Smoke Signals
Tribal Youth Participates In All Things
Eric Sabin builds his leadership skills.
6 JANUARY 15, 2004
By Ron Karten
At 15, Tribal youth Eric Sabin has already taken
advantage of Tribal programs for his own benefit,
and given back to the community from his own re
sources. His mom, Tribal Council member Valorie
Sheker- Robertson, said, "Truly, he is one of the suc
cess stories of the Tribe."
He is a member of the Tribal Youth Leadership
Academy, and this year, after raising money for fami
lies in need at Christmas time, he worked to make
one child's dream come true by dipping into his own
savings.
With the money raised through selling baked
goods, members of the Youth Leadership Academy
bought gifts for kids, and these were distributed
through the Tree of Giving program. The amount
raised was not enough for the VCR one child asked
for, so Sabin put in his own money to help purchase
the gift.
Also as part of the Academy, Sabin was one of five
participating in the Leadership Academy run by
Norman, Oklahoma-based Native Wellness Insti
tute. Over three to four days, the youth visited Lewis
& Clark College and the Nike campus for lessons on
leadership.
"He's a really go-getter type of kid," said Youth
tr
1
1
Brandon said
that Sabin
would run
back to the
Youth Educa
tion building to
get in a quick
game of Eight
Ball. ("I have
a pretty good
break shot," he
said.) And dur
ing lunch, he'd
be on the bas
ketball court
for a quick
pick-up game.
At school, Sabin struggled early on with a speech
impediment and through eighth grade, he improved
his skills, which were often a year behind those of his
classmates, in the Learning Resource Center.
"He had to work harder than his peers," said
Sheker-Robertson. "He always had to work harder
and now, he stays at it."
Last September, Sabin was student of the month
Education Special-
Willi mmm ctiiviiugi Iteif iB!&iti
ist Chris Bailey.
"He's always will
ing to take risks
positive risks. And
he's a hard worker
and that rubs ofTon
the other kids."
Currently, Sabin
is learning peer
mentorship train
ing with the help of
students involved
in a similar pro
gram at South Salem High School, according to
Bailey.
Last summer, he took advantage of the youth em
ployment opportunities at the Tribe, putting his el
bow grease into the work of the Housekeeping De
partment. He learned to shampoo rugs, strip and
wax tile floors, said Jimmy Brandon, a Housekeep
ing Tech who taught Sabin the ropes. "He's a real
good worker," said Brandon. "I was really happy with
him. I wish I could have some more like him.
"He was a very outgoing person. Anything you
ask him to do, he'd jump in and do it. He was real
good at that."
During breaks from last summer's work program,
in Biology and nominated by his Science Teacher,
Ariah Fasana, for the National Science Achievement
Award in Biology.
"He's a great student and really concerned with
learning and understanding the materials," said
Fasana. "As a teacher you appreciate students like
that."
"It's interesting," said Sabin of his science class.
"All those little atoms and molecules. Everything's
the same, but different. It's crazy."
In Agriculture class, Sabin's Sophomore Project
is helping prepare him for life. "She makes up a life
for us. We get a credit card, write checks, so it's
like a life experience." He also has a few speeches
mi i . pun in WW . i I i, i --y J
i1 ... - .'
4'
under his belt in Agriculture and Biology classes
on animal shelters for Ag and on the flu for Biology.
As a sophomore at Willamina High School, Sabin
has come a long way to maintain a 3.2 grade point
average.
When school's over, Sabin changes into his bas
ketball gear and as a second year member of the
Bulldogs' basketball team, he plays post and aver
ages 4 points a game.
Less formally, Sabin is crazy about his scooter.
"It's just something that nobody else does," he said,
"and I'm good at it." Known as "the Scooter Mas
ter," Sabin started running through his list of tricks,
then realized there were too many to name. "How
about we say 'a variety of spins, whips and grabs,"
he said. (For those who live beyond the language of
these wheeled wonders, he is talking about taking
his scooter off a ramp of some kind and spinning
around 360 degrees in the air, and surviving).
Also among his hobbies is photography. Accom
panying his mother at some Tribal activities, Sabin
has a growing collection of photographs, including
photos of such events as the opening of the Oregon
Trail Museum. But for Sabin, his favorite pictures
are of Tribal member Gary (Guzman), his older
brother, skateboarding.
"I like taking pictures of Gary because he always
does his best and his best is very good. He's not
afraid to do stuff that's different. You can ask him
to do a trick and he'll do it and he won't stop until
he lands it. He has a good attitude about stuff."
He also attended the governor's Harvest Ball to
raise money for the Oregon Food Bank. When Port
land State University dedicated its new Native
American Student and Community Center in Octo
ber (Smoke Signals, 1112003) Sabin was there
with others from the community to support the ef
fort. Sabin goes all the way back to first grade for a
memorable book. The book's name was Each Peach
Pear Plum. "I was all excited because that was the
first book I ever read. I said, 'Mom, look!'
Today, the exclamations come over computer
games. "I want to learn computer graphics for video
games," he said. He plays Role Playing Games,
called RPGs. "You create a different world. You go
anywhere. It's just fun and makes me want to be
there. I got a video game that kind of makes video
games called an RPG Maker.
But fun is as close and as simple as a bench in
the park for Sabin. There's one by the Teen Center
in Willamina that made him laugh. "I sat down on
the bench and it broke," he said.
' "l if.
-7
Airborne Tribal member Eric Sabin, at left, shows
what he can do on his scooter. Above is older brother,
Tribal member Gary Guzman, showing what he can do
on his skateboard. This shot of his brother is a good
example of Sabin's camera work. Both photos were
taken at the Willamina Skate Park.