Meet Your Peers: Carmen Daye Irish

"There is so much to be inspired by. And for this reason, photojournalism is the heartbeat of photography for me. Photography may be selective, but in a mysterious way it manages to incorporate what is outside the frame, before and after. There is no beginning and no end. In a world that I endlessly seek to understand and describe, it is in this instant of a photograph where I most often find the deepest meaning of life.

"I have spent hours upon hours in attics and museums, lost in time, while elbow deep in boxes of old photographs and archives. I have always been amazed by the powerful impact photography makes on my perception of humanity through the lenses of the photographer, the photographed, and myself, the viewer. This dynamic relationship has created such an excitement for storytelling, and I believe it to be both an honor and privilege to share the stories of people who otherwise might not be heard. I strongly believe in its ability to increase social awareness, and for this reason I am pursuing higher education within the field of journalism.

"For the last three years I have lived in Paradise Valley outside of Livingston, Mont., where I have worked as community and arts editor for the Livingston Enterprise, a fly-fishing guide, associate photographer for Montana Wedding Photographer, and have started a photography business that concentrates on wedding, product and editorial photography. I am a 26-year-old Montana native who loves the mountains and rivers, traveling, drinking wine, eating sushi, and of course, photographing it all!"

Meet Your Peers: Cody Bloomsburg

"Don't worry. I don't live on a compound or anything. The picture was taken after I finished an interview with some Idaho Army National Guardsmen. As it turns out, the government will let you hold a machine gun as long as you promise you're a good American. I grew up watching too much G.I. Joe, so I couldn't turn down a chance to put on my war face.

"I'm Cody Bloomsburg and I currently write for the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello.

"This is my first gig as a reporter. The short version of my story is I quit a job managing an insulation company and moved across the state because the managing editor of this paper said there was a chance I could do a little writing for them.

"After I moved to Pocatello, I didn't have anything better to do so I just kept showing up in the newsroom every day and asking to do stories. I don't have any formal training in journalism, but now that I've been here for 6 months I at least have a vague idea about how this business works.

"I'm from Lewiston, Idaho. Other than brandishing automatic weapons and wearing rock & roll t-shirts, I try to spend my time fishing, hunting, brewing beer or painting with watercolors.

"All of that is true except for the part about watercolors — I've never enjoyed painting.

"I look forward to meeting you all soon."

Meet Your Peers: Tetona Dunlap

"My name is Tetona Dunlap and I a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe from the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. I graduated from Creighton University in 2004 with my bachelors in journalism. I am also a 2003 graduate of the American Indian Journalism Institute. I have had the opportunity to intern at several newspapers. I have interned at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; The Associated Press in Seattle; The Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln, Nebraska and The Washington Post. I worked at the Kansas City Star in Kansas City, Missouri for three years as a photojournalist. I currently freelance for my local hometown newspapers the Lander Journal and the Riverton Ranger, as well as Reznetnews.org. My decision to attend graduate school stems from a desire to gain more knowledge and skills in the journalism world. It is my hope that by attending Montana I can learn about all aspects of journalism such as writing, editing, video, radio, in addition to continuing with photojournalism."

Meet Your Peers: Brandy Kiger

"Hello everyone! My name is Brandy Kiger. I was born and raised in North Carolina, and have been trying to get out of this state (as beautiful and wonderful as it is) for as long as I can remember, so I'm super excited to be moving to Montana this fall. I fell in love with Montana the moment I stepped off the plane in October 2008, and saw it in all its blustery early winter glory. My only fears about moving there are frostbite and grizzly bears. Other than that, I think it's golden.

I'm 24 years old and I love to laugh. I'm a very happy person, and when I'm excited about something most everyone else knows it, too. I think joy is one of the greatest gifts of this life, and I've been given an extra measure. I find it comes in handy, especially when the rest of the world seems to be falling apart. For fun, I dance (albeit badly), play guitar, write, hike, and am an all around river rat. I love being outdoors, especially if I can be on or near the water. Sun + Water + Hammock/Raft = an excellent life. I finished my undergrad degree at Western Carolina University in 2006,with a B.A. in English (Professional Writing) and a minor in Art. That fall I started teaching high school as a lateral entry teacher, and began working on my M.A. in English at WCU in 2007. I just complete that degree in May, and will have my teaching license by August. This is my last degree, I swear. (Except for maybe that doctorate ... but who's counting?)

