kristin.
Libraries were a sacred space throughout Annabelle’s childhood. She was an active volunteer at the library, outpacing almost everyone—even adults—in her hours of volunteer service.
When she told her parents about her plan for graduation, they supported her decision.
“I think they just attacked something on such a personal level to her,” said her father, Julian. “She just had to do something.”
Growing up, Annabelle’s parents encouraged her to choose books on her own with the idea that if a subject was confusing or mature, they would discuss it as a family. She wonders if her critical thinking skills would be as strong today with limited access to books.
“That freedom to learn is such an innate part of the person that I've become,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had as much of a love for writing and literature and art. When you start to restrict what people are able to access, you restrict the ways that they're able to explore.”
Annabelle is going to Portland State University this fall, with plans to major in English and eventually become a librarian to help future generations fall in love with books.
In the meantime, she hopes her action at graduation inspires others to stand up for what matters to them.
“You can be an activist. You don’t have to feel like an extraordinary person to make an impact,” Annabelle said. “I hope everyone realizes they have that dormant power in them and they can use it.”
Annabelle’s Fearless Female Reading List
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Graphic Novel) by Margaret Atwood
“Circe” by Madeline Miller
“The Giver” Series by Lois Lowry
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by Victoria Schwab
“Graceling” by Kristin Cashore
“Galatea” by Madeline Miller
PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIAN JENKINS
Figuring It Out
Former pro boxer and Code Red founder Cristy Nickel pushes past limitations
BY JODIE NICOTRA
Given her decade-plus career as a professional boxer, Cristy Nickel doesn't have the best memory. But she clearly remembers the moment she got her drive.
"I was really little, and for some reason I would always be saying, 'I can’t, I can't.' One day, my mom turned to me, and she said, ‘Stop saying 'I can't.' You're Cristy I CAN!'"
From that day, Nickel said, it was like a switch ipped. Her sense of feeling limited by circumstances vanished for good. Growing up poor on a 100-acre farm outside Oro no introduced Nickel to
hard work. It also instilled a resilience that carried through to the rest of her life: from college to bodybuilding competitions to a distinguished boxing career to her current work as weight loss coach.
"We were broke, we were poor, but I just gured it out,” she said. “I bought my rst horse at ten years old because I just gured it out. I gured out a way to pay my way through nursing school. I gured out a way to get to New York and train celebrities. I gured things out because 'I can't' is just not in my mind."
Nickel’s ferocious drive is on evidence in “Code Red: Diaries of Madness,”
a documentary released this year by the bodybuilding-focused production company Generation Iron. e lm, the only one from the company to feature a woman, follows Nickel through an intense process of preparing for a bodybuilding bikini competition.
Nickel had competed once as a young adult, but was unhappy with her preparation and the results. Returning to the stage at 46 presented an intriguing challenge. Not only did she want to prepare for the competition, itself a grueling process—she wanted to do it in six months.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRISTY NICKEL
ough the competition was a success (Nickel won third place), it came at a steep cost. e intense timeline took a toll on Nickel's health, and by the time of the competition, she was on the verge of multiple organ failure.
"I don't suggest anybody do that," she said. "I was sick because I had to lose so much weight so quickly, and I had to push so hard. My body was under tremendous stress."
Nickel still trains and competes, but now she does it more for the enjoyment of pushing herself, and for the social aspects.
"I don't really care about a trophy or a crown or a sparkly medal—I already have those, I don't need more. It's just the whole experience of being with the girls, of traveling, of getting on stage. It's the whole package that makes it fun," she said.
Nickel is the founder and CEO of the
multi-million dollar Boise-based weight loss company Code Red, a venture started in 2014 after she realized that a healthy body requires more than exercise. Despite riding 300 miles per week at the time as an elite-level cyclist, Nickel described herself as having skin and gut issues. She also wasn’t happy with her weight, so she took a step back and looked at her diet.
