Tony Crowder

My first experience living in Montana began two years ago, when I moved to Bozeman after accepting a position with the university’s Psychology department to conduct research within the Blackfeet community, an endeavor that lasted roughly a year and a half before my departure. I had driven through the area for the first time just one year prior, headed eastward from Washington’s Olympic National Park to Yellowstone on a massive 5,000-mile road trip over three weeks with my two best friends. Up until then and before moving to Montana the following year, I spent a majority of my life in southwestern Missouri, a region known as the Ozark Mountains— mere foothills to you local Montanans. When people ask, I describe it as a distinctive and strange fusion between the southern and midwestern United States. It’s beautiful in its own right, featuring enormous stretches of rolling countryside, dense forests hosting a variety of vegetation and wildlife, and winding rivers weaving throughout. People are hospitable, yet not without their own firebrand attitude and pride. This is my first home, and it’s not so different from your own. It will always hold a special place in my heart and is integral to my identity. But here I am in Park County, making my second pilgrimage afar, returning to a home away from home. And what I bring is a thirst for life, a passion for pursuing truth, and a tenacious sense of individualism. My personal philosophy is that growth happens when we willingly embrace challenge and overcome adversity. I look forward to seizing this opportunity at the PCCJ as a challenge to be a force of positivity by further enriching your community and giving each of you a voice.

 

 

Other things to know: I was born January 31st, 1993 in Springfield, Missouri, where I would eventually attend Missouri State University and earn my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. I enjoy a large variety of music, literature, film, outdoor recreation, sport, travel, wine, beer, and cuisine, as well as spending time with my friends and family.