Meet Hayden Cook
Hayden and his partner Matthew are pet parents to Dehya (Day-Uh) and Dahlia (Daw-Lee-Uh), completing their fur family. Hayden has a diverse employment history including working for the City of Missoula Parks and Recreation Department over the summers when he was a teenager. He has worked for Montana-owned and operated Town Pump and coffee giant Starbucks Coffee Company. Hayden led the effort to unionize the Starbucks located on Brooks Street in pursuit of safer working conditions and stable benefits. After tireless communication with union leaders and store staff, the first Starbucks was unionized in Montana.
Hayden’s life post-graduation was exciting and unforeseeable, having graduated in 2019 at the age of 17. He entered his post-secondary education at the University of Montana alongside his two roommates, pursuing an education in Medical Assisting. His college experience came to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, less than a year after he graduated high school. With classes canceled and the population isolated, Hayden had no other choice but to discontinue his education to work two jobs to support himself.
Hayden is a born and raised Missoulian, attending Franklin Elementary, CS Porter Middle School, and Big Sky High School for his K-12 education. During his time at Big Sky, Hayden participated in protests for gun safety in schools following the 2018 Parkland shooting where 17 students and staff were tragically lost. Big Sky also experienced multiple bomb threats and acts of violence using firearms while Hayden was in attendance, leading to further protests demanding protections for students. Hayden was enrolled in an additional 4-year program at Big Sky called the Health Science Academy, designed to build professional skills and STEM knowledge. Hayden coordinated a tour at Big Sky for out-of-state administrators seeking insight into the HSA program. Hayden's senior year included a senior project dedicated to designing a 'Same-Sex Health Education Curriculum' as well as student teaching/tutoring grades 10 and 11.
Since leaving Starbucks, Hayden has been searching for a purpose and a true career. With the support of his partner, he has been able to experience many potential careers and hobbies but nothing felt quite right. That is until the 2024 election when Hayden felt paralyzed and helpless but inspired. Following the election, Hayden spent his time researching, networking, and educating himself on all things related to government. Fast forward to the present day, Hayden aspires to run for City Council to represent Ward 2 and be a local leader for Missoula’s future.
For years through the pandemic, Hayden worked on his professional development finding opportunities for growth through Starbucks. During his three years with Starbucks, he ascended the ranks from barista-trainer-supervisor and eventually trained to become a store manager. During this time, Hayden returned to his post-secondary through Arizona State University Online thanks to a program with Starbucks. He attended ASU Online to earn a degree in Psychology & Counseling but unfortunately had not completed all required coursework to graduate before the relationship with Starbucks was severed following unionizing.
