Building better lives thorough education

This morning I attended a 5 team volleyball tournament where our 7^th and 8^th grade teams got to see their first action of the year. Three 6^th grade girls also got some playing time.

I came home to campus where the 5^th and 6^th grade football program was scrimmaging . At that level, we don’t have our own team, but students from Chamberlain and the surrounding area are all involved. It’s healthy to see our students mix in such positive ways with others. It was also a beautiful day to be outside.

I stopped in on the FAST (Families and Schools Together) program. Some of the families I’ve known for years. Others are brand new to St. Joseph’s Indian School. All appreciated the opportunity for activities with their children/grandchildren. I know it sure means a lot to the kids to have their families involved on campus.

In the office, I had several huge piles of paperwork to sign. Our college scholarship committee met and recommended who will receive scholarships this semester. Twenty-six of our alumni are in college right now. Thirteen are just beginning college studies, most after some time of working and starting families. A 41-year-old is going back to school to be a Chemical Dependency Counselor, after overcoming his own addictions and living a clean and sober lifestyle for many years.  One young woman is combining Lakota (Sioux) and EMT training, so she can speak in Lakota to those in the ambulance who speak that as their native tongue. One alumnae  has a daughter in school here right now, and she is going back to school to improve her own life and be a good example to her daughter. Some of the letters are just a basic few lines, others are quite stirring narrative about trying to overcome hard circumstances, and build a better life thorough education.

I was especially satisfied to sign college scholarship papers for all three of our high school students who graduated last May.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School