The Shook Project

It has been forty years.

Thinking of these two beautiful people today.
Their souls were taken far too soon, but their light could not be dimmed.

Please take a quiet moment to remember Mike and Teresa Shook — for how they lived, who they were, and the lives they touched.

If you feel moved, leave a comment.
Gone, but never forgotten.
Forever in our hearts. ❤️

Remembering my mom, Teresa Shook (Schmitt), on her birthday today. Thinking of her, the life she lived, and all she left behind.
Always loved. Always missed.

🌿 Trauma Anniversaries

My apologies for going quiet in July. When life happens, trauma work is often the first thing pushed to the back burner. These last few months have required all of my time, attention, and strength.

As many of you know, my daughter Addison has a terminal developmental disability, Leukodystrophy POHL R3. Alongside her medical needs, I’ve been navigating a divorce and fighting multiple battles on her behalf with state agencies and through the legal system. She is doing well right now, but the advocacy required has been consuming.

Creating and working through The Shook Project has always been emotional work, and what happened in July was simply too much for me to carry at once. However, my parents are not something I can “put away” or distance myself from in December, so I’m slowly returning to this work to continue my own healing.

Although my experience — surviving a serial killer and losing both of my parents — is incredibly unique, many trauma survivors experience something similar: trauma anniversaries.

Why Trauma Anniversaries Happen

Trauma is stored in the body, nervous system, and sensory systems, not just in conscious memory. The body may react before you understand why.

The body remembers cues such as time of year, weather, smells, light patterns, sounds, and routines. Any similarity to the original trauma can trigger survival responses.

The nervous system tracks patterns, not dates. Reactions can begin weeks before the anniversary.

During anniversaries, the body may return to hypervigilance, irritability, dissociation, or shutdown—even when nothing dangerous is happening.

Survivors often say: “I didn’t know the anniversary was coming until my body reminded me.”

Common reactions include anxiety, grief waves, intrusive memories, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive fog, appetite changes, isolation, and feeling overwhelmed or unsafe. For many adult survivors of childhood trauma, anniversaries can feel like old emotions resurfacing, unexplained dread, emotional flooding, exhaustion, or grief that feels brand new.

Survivors of violent crime—especially cases involving serial offenders—often face involuntary anniversary triggers, including:

• the killer’s name appearing publicly
• media portrayals, documentaries, or articles
• community silence or avoidance
• commercialization or branding linked to the perpetrator

These create what researchers call “chronic anniversary activation through environmental cues.”

This isn’t regression. It’s the nervous system revisiting what was never fully processed.

We live in a world of performative perfection, where honesty about trauma doesn’t feel safe for most of us. Social media certainly doesn’t make it easier. I’ve spent most of my life feeling like I’m “too much,” or a burden to the people I am closest to—especially from Thanksgiving through mid-December. I never feel quite right during that time of year, and for a long time I didn’t understand why.

If sharing my experience helps even one person feel less alone, then it’s worth it.

Saying this time of year is hard is an understatement. Every day feels like rolling the dice—never knowing what version of myself I’ll wake up as or the mood swings I will experience. I had nightmares for 37 years until I finally found the right therapy. There is nothing worse than trying to stay awake just to avoid sleep because sleep means reliving the thing you survived.

The anniversary effect shows up in many ways for me:
• irritability and anger over nothing
• crying out of nowhere
• isolating
• dissociation
• irrational fear
• intense emotional flooding
• not being able to communicate
• two-a-days at the gym so I have somewhere to put my anger
• forgetfulness
• intrusive thoughts
•feeling heavy for days at a time
• not eating all day
• working too much
• feeling shame that doesn’t belong to me

And yet, I am incredibly grateful. The people who have supported me—who have allowed me to feel what I need to feel, who have loved me without expecting a performance—have given me more healing than they will ever know.

The best gift anyone can offer another human being is to honor who they are, honor their lived experiences, and allow them to simply be.

There have been moments where I’ve felt like life has taken so much from me, but it has also given me a great deal in return. The Shook Project has brought more healing into my life than words can express—especially during seasons like this. To everyone who has supported it, contributed, shared, or simply held space: thank you. Truly.

