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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2005)
8 FEBRUARY 15, 2005 Smoke Signals nr 5V , s rr-g! .ii',-.-' ;-7 Consequences On Wednes day, January 19 the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Department held an AIDS awareness community dinner and lecture at the Adult Education building. Among the speakers in attendance.PoppyMiller.whoisHIV positive, spoke about her life experi ences and how she contracted the disease. There were also two trainings at the Clinic on Thursday, January 20 to give citizens HTV testing, training and counseling. Pictured here (L-R) Poppy Miller.Dr. Hillary Lisa, Chaquita David and Jutta Riediger. Education Achievements Lead To College At Oregon State Tribal member Ashlee Merrill is first to gain early acceptance. By Peta Tinda Tribal member Ashlee Merrill is by all accounts exceptionally orga nized, extremely positive and has a knack for getting the job done. When most high school students were working on their senior projects, Merrill had hers done be fore her senior year. As a result of this, she has been chosen for early admittance to Or egon State University, where she will be studying physical therapy next fall. "As far as we know Ashlee's the first Tribal member to be accepted early," said Rachel Warner, Tribal College and Career Counselor, who worked closely with Merrill during the application process. "And she's just a bright student, on top of things and always posi tive." said Warner. "She's one of the most positive people I know and I think that will help her to suc ceed." Merrill, a 17 year old senior at Willamina High School, carries a 3.8 Grade Point Average and is in volved with many youth and com munity oriented organizations, in cluding the Native American Club, The SMART program, which reads to local children and has been on the varsity cheerleading team for three years. She is President of Bridging the Gap, which makes visits to Deer Meadows Nursing home in Sheridan and the Co-President of the National Honor Society. She also works for the Tribal Edu cation Departments where she tu tors children who need help with their grades. "She does all this while keeping her grades up," said Warner. "She's very self-motivated and will make sure she does what she needs to do to reach her goals," Warner added. Ashlee's mother Vickie Merrill, who works as a Training Coordi nator for Spirit Mountain Casino, said that the Tribal education de partment was very helpful getting the information Ashlee needed and that she was unquestionably proud of her daughter, saying "She's defi nitely miss overachiever." When Merrill found out that she was accepted "I just ran to the office and jumped up and own," said Merrill. "I was just so happy and so relieved." Merrill said that the Tribal Edu cation Department was extremely helpful in getting her application in early. "They helped out a lot. Rachel (Warner) got all of the information together, Luhui Whitebear went over all of the application questions with me and April Campbell (Tribal Education Specialist) took my ap plication herself to Corvallis so it wouldn't be late." Merrill said she wants to study physical therapy because "I have a really strong interest in health and anatomy. I love to help people, if I see someone that's upset or sad; I just automatically have to help them." Merrill said that she wants to get as much education as she can and wants to eventually get her doctor ate and possibly open her own clinic. "I think it's a good career choice for me," she said. Merrill's role models, she said, are her mother, Vickie Merrill, for her organizational skills, her brother Aaron, for his independence and spontaneity, and her father, Smoke Signals Editor Brent Merrill "Be cause he's always worked really hard and has a really stressful job, but still has time for us and to be funny," she said. Her parents, Merrill said, have been very supportive. "They tell me i . i jf 'N7TT " , Vi., , nv i Ashlee Merrill they're proud of me every time. They give me a lot of confidence and are always encouraging me." Merrill will begin college in Sep tember of 2005, where she will stay in the dormitories and attend classes full-time. To other Tribal members seeking higher education, Merrill had this to say: "I know it sounds cliche, but you can do anything you put your mind to; you shouldn't let anybody tell you. You should use your po tential to the fullest," she said. "Anything you're good at, you should take it and run with it."
