By Christian Weaner
Lucca Grillo, Senior
For the last several years, Sandpoint High School (SHS) senior Lucca Grillo has often found himself on the other side of publications such as this one.
As the editor-in-chief of Monticola, the SHS school yearbook, and a talented freelance photographer and videographer, Lucca's passion is capturing and telling the stories of others.
"I spend a lot of time inside and outside of school working on making the best yearbook possible for the students receiving it at the end of the year," Lucca emphasized.
This time, however, it is Lucca's turn to be on the other side of the lens, so to speak.
Lucca has been Monticola's editor-in-chief for the past two years, although he defers much of the credit to the "fantastic team of editors [he has] gotten to work with during [his] tenure."
The editorial team, which consists of seven students and faculty advisor Mindy Roget, collaboratively works together to lead a diverse group of student workers in the large-scale, year-long project of putting together a yearbook.
"Whether we’re designing, copywriting, or capturing photography, seeing everything and everyone come together to create under a unified vision is always exciting," Lucca explained.
Lucca's portfolio has expanded outside of SHS in recent years as well. He has worked on multimedia projects for Cedar Hills Church and has begun to expand into freelance work as well.
"I’ve grown a lot over the last four years because of the myriad of opportunities I’ve gotten to create digital media," Lucca described. "Through Monticola, Cedar Hills, and freelance jobs, I have gained experience with many different projects and mediums outside transitional photography."
In addition to honing his photographic and cinematic skills, Lucca also appreciates the opportunities he has had to improve as a leader, noting that his dad has played a big role in modeling a leadership style that he tries to replicate.
When he isn't capturing photos or videos, some of Lucca's hobbies include playing music, practicing cardistry, and perfecting his Onewheel skills. He also enjoys the diversity in weather and landscape that Sandpoint has to offer and all the outdoor activities that the terrain allows for. "Having Lake Pend Oreille and the mountains so close to each other is pretty awesome," Lucca added.
Although Lucca is undecided about his exact plans after he graduates this spring, he knows that he wants to continue pursuing his passion for photo, video, and graphic design.