Alum tells students anything is possible

Last week the Dixon School District celebrated the promotion of two eighth graders, Daisyn Joseph James Brough and Taevius Ryan Roberts. Each year the school contacts a resident or alumni to speak at the ceremony. This year Shawna Olsen, the school secretary and administrative assistant, reached out to Jake Herak. Herak is a star on History Channel show “Mountain Men.” Herak is also an alumnus of Dixon, having graduated there in 2004. Herak was born in Ronan and lived in Dixon until he was a teenager. As a junior in high school, he moved to Twin Bridges and has been there since. Herak now chases mountain lions with hounds, as depicted on the show.

During his speech, Herak advised the young graduates, “Anything is possible. I was you, playing basketball on this court,” he said, motioning down the court on which the ceremony was held last Tuesday. Herak said he worked hard and chased what he loved, and now has found himself on television. “I just got a reputation for catching a lot of mountain lions,” Herak said after the ceremony. “I was absolutely honored when they called,” he said of being asked to speak. “I used to roam the streets of Dixon.” Herak pointed out several landmarks in town and talked about how they were when he was there and reminisced about his time in the Dixon school. He mentioned during his speech how he was one of the last to attend the school when the mascot was still the Dixon Devils. He was also there during the turnover when the mascot became the bison.

According to Dixon Principal and Superintendent Crista Anderson, “We try to get someone from the area to come out and speak every year.” They usually contact someone who has been successful, to show their students that they can achieve anything they want. Anderson said last year they had Shadow Devereux, a local music artist from the tribal hip-hop band Foreshadow. Devereux is also a Dixon School alum.

After the speech, graduates were given awards, fishing rods and fishing tackle, as well as pens from the Indian Education Committee.

Herak is waiting to see if the show will continue for another season. Since the state just passed laws allowing hounds to be used to chase black bears, that may be a topic for the next season, he stated. He has also just bred his first batch of puppies, so that will likely be featured as well. Season 10 will premiere June 4.