Thursday, October 1, 2026
LEAVENWORTH – Every June, another class of Cascade High School graduates walks across the stage knowing one decision still lies ahead: whether to build a life in the Upper Valley, leave in pursuit of new opportunities, or hope to one day return.
For members of the Class of 2025 and the Class of 2005, the answer has depended less on whether they wanted to leave Leavenworth than on where education and careers have led them.
Last year, while many of his classmates packed for college, Jackson Groby reported to the Leavenworth Fire Department. One of Washington’s few resident firefighter programs allowed him to begin pursuing his career close to home while gaining valuable experience in the community where he grew up.
For now, staying in Leavenworth has allowed Groby to realize his goal of becoming a firefighter. While he expects work to eventually require him to relocate, already he hopes to one day return to Leavenworth to raise a family.
“One thing I love about Leavenworth is the community,” Groby said. He credits local firefighters who commute to jobs on the west side of the state with mentoring him, answering questions and helping him prepare for interviews.
Groby’s experience reflects a common theme among local graduates. Interviews with members of Cascade High School’s recent graduating class and an alumnus from the Class of 2005 suggest that the decision to stay or leave is rarely driven by a desire to leave Leavenworth behind. Instead, educational opportunities, career ambitions and the realities of housing often determine where life leads after graduation.
For many graduates, leaving is the next step toward opportunities unavailable in a small mountain community.
After graduating, Caden Peterson headed for Columbia University in New York City, fulfilling a longtime dream of attending college in a major city. Cruz Martinez-Nieto moved to Seattle after being accepted to the University of Washington, while Mia Dreis left for the University of Southern California to study civil engineering, drawn by the academic and professional opportunities available in Los Angeles.
Although their destinations differed, each described leaving as a decision motivated by opportunity rather than dissatisfaction with their hometown.
Peterson said that attending university in New York helped him find new appreciation for the place he left behind. While he enjoys the energy and diversity of city life, he said he misses the easy access to mountains, rivers and outdoor recreation that defined his childhood.
Likewise, Martinez-Nieto said Seattle has reinforced how much he values the Leavenworth valley’s natural beauty. He especially misses seeing the stars at night and having nature close at hand, something he said is much harder to find in the city.
For Dreis, moving to Los Angeles has broadened both her education and her perspective. She said living in a major metropolitan area has introduced her to new cultures, people, and career possibilities, while also bringing her to appreciate the close-knit relationships that make Leavenworth unique.
“The close community and relationships that are created here [in Leavenworth] are much harder to achieve in a city, and are something I am very grateful to have because of Leavenworth. However, growing up in such a small area makes it difficult to experience other cultures and ways of living, even if you try to seek them out…moving to LA has allowed me to befriend, learn from, and experience so many more people,” said Dreis.
For many graduates, maintaining ties to the valley is easier than returning to live there permanently.
Dayle Massey, a longtime Cascade High School teacher, has watched generations of students wrestle with the decision of whether or not to stay in the Leavenworth valley. He said many graduates either remain in the area or eventually return after college, with remote work making that increasingly possible. At the same time, he believes many others would like to return but struggle to find careers that align with their education or professional goals. Affordable housing, he added, remains another significant obstacle, affecting both former students and employers trying to recruit workers.
Those realities are reflected in many graduates’ plans. Peterson and Dreis both said they do not expect to return immediately after university because career opportunities in their chosen fields are limited locally. Groby likewise expects his firefighting career will require him to move before he can eventually return.
For Renata Rumann, a member of Cascade High School’s class of 2005, leaving ultimately strengthened her appreciation for home.
After graduating from college, Rumann spent two years living in southern Germany before realizing that Chelan County offered the quality of life she wanted in the long term. She returned to North Central Washington, earned a nursing degree and now lives in East Wenatchee while still considering herself a Leavenworth local.
When asked what she would change about Leavenworth, Rumann found the question difficult to answer. Like many longtime residents, she recognizes both the benefits and challenges that have accompanied the town’s growth. Rather than wishing things had remained the same, she said she hopes the community continues to celebrate its people while preserving the natural beauty that makes the valley unique.
For many Cascade graduates, leaving is not a rejection of home, and staying is not always simply a matter of choice. Education, careers and housing often determine where adulthood begins. Yet whether they remain in the Upper Valley, move across the country or eventually find their way back, those interviewed shared one conviction: Leavenworth continues to shape who they are, and for many, it will always be home.
Hazel Eschen: 509-731-4392 or hazel@ward.media
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