From the Community – Kassi Weston

Hello! I’m Kassi Weston, a Creative Writing and Justice Studies major at Lewis-Clark State College. This is my third year at LC and I made the decision to double major so I can take advantage of the Study-Abroad program LC has to offer. I plan on (hopefully) going to London in the summer of 2027 to improve my education on literature as well as the criminal mind. After I graduate in 2028, I hope to become a full-time Investigative Journalist, working for the Lewiston Tribune.

I am currently a freelance writer for the Trib, having started in November of 2025. So far, I have published two stories: one about an amazing woman who won librarian of the year in 2025, and the other about the anniversary of the local chapter of The League of Women Voters. Currently, I am writing another about a very kind couple that have spent the last 15 years working on a garden that is now known as “The Enchanted Forest.” All three are a part of the Trib’s Golden Times section. One thing I love about my job as a freelance writer is all of the people I get to meet. I learn so much from each person I meet during this journey, and I feel like I take a little piece of their wisdom with me into every little thing that I do.

While I have only served on the Talking River Review team for one semester (Fall of 2025), I learned a lot from the other members: how difficult the task of editing is, and how rewarding it feels when a literary journal is published. During my time, I read a lot of different pieces, but I feel like the part I enjoyed the most was being able to interview two of three artists that were being featured in the issue we were working on. I felt that being able to do these interviews really helped me solidify some interview-skills that I can take with me in my journalistic career.

Since I am not able to be a part of TRR every semester, I do promote the hard work that is done by my peers through my position as Student Ambassador of the Humanities Division. I am only the second student to have this position, stepping in in September of 2025, but I love the work that I do. Through this, I am able to be a part of activities like, the Creative Writing Contest for high school students that takes place every year. I get to promote how amazing our Humanities programs are, as well as how great it is to be a Humanities student. I also manage the social media for the division, which allows me to highlight students, classes, and events that we have been able to put on or be a part of.

When I am not running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I am reading, writing, watching any kind of true-crime documentary that I can find on Netflix, and annoying my boyfriend, Alex. I am from, roughly, 7 hours from Lewiston, so I love being able to learn as much as I can about the area and meeting as many people as I can to establish long-term relationships. When I am in my hometown, I spend time with my amazing parents and chase around my dog, Rocky, that we rescued around Christmas of 2024. One thing I love being able to do while I am home is go camping, be outside in the sunshine, and create lasting memories with family and friends.

Kassi Weston kneeling on the ground next to her dark brown dog, Rocky, in front of a barbed wire fence, trees, and mountains.

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