Mariah McKay

Some young adults leave Spokane for college and vow never to return. This was Mariah McKay’s plan. But when she graduated from Reed College in Portland in 2006, she came home to conduct a job search and ended up falling in love with the city she thought she’d left behind. McKay, now 26, attended both Mead High School and M.E.A.D. Alternative, and even as a teenager, bristled when confronted with inequity. “There was a lot of gay-bashing going on in high school. It was an oppressive environment,” she recalls. “So, I attempted to host a discussion group about hate speech.” She found her posters torn down and faced taunting in the hallways. That experience didn’t cow her, instead it energized her. McKay credits her social consciousness with her lifelong involvement with the Unitarian Universalist Church. “One of our tenets is to recognize the interdependent web of all existence,” she says. But her outspokenness often left her feeling like an outsider. “I was the only Unitarian Universalist in my entire high school,” McKay asserts, and then laughs. “Even though I looked normal and mainstream on the outside, inside I had very different ideas.” In 2007, she took a job as the volunteer outreach coordinator with KYRS Thin Air Community Radio through a summer AmeriCorps program, where she promoted the local programming online, at community events and other venues. “I loved it,” she says. “It alerted me to the potential the city has. I wanted stay— I wanted to be a part of it.” The next year, she launched a blog, The Spovangelist (http://spovangelist.com/), as a way or re-examining preconceived stereotypes about Spokane. The tag line on the blog says a lot about her hopes and enthusiasm for the city: “A mid-sized city miracle!” “I had all these burning ideas rolling around in my head,” she says. In addition, she felt like-minded people had a difficult time connecting. “There’s a sense of isolation. People working full time don’t have a lot of time to socialize.” The blog became a forum for sharing ideas and insights about what makes a thriving community. Though still McKay’s baby, The Spovangelist now features several other contributors, but the mission of “unwavering enthusiasm, and belief in the transformative power of Spokane’s continued redemption and rebirth” continues. And McKay hasn’t run out of things to write about. “I have 10 ideas for every one I post,” she says, laughing. While the blog fostered a sense of connectedness, McKay still missed the vibrant social life she had in Portland. So, in 2009 she formed The Spokane Shrinking Violet Society (www.shrinkingvioletsociety.com/) which she describes as a “saucy social co-op.” Composed primarily of women under 30, the ladies have more in common than ages. Most members are interested in sustainability, environmental causes, and budget-friendly lifestyles. Women – and even men — of any age are welcome to join. The Violets meet for lunch monthly at One World Café. There’s a book club, a creative writing group and other fun activities in the works at any given time. “We’re about building connections and empowering our friends to evolve beyond the roles handed to us by others,” McKay said. McKay now has a job that combines her love for civic activism with her passion for community connectedness. She’s worked for Community-Minded Enterprises since 2008, holding a variety of positions. Currently, she’s production coordinator for Sustainable September Spokane, a month-long series of diverse events promoting sustainability in the community. In its inaugural year in 2009, Sustainable September featured more than 70 events with thousands participating. This year, McKay is gearing up for more of the same. She said the event’s purpose is to bring people together from disparate elements of the local sustainable movement. “It’s a festival, highlighting the work of all these communities,” she says. “It’s also way to help everyday people understand sustainability.” Activities will include a youth-led street party coinciding with the East End Street Fair and a green/solar home tour sponsored by Northwest EcoBuilding Guild. McKay is also the director of NextUp Spokane, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the civic engagement of young people in the greater Spokane area. Her passion for the city has led some to speculate about McKay’s future in the political arena. And she doesn’t rule out a run for public office. “To have a good city, you have to have good city government,” she says. For now, she’s content to pursue her passion for city in the private sector. “I really do care about Spokane, so much,” she says. “It’s a place where people can be down to earth.”