“I realized that I was mainlining sugar. And I was eating stu like the Costco M&Ms with the zip lock at the top because, well, I'd be getting ready to ride 100 miles, and I gured that I could have what I want,” she said. “Finally, I said to myself, 'well, you can't do that, Cristy!'”
Code Red o ers customized health and weight loss plans with di erent levels of coaching assistance. e premise is simple.
“We like to say we’re spreading the message of hope and healing through real
food, water, and sleep. You don’t have to buy anything. You don’t even have to buy my coaching. It’s just the proper human diet,” Nickel said.
Along with public speaking, Nickel’s favorite part of coaching is seeing clients have “lightbulb moments” about their health.
“ ey have this horrible guilt about not making it to BodyPump, or not going to CrossFit ve times this week. We’ve been sold a bill of goods, we’ve been sold a story from the government, by the education system, and it’s driven by the food industry, who wants you to eat more food,” she said.
“And so when I can say ‘No, not true, and here’s the proof, I can watch that guilt and shame be lifted o of them. And it’s the best feeling.’”
“Code Red: Diaries of Madness” is available for rent on Amazon Prime.
Cristy Nickel, a federally-licensed professional boxer, competed in her first bodybuilding competition in college. Since, she’s remained dedicated to exploring the capabilities of the human body. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRISTY NICKEL
Particles, Heirlooms, and Erin Cunningham’s Idaho
Heirloom, Pastel, watercolor, ink, charcoal, graphite, and gold leaf on bleached paper with found objects, 2023, variable dimensions. PHOTO BY WYTSKE VAN KEULEN
BY AURORA MEHLMAN
Countless pictures in antique frames hang in mosaic on a wall patched with old-timey wallpaper. They form an irregular circle around a portrait of a woman. Her likeness is crafted from ash, charcoal, dust, and gold leaf on bleached and stained paper. A slight, elusive smile plays on her face, as if she knows some secret you do not. Her features are hazy, partially lost to shadow and time. As you behold the picture, its center deconstructs like blotted stars, giving you the illusion that it is fragmenting before your eyes. The piece is Particles, from Erin Cunningham’s recent installation, Heirlooms, which was held at Boise State University’s Student Union as part of the Forage and Fallow Exhibition.
Cunningham is a multi-disciplinary Boise artist and adjunct professor at Boise State University with compelling and intense dark eyes, a warm, clever smile, and a love for thrifting, comedy podcasts, and hanging out with her dachshund Mabel. In Heirlooms, she wanted to delve into her Idaho roots. Working from family lore, archival history, and artifacts, she began to piece together what she referred to as the “difficult and dirty” lives of her homesteader forebearers.
Cunningham explored what was handed down from generation to generation, whether it was objects, experiences, stories, or traumas. While conceiving and creating the pieces, she focused on the question, “How [do you] give people a narrative without directly saying anything at all, seeing how people can pull together, from these bits and pieces, some kind of event or occurrence or plot?”
Cunningham’s interest in narrative harkens to her days of creative writing at College of Idaho. There, Dr. Garth Claasen encouraged her to take a figure drawing class. Soon she was studying art full time, ultimately earning an MFA from BSU in 2011. “I am part of the [art] department, and the department is part of me,” Cunningham said. Nowhere is this bond more evident than in Cunningham’s portrait of BSU President Marlene Tromp, which she was commissioned to paint in 2019, and which now hangs in the Student Union building.
Through a series of interviews, Cunnigham got to know Tromp intimately. The conversation was fluid, with the lives of the two women and their deep ties to Idaho and the American West influencing the creation of the portrait. In the portrait, Tromp stands firmly amid a field of wildflowers, with the Boise hills banding the horizon. She is wearing her signature glasses and flashing her inimitable smile, her competent hands enfolded. The oil-painted panel portrait is striking. You feel as if Tromp is about to reach out to shake your hand or ask a pivotal question with her characteristic warmth. In the background, the sky is an intense blue, reflecting Cunningham’s desire for “the sky to be a prominent part of the composition, to allude to [Tromp’s] openness and the openness of the land, and the potential for growth, the potential for imagination.”