A Full-Circle Moment in Missoula 🖤🎲

This weekend, I went to MisCon in Missoula—not just because I’m a big nerd (though I definitely am!), but because it gave me the chance to finally connect with some of my family.

My cousin Justin reached out to me after I started The Shook Project, and we’ve been wanting to meet in person for a while. When I saw his posts about MisCon, I thought—this is it. And I’m so glad I went.

I had the chance to spend real time with Justin, Josh, Cindy, and their whole crew. It didn’t take long to feel comfortable—I could tell we were family right away. They hadn’t seen me since I was very little, not long after my parents died. I probably wasn’t even three. They remembered how traumatized I was back then… even that I used to sleep with my eyes open.

It’s hard to describe what this visit meant to me.
The joy of reconnecting with family—of being seen, supported, and met with honesty—is something I’ll carry for a long time. We had a deep, real conversation. They didn’t shy away from the hard stuff. Having people willing to meet me where I am—and talk about the hard stuff—was deeply healing. I am so lucky we are family.

MisCon itself was amazing.
Justin does such an incredible job with the event. I made awesome new friends, had great conversations, laughed a lot, and left with a full heart.
11/10 would recommend. 🖤

Looking forward to many more visits in the future.

🌄 Shook History in the Bitterroot
I mentioned this in my recent radio interview with Stan on Live Under the Big Sky – KLTZ / Mix-93 Glasgow.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸?

It’s the highest point in the Bitterroot Mountains — rising to 10,157 feet — and deeply woven into Montana’s history. But here’s something you might not know:

In 1876, it was named by Granville Lee Shook, a surveyor for the Anaconda Mining Company and an early settler in the Bitterroot Valley. That’s right — the Shook family helped map and name parts of Western Montana.

📍 And not far from Conner, there’s Shook Mountain — a 7,569 ft peak tucked into the Bitterroot Range. The area is filled with trails for hiking, biking, and reconnecting with the same land my family once helped settle.

As early as the late 1800s, the Shooks were part of shaping this valley — before statehood, before highways, before headlines.

That same mountain, Trapper Peak, still watches over the valley today.
It holds stories of the Bitterroot Salish people, the Nez Perce who passed through in 1877, and the following generations of loggers, miners, and trappers.

I share this because names carry weight. And land remembers.
The Shook name started with exploration, hard work, and deep roots in Montana.

📸 Swipe through to see the historical signs still standing today.
If you're from the valley, you’ve probably driven past them — maybe without knowing the full story.

Feel free to share. History matters.

📻 Radio Interview Update – Please Share

I was honored to join Live Under the Big Sky to talk about my story and The Shook Project.

🎙️ Hosted by the incredible Stan Ozark, who handled this sensitive topic with care and respect.
Huge shoutout to KLTZ / Mix-93 in Glasgow for inviting me and giving space to this conversation. I can't thank them enough!

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
I’ll be taking a few days to unplug and rest for my mental health — thank you all for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission.
𝗜 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄. 🤍

https://soundcloud.com/kltz-glasgow/kltz-lubs-617-megan-springer-and-the-shook-project?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

❗️𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗔, 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗔?
🚨 This is a whistleblower and investigative piece.
I have some serious questions.

Let’s make it plain:
👉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 “𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀”?

Would that name have been allowed in a youth hockey program, on county-owned property, supported by public revenue?

The Missoula Maulers youth ice hockey team was branded, promoted, and played using the nickname of a known white male serial killer who targeted women and also sexually assaulted them — in a male-dominated youth sport. In the same town where many of the crimes were committed.

Was the name origin ever disclosed to the public when it was promoted to youth, families, and the Missoula community as a whole?
𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

Because these crimes targeted women, the decision to allow a youth hockey team to operate under that name — within a male-dominated youth sport and on public property — raises serious Title IX and civil rights concerns about gender discrimination, disparate impact, youth safety, and civil rights compliance.

This happened on public--not private--land, owned and leased by Missoula County.

