Glenwood Springs High School senior Achilles Pieper joined the Post Independent this fall as a paid intern through the Colorado River BOCES program. BOCES spearheads a variety of initiatives, including work-based learning opportunities for students throughout the Western Slope. Go to http://www.crboces.org to learn more.

We asked Pieper some questions about what he hopes to experience and accomplish during his internship as well as some insights on what he and his peers think about today’s newsmedia landscape.

You are a senior at Glenwood Springs High School. What do you enjoy most about school and living in Colorado?

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What I enjoy most about school is the opportunity to learn about and explore humanity, both in the context of history/culture and biology/anatomy. Living in Colorado, specifically Garfield County, has given me the unique opportunity to discover and reflect upon how our various degrees of isolation from each other and the greater populated regions of Colorado nurture a variety of small, distinct cultural bubbles, each containing their own nuances, as well as the ability to compare the similarities (and differences) between them. 

What do you think are the most important issues facing high school students in Colorado’s mountain towns? 

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The most impactful adversities faced by Garfield County students are not unique only to Colorado. In fact, these challenges are found throughout schools in the entire country. Students lack motivation, and beyond that, the ability to conceptualize their futures as a whole. This combines with the fear for their safety developed as a result of the horrific, repeated tragedies across America to create an atmosphere surrounding schooling that is eerie and a hair shy of hopeless. 

What do you hope to learn during your internship with the Post Independent?

I hope to learn how to operate efficiently and mindfully in a professional setting, while also further developing and refining my academic voice. I also hope to develop the skills to positively impact my community through my writing, too.

Where do you typically go for your news?

I typically find myself actively avoiding the news and journalism as a whole, not because I prefer to be unaware, but instead because I find the current strategy of reporting (especially the methods found within large news organizations) to be deeply exhausting and taxing as a consumer. When I do read up on the news, it’s often through smaller community based reporters. 

How do you think news organizations can improve their relevance to youth and help them get in the habit of reading local news?

News organizations can first understand that when it comes to young people, the ones who want to learn about their community do. Whether it be online or with the physical newspaper, generally if we want to read it, we will. However, taking the time to report on local events (especially those planned with teenagers and young adults in mind) is a great start. 

What do you hope to do after you graduate high school?

I hope to go onto college to get my Associates Degree in Emergency Medicine, specifically Paramedic Sciences. A large aspect of being a first responder is contributing to prevention through awareness, using things like PSAs and events to educate the community. I hope to use the skills I learn here at Post Independent to supplement and support that aspect of my future career.

We asked Pieper if there was a question he’d have liked to see us ask, and he came up with this: How do you hope to impact your community? 

My goal is to provide a new perspective on issues affecting the youth of Garfield County and promote not only the understanding of them, but also the hopeful start to the support of our youth through the various challenges they face.