Brady Drummond was a graduate of Belt High School in 2022 and recently graduated from Montana Tech, where she was honored to deliver a commencement address.
Drummond, daughter of Belt teacher J.J. Meissner, graduated from Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Information Technology. While in college, she has waitressed at the historic Metals Sports Bar in Uptown Butte for two and a half years. Drummond says, “It’s been cool going from a small town to a bigger environment and learning how to push myself, meet new people, and grow more independent.”
She plans on staying in Butte for the remainder of the spring semester and continuing to work at Metals. Although she doesn’t have a career lined up yet, she has been spending her time exploring job opportunities across the country, gaining experience where possible, and figuring out what path she wants to pursue.
Her long-term goals are to build a career in areas like business analytics, logistics, or marketing, where she can be part of the strategy behind how companies grow and operate.
Drummond, at some point, wants to move out of Montana for a while and experience living in a big city like Boston or Chicago. She wants to see the world and push herself outside of her comfort zone,“…Someday, I’d also love to open something of my own, such as a chill, trendy bar that hosts trivia nights, watch parties, and other events that bring people together.”
The recent grad still looks back on her memories from her time in Belt. Some of her favorite memories from her senior year are that it felt like the end of an era. Drummond states, “With half of our class having been together since early elementary school, it was special knowing we were navigating the upcoming changes together.”
She also loved being a part of DECA throughout high school; her favorite parts of those trips were getting to travel for state and national competitions. Drummond also remembers her senior skip day fondly, which took them to Broadwater Hot Springs and laser tag. Her advice for students, “Enjoy your time in Belt, but don’t be afraid to leave and experience what’s out there. A small town gives you a really strong foundation, but there’s a whole wide world beyond it that can teach you so much about yourself. Try new things, say yes to opportunities, meet people who are different from you, and don’t stay in one place just because it feels comfortable. You can always come back, but getting out and seeing more of life is something you’ll
never regret.”
Drummond loves and will always appreciate where she came from, but the past few years have shown her how much she enjoys trading small-town life for bigger adventures, and she knows she is just getting
started.
By Makena McCoy, The Valley Voice: February 13, 2026 – Belt, Mt
Special thanks to the students of Belt for their hard work and contributions through The Valley Voice news publication.