"Over the past few years, I've been (in no particular order, and sometimes at the same time), a waitress, a teacher, a full-time student, a trip leader on the Nantahala River, a wedding coordinator/planner/caterer/photographer, an editor, and a writer. I've also gotten the opportunity to live in Spain and travel through France and most of the East Coast. I love traveling and opening myself up to new experiences and immersing myself in culture. I think we can only truly love people by getting to know them and accepting who they are, and it's my mission in life to try to love everyone I meet -- and yes, sometimes I fail miserably, but at least I try!

"Right now, I hope to work for an outdoors magazine and also photograph weddings once I graduate, but I learned a long time ago that when you make plans, God laughs, so I'm up for pretty much anything at this point. I think it's going to be a pretty awesome ride. I'm super excited to meet you guys, and I totally intend on having you over for dinner sometime! I love to cook, so if you're ever hungry, just come to my house!"

Meet Your Peers: Neil LaRubbio (and a friend)

Neil with his dog, Winsten Dan

"Six years have passed since my undergraduate studies, but they have been the most transformative and enriching of my life. I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to blue-collar Slovak and Italian American lineages. My parents raised my three brothers and me in Houston, Texas, through the energy boom of the 1980s and 90s. These rather enjoyable years in suburbia familiarized me with tales of middle-America yet coaxed my mind to dream of exodus.

"In 2003, I graduated from the University of Texas as a film major, but a ramble through Europe after high school had convinced me that the world was vast, complex and in need of my explorations before I could adequately write about it. Since then, I have been a night porter in Yellowstone, a log home chinker, plumber, hospital chef and wildland firefighter in Montana, a foreign language instructor in the Czech Republic and South Korea, a sailor through the New York canal system and a ranch hand in Hawaii. During these years, I recorded the many people and places in tales of fiction and nonfiction.

"Montana, its wild spaces and culture, rooted in my heart the moment I stepped into its borders. I married here last summer to Jessica, who is a grower of organic produce and involved in local agricultural movements. We explore the forests and rivers together with our Australian cattle dog, Winsten Dan.

"Through my graduate work, I hope to establish myself within the professional world of journalism. I believe that UM’s J-School is uniquely positioned to influence the shape of our emerging media channels and to help guide the success of our future press. After six years away from academia, I am happy to be back in its halls.

"There are countless stories to scribe."

Meet Your Peers: Gillette Vaira

"Growing up in Lambert, Montana, I dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist. I practiced news delivery skills by using flashlights and lint rollers as microphones. Later, with the support of my parents, Mary and Collin Vaira, I honed these communication skills through 4-H and Business Professionals of America, where I was successful in public speaking contests. As an undergraduate, I interned at KULR-8 Television, which further reconfirmed my goal to pursue broadcast journalism.

I graduated from Montana State University Billings in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a minor in International Studies. I have interned with the National 4-H Council in Washington, D.C. and the March of Dimes in Billings, Montana. I aspire to work as a broadcast journalist for a national news network and then move into public relations."

Meet Your Peers: Passang Norbu

"Hi everyone. I am Passang Norbu, an avid basketball player, born in 1982 in a small town called Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

Although raised in Bhutan, I graduated in Commerce from Brihan Maharastra College of commerce in Pune, India. I joined the the National Newspaper Organization ‘Kuensel’ in 2006, and within a few months I was posted as the paper's correspondent for southern Bhutan, covering politics, economics, youth and sports. My home for two years was Phuentsholing, also known as Bhutan’s commercial hub, on the border with India.

Besides producing the occasional scoop about issues and impacts of development and writing profiles of the rural populace and vanishing traditional practices, I enjoyed traveling and meeting different people while in pursuit of agood story. Working with local communities in rural areas, a childhood interest, led to many interesting and pertinent stories that publicized their conditions.

In the year 2008, Bhutan became the youngest democracy in the world, an ideal era and place for a journalist. Having covered the first-ever election in Bhutan, I contributed significantly to the democratization process of Bhutan.

I am really looking forward to an interesting phase in life when I will be joining the University of Montana to pursue my Masters in Journalism. I believe that the experience and knowledge I will gain at Montana will prepare me for this formidable responsibility. How well a democracy succeeds depends, you’d agree, on how well the media succeeds in Bhutan."