Smoke Signals
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TfiurougEi ttlfaeTribe's Summer YuGCu Employment! Program
12
Story and photos
by Teresa Henry
The Tribe's Summer Youth Em
ployment program is part of the Edu
cation department. Youth Education
Coordinators Lisa Leno, Dustin
Harmon and Richard Sohappy are
the three main supervisors. Educa
tion Director Marion Mercier, Cindy
Watkins and the Human Resources
staff, Tribal Council and various de
partment supervisors have also con
tributed to the Youth Employment
program.
The program is in its third year
now and is continually improving.
The first year there were only eight
teens, the second year there were 15,
and this summer there was a total of
22 teens placed in 12 different de
partments. Shannon Wilson, a summer youth
intern in the Tribe's Enrollment Of
fice, said participating in the youth
program was a good learning expe
rience because she learned how to
file, fax, use the copy machine, and
learned about professional responsi
bility. Shannon, 15, attends Madras
High School in Madras, Oregon.
Enrollment Director Margo Mer
cier, Shannon's supervisor, said she
is pleased with Shannon's progress
over the summer.
"The Summer Youth Employment
program has provided an opportu
nity for clerical support in the En
rollment program, I am pleased to
have been able to take advantage of
it," said Mercier. "Shannon has defi
nitely been an asset to our Enroll
ment office."
"I think that the most important
thing about the program is that the
youth have an opportunity to see
how the Tribe and its programs op
erate," said Lisa.
"I learned how to work with com
puter software," said Daniel Garrison.
Daniel works in the Small Business
enjoyed my summer job because my
coworkers at Smoke Signals were nice and fun,
and I got to write and take pictures.
My job is interesting because it is challenging,
fun, and was a good learning experience.
- Teresa Henry, Smoke Signals Summer Intern
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department with Business Informa
tion Coordinator Barbara Lake.
"I think the program is a good op
portunity for Tribal youth to work in
a local area and it gives them some
exposure and experience with Tribal
programs,'' said Barbara.
Daniel said he is not sure yet what
his future career will be, but said his
time with the Small Business depart
ment was a good learning experience.
Six of the teen interns worked in
the Tribe's Maintenance department
with Bobby Mercier and Greg Leno.
One intern, Jeremy Trammel, said
that he would like to work for the
Tribe someday.
Another Maintenance intern,
Kevin Sierra, said "I think it was a
good learning experience."
Chad Peters, Gary Guzman, Nick
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Janel Lara receives instructions from
Lisa Leno at the Youth Center.
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Kimsey, and Lee Wilson also worked
hard in the Maintenance department.
Emma Leno worked in the Cultural
Resource department and at the Den
tal Clinic. She said being in the pro
grams was fun.
The Tribe's Preschool program took
advantage of the Summer Youth pro
gram with six interns of their own.
Vikki Bishop and Penny Cook are
the supervisors for the preschool in
terns. "I think it was a good learning ex
perience because I learned to work bet
ter with young children, and it's a good
way of learning how to manage my
money," said Andrea Childers, who
works with the three year-old class
room. Andrea said most of the interns
are planning on spending their hard
earned money on school clothes.
"I like working with the kids and
it gives me a chance to make my own
money for school clothes," said
Caitlan Zimbrick, who also worked
in the three year-old classroom.
Matt Zimbrick is working for his
school clothes money, so that he can
pick out his own clothes.
Intern Ali Holsclaw said the rea
son she likes her job is because she
likes being around the kids.
Other interns at the preschool in
cluded Highpine Eastman and Alex
Bishop.
"Working with the Tribal Educa
tion program gave me a good idea of
what a real job is like and what work
ing in a Tribal program is like," said
Janel Lara, who works with the
Youth Education program staff.
"Janel is a good worker and pulled
her weight around here," said
Dustin. "With her taking care of a
lot of the odd jobs, it freed up the staff
Preschool Andrea Childers, Highpine
Eastman, Alex Bishop, Ali Holsclaw, Caitlin
Zimbrick, and Matt Zimbrick
Before & After Care
Brett Leno and Rebecca Knight
Facilities Gary Guzman, Nick Kimsey,
Kevin Sierra, Jeremy Trammel, Lee Wilson
and Chad Peters
Cultural Resources Emma Leno
Youth Center Janel Lara
Enrollment Shannon Wilson
Medical Records Adam Sierra
Public Relations Teresa Henry
Natural Resources - Brittany Thomas
Small Business Daniel Garrison
Clinic Business Office Cristina Lara
to tackle the bigger jobs."
Janel's sister Cristina Lara, spent
her summer working for the clinic in
Patient Registration.
"It was an excellent learning ex
perience," said Cristina.
"It is fun and I am learning new
things all the time," said Natural Re
source department intern Brittany
Thomas.
Other interns were Rebecca Knight
and Brett Leno, who worked with the
Tribe's Before and After Care pro
gram and Adam Sierra worked in the
Tribe's Medical department. O
Shannon Wilson learned many office
skills that was good experience.
Matt Zimbrick and HighPine Eastman had fun
with the Head Start students as part of their
summer job duties.
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Chad Peters, Nick Kimsey, Jeremy Trammel and Lee Wilson worked getting the pow-wow grounds ready.