Blast From the Past
Past Polson High School Graduates
by Dixie Montgomery
Joe Martinez
When Joe Martinez graduated from Polson High School, he planned to set off to continue his education at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. Once he got to the campus and spent some time in classes, he realized that it wasn’t the path for him.
Since leaving Concordia, Martinez has made music his full time career. He’s been featured on the hit tv series The Voice where he performed last year. He first auditioned for The Voice in January of last year after submitting a 30 second video of him singing “Give me one Reason” by Tracy Chapman.
“I sent the video in, and a couple of days later they gave me a phone call asking for more, and it spiraled from there,” he said. He remembers when he would watch the show during his childhood with his parents before he had any interest in music. The opportunity to perform for judges such as Snoop Dog and Michael Bublé was an “out of body experience” for him. He was able to see what goes on behind the scenes and talk to coaches, an entirely different experience than simply watching the show. Regardless of not turning any chairs on The Voice, Martinez has booked more gigs since his time on season 26 of the show.
More locally, Martinez went on Montana’s Got Talent 2024, where he performed one of his original songs, “Lead the Way.” He ended up as the champion of the season, which was a highlight for him and helped him redeem himself from The Voice. The prize money from the show helped him invest into new sound equipment and the win helped him boost his resume.
However, not everything has come easily for Martinez. When he first joined the band in middle school, he had no idea that it would blossom into not only his love for music, but his career. He regrets not joining choir at the same time as he joined band.“Sometimes I think about how different it might’ve been if I started earlier,” he said.
Regardless of whether he joined earlier, he knows that his high school band and choir directors, Richard Sawyer and Kaylee Shirtliff formerly Schubert, helped him morph into the musician he is today. “Schubert pushed me into choir and helped me realize how much I love music,” he explained.
Through the short time he’s been in the music industry, Martinez has learned how important it is to work hard and go for your dreams. He remembers being very quiet and timid when he first started singing. “I was nowhere near the level that I am now,” he said. He realized that it’s okay and even good to let loose sometimes, and that if you truly want something, you have to chase after it.
Beatrix Frissel
On June 1, 2019, eighteen year old Beatrix Frissell was unleashed upon the adult world when she graduated from Polson High School. Frissell, a valuable member of the Polson High School cross country and track team, LINK leader, and AP student, looked like she had it all figured out. However, she explained that she went through all of the normal feelings of self doubt and confusion that every high school senior goes through. “I knew I was going to go to college, but I didn’t really know what I was gonna do after,” she said. She knew she wanted to go to college but not much more than that. Frissell originally thought that she would go to school farther away but began her collegiate education at the University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, where she double majored in environmental science and political science. “I felt like what my most successful classmates were doing was going out of state,” she said, but in the end she wouldn’t change her decision for anything.
In April of 2022, Frissell was named a recipient of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. The Truman Scholarship is a federally funded award given to 60 college juniors from 54 universities. These 60 students, who must pursue a career in public service, are given $30,000 to put towards graduate school. Frissell was the first person from UM to receive the scholarship since 2014.
Soon after she received the Truman Scholarship, Frissell was named a winner of the Marshall Scholarship. The award helps finance young American students to study for a degree in the United Kingdom; only 50 scholars are chosen each year. “I knew I wanted to go abroad, but I didn’t get the chance in undergrad because of COVID-19,” said Frissell. She spent a year at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland where she got her masters degree in global environment, politics and society. Once Frissell earned her masters she went straight to the University of Oxford to study biodiversity conservation and management, which she is in the process of completing.
Regardless of how successful Frissell has been, she, like all people, has had her setbacks. She remembers that her attendance at Polson High School helped her appreciate the community connection of small towns in America.“You have a perspective growing up in Polson about rural America that other people do not have growing up in big, major cities,” said Frissell. She was able to see how supportive people are in smaller communities compared to larger cities. Through growing up in a small Montana town Frissell learned how to take hold of any opportunity given to her. She realized that her calling in life was to come back to Montana and help serve her community.
Through all of her travels and schooling, Frissell has learned many things about what she values and finds important in life. She’s proud to be from Montana, and plans to return once she’s finished with her schooling to work for an environmental nonprofit.
Frissel concluded, “I constantly feel like, no matter what I’m doing in my future, I’m always on a path that ultimately leads me back to come home to serve my community.”
