After graduating from East Grand Rapids High School in 2016, Anna Laffrey attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She now combines her love of journalism with her love of the ocean as a reporter for the Ketchikan Daily News and as a deckhand on fishing boats in southeast Alaska.
You can only have one: Rose’s caramel corn, an ice cream cone from Jersey Junction, or a Yesterdog. Which do you choose?
Late-night Yesterdog with my brother William and any friends visiting town.
What was your path from East Grand Rapids to where you are now in life?
After graduating from EGR, I went to journalism school at Northwestern University. I graduated from NU in March of 2020 in the early days of COVID-19. At the time, I felt burnt out by the undergraduate "career track" and had a bug in my ear about living in Sitka, Alaska someday.
With a fateful Google Jobs search, I found a part-time job with the Applied Fisheries program at the University of Alaska-Southeast campus in Sitka. I was fortunate to be hired for the job, convince my parents to let me drive our family's SUV across the country, and board an Alaska State ferry heading from Bellingham, Washington to Sitka, which is situated in a temperate rainforest on the ancestral homelands of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people.
When I arrived here, I was amazed by the local history and cultures, which have been shaped for thousands of years by the ocean, rugged coastlines and tall mountains of the surrounding archipelagos. Despite the ongoing pandemic, I dove into the community by working on grassroots projects, volunteering at the local radio station, running on beautiful trails and meeting everybody that I could. I gradually fell in love with the place, and the ocean, as generous neighbors took me out on their boats, taught me how to harvest herring, salmon and halibut off an open skiff, how to gather berries, plants and mushrooms, and how to process, preserve and share all of these delicious wild foods. I've also been lucky to find jobs as a deckhand on a number of ~50' wooden fishing boats that target salmon and halibut in commercial, hook-and-line fisheries across the region.
In January of 2023, I moved to Ketchikan, another island community that's about 200 miles south of Sitka, to work as a reporter for the Ketchikan Daily News. KDN is one of the three remaining independent newspapers in Alaska that prints "daily" (we print five times per week). It's been fascinating to work in local news and learn about our governments, and the current issues that Southeast Alaska is facing. I plan to return to Sitka within the next year and hope to stay connected to local journalism while continuing to sharpen my skills as a fisherman/deckhand.
What specific thing did you learn in East that has enabled you to be successful?
I learned the importance of being a good neighbor and being surrounded by a strong support network. Lessons about community from my friends in EGR have empowered me to build relationships and put down roots in new places.
What were you like in school?
Talkative, stubborn and often bubbling over with energy. I loved being at school, working on extracurricular projects with friends, competing in running sports, and writing. I was ambitious and driven by goals of "career success" which, at the time, included "being a journalist in outer space."
Did you have a favorite teacher or class?
I am not sure I had any "favorite" but know that I am much obliged to Katie Michell for all of her time and care as an educator, and for being a huge part of my experience at EGR. Mrs. Michell's kindness and concern for each student at EGRHS contributed to a positive, dynamic and challenging environment every day. In both her English and journalism classes, she gave me incredible support and latitude to pursue journalism as a life path.
If you had to choose one moment in one location to serve as the signature moment of your East school experience, what would it be?
Grilling hot dogs and hamburgers with Zoe Macartney for our entire class as the two designated "grill masters" for an end-of-year cookout in the "senior parking lot." I remember being delighted by the responsibility of grilling for our class, and having a wonderful time visiting with all of the people who we were graduating with, many of whom I had known since kindergarten or first grade.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
(In light of the previous and the next question) I wish I knew that I wouldn't always be near or connected to the people that I'd grown up with, and that I should make the most of every opportunity to get to know the people who supported me throughout my childhood.
Do you stay in touch with many people from East Grand Rapids?
I keep in touch with a few of my lifetime neighborhood friends, and my best girlfriends from high school. Thanks to my parents, I still feel connected to a strong network of neighbors and "family friends" from EGR. I'm also grateful to the Coles, who recently moved home to Beaver Island, for supporting me and hosting me in their small island community since Mackenzie and I graduated from EGR in 2016.
What advice do you have for young East alums who are just starting out?
You can be yourself, follow your passion and serve your community in practically any setting. Follow your gut and you will find your own version of success. And at the end of the day, happiness and good relationships = success!
Who else would you like us to have a virtual cup of coffee with?
I would love to hear from Max Condon '16 who is doing excellent work in fashion and design and Georgia Deems '16 who has been serving with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Bonus question: What are you glad we didn’t ask you about?
The "EGR bucket list" items that my friends and I made sure to complete before graduating. (Includes driving a Jeep through the forested footpath beneath "the rock" — yes, a Jeep actually does fit through that path.