“Erin has a special magic in her to see far beyond the lines and the color and into the soul,” Tromp said.
In all of Cunningham’s gorgeous, haunting, and dynamic work, we experience this sense of lingering within open space, whether in the blood cells she focused on representing after a transplant or the depictions of her family in her MFA thesis. Each figure feels timeless, as if part of the land, its stories, and the shared imagination that binds its inhabitants. Each piece reflects the collective memory of artist and viewer alike, as we too become parts of a stillunraveling story.
You can see a current collection of Cunningham’s work at The Modern Bar through the end of the year.
Below: Autumn Rhythm, Pastel, watercolor, ink, charcoal, and graphite on bleached paper, mounted on cradled panel, 2024, 48”x36”
Above: Presidential Portrait, Marlene Tromp. Oil on wood panel. “From the Collections: Portraits” exhibition at the Boise State University Student Union Building Fine Arts Gallery. PHOTO BY ERIN CUNNINGHAM
Left: Erin Cunningham
PHOTO BY TERI HARRISON
MASTER OF THE MESSAGE
Stoltz Marketing Group President Jaime Ekman
BY APRIL NEALE
Boise native Jaime Ekman boasts a lifetime of experience in the marketing industry. You could even say that it’s in her blood. Ekman, president and CEO of Stoltz Marketing Group, took it over from her father, Ken Stoltz, after achieving her MBA and establishing a solid career in sales and marketing for global CPG companies, including Nestlé and Merrick Pet Care.
but also embodies them in their work.
This confidence in Stoltz's ability to adapt to changing trends resonates with clients who struggle with brand identity.
"Stoltz is a family business. My dad started Stoltz 28 years ago, and I came back to run it, buying the business in 2018. I had moved back here a few years prior when I had my first baby and wanted to be closer to family. When I started, there were about 12 employees. And we're 24 now—doubled in size in the last few years, which has been pretty exciting,” Ekman said.
Marketing agencies, often seen as the voice of the people, are adept at interpreting the subtle shifts in public opinion or the sudden onslaught of a trend. Ekman’s own influence has helped carve out a place for her company. Her leadership approach, a unique blend of attention to the news cycle and adherence to a company code of ethics, sets her apart in a crowded field. Ekman's understanding and respect for cultural waves of perception ensure that her team not only comprehends these shifts
A big-picture approach guides her team in navigating the complex media landscape from every possible communications angle, from publicity campaigns to media placements, and even to resonating content creation. And with a fractious election cycle looming and constant negative news about opportunity in America, Ekman noted that it is the perfect time to act, even when brands step back a little bit in an economic downturn.
"I don't know if it is an election year or people are a little bit worried about the economy, but I think that these times are so important for brands to have the chance to stand out and to really be bold in their marketing and their communications. In uncertain times or when many people are pulling back, that's such an opportunity for brands to stand out," she said.
Of course, not all clients are the right fit for Stoltz. Ekman said that each encounter is an audition for her team's
expertise and a meeting of the minds to ensure that the messaging is in line with Stoltz's ethical standards.
"We put a lot of care and thought into our new business strategy and pipeline. We have a document with a checklist of things we look for with clients. And so when we have someone that comes to us and wants to work with us or wants to have a proposal, we run it through that checklist and make sure, first and foremost, that our values are aligned. And also that we see growth and creative potential and just have a good gut check on each client we work with. We have also walked away from businesses with which we don't feel values align," Ekman explained.
This conscientious commitment to her staff, clients, and community is complicated, but it is a challenge Ekman gladly takes on. She’s devoted to making sure that people see growth potential and feel fulfilled by their work, as well as bringing in the right clients to help people feel like they're making an impact. Ekman describes it as the most challenging part of the job too.
“But when you get it right, it's really rewarding," she said.
PHOTOS BY KAREN DAY