This wasn’t just a bad name.
𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲. And here’s why:

🔹 The Glacier Ice Rink — where the team played — is run by a nonprofit 501(c)3 called MAYHA (Missoula Area Youth Hockey Association).
🔹 MAYHA operates out of a facility located on county-owned land.
🔹 The County leases that land to MAYHA, meaning this rink is not private — it’s connected to the public.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! Both nonprofit and government entities are heavily regulated. There are strict guidelines on what type of business activity is allowed on their premises and sources of funds.

The licensed professionals (accountants, legal representatives) involved with these entities had a professional duty to recognize that Missoula Maulers, Inc. was operating in a nonprofit, youth-serving environment on county-owned land. Associating a team identity rooted in violence against women with a youth-serving venue should have triggered internal reviews, disclosures, or due diligence flags.

Banks had responsibilities — under Know Your Customer (KYC), BSA, AML, and SAR reporting rules.
Missoula Maulers Inc. and its association with Glacier Ice Rink — a nonprofit operating on government-leased property — should have triggered multiple layers of banking oversight.

The County isn’t just a silent landlord. It is a steward of public resources with fiduciary and civil rights obligations. They are expected to perform both financial and operational audits to ensure transparency, detect misuse of funds, and verify that organizational behavior aligns with stated missions and public expectations.

In the case of a youth facility operated by a 501(c)(3) on public land, this includes auditing not just the books — but also the programs, partnerships, and public impact.

As a direct survivor of a federal-level crime, I have both federal and state protections. There are four other direct survivors — this is not just personal, this is an entire affected group.

Federal victim protections under 18 U.S.C. § 3771 (Crime Victims' Rights Act) include the right to dignity, to be protected from further harm, and to be reasonably informed.
Montana law under MCA § 46-24-103 reinforces those same standards.

My dignity as a direct surviving victim has been violated in the worst way, everything about this is beyond harmful — and I was never notified.

HOW WAS THIS EVER ALLOWED?

This Substack is a long, technical whistleblower piece. There was no way around it.
I needed to lay it all out — publicly, transparently, and in full.

👉 I need everyone’s help. Please read this. Please share it to your pages, your groups, your networks.

👇 Here’s the link to the full investigation:
🔗 https://meganshook.substack.com/p/we-have-no-affiliation

👔 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬 💙
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

My dad, 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤, was taken from this world far too soon — but I carry him with me in every step I take.

He was a beloved husband, an incredible father, a coach, a teacher, a reader, a football fan, and a man who loved Montana, fishing, and learning. He read 2–3 books a week and sparked the kind of curiosity and discipline I’ve come to recognize in myself.

Though we were only together for a short time, I feel deeply connected to him.
As I’ve grown, I’ve realized how much I mirror him — in ways I never expected.
I’m an avid reader, too. I crave knowledge like he did. I’m currently studying engineering and plan to follow in his footsteps by becoming a professor someday. That dream feels like a way of continuing the work he never got to finish.

🖤 On this Father’s Day, I’m holding space for all that I missed — and everything I’m becoming because of who he was.

👨‍👧 Whether your dad is here or gone…
💬 Whether your relationship was close, complicated, or somewhere in between…
📸 Whether you’re a dad, miss your dad, or want to honor someone who stepped into that role…

You’re not alone.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗗𝗮𝗱. I hope I’m making you proud. 💙

📣 From 𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗠 𝗩𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝗢𝗙 '𝟳𝟴 & '𝟳𝟵!

I’ve been waiting for these! Mike Shook was also a football coach — I’ve wanted to see pictures of his teams for so long, and I finally have them.

The photos below are from the Opheim High School yearbooks — and guess who finally showed up in the archives? 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸 — 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. 💙🏈💛

📸 Courtesy of Darla Larson

So now we have one question for you:
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵?
Was he tough? Did he make you run suicides? Was he the same sweet guy off the field as he was on it? Any sayings, rituals, or locker room lore?

📬 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 — I’m collecting memories for The Shook Project and would love to hear the real behind-the-scenes stories from the field, the bus rides, and beyond. Don’t hold back — the funny or embarrassing ones are often the best! 😄