Smoke signals., January 01, 2007, Page 10, Image 8

Smoke Signals
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10 JANUARY 1, 2007
By Trinity Minahan
For Angela Sears, college was the
last item on a long list of things to
do after high school. After complet
ing her high school diploma at an
alternative school in Eugene, she
wanted anything but more school
and more classes. Instead, she went
to work and did some traveling to
places like Los Angeles, California
and Lake Tahoe, Nevada. She did
everything from delivering pizzas
to dealing cards in various casinos.
It took some growing up and some
of life's experiences to realize it was
time to make a change.
In 2001, after caring for her
grandmother until she passed,
Sears decided it was time to trans
form her life in a big way. Her
grandmother had always asked
her, "When are you going to do
something?" Those words left her
with a desire to seek out something
more.
Sears credits April Campbell,
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde Tribal Member and Educa
tion Division Manager as another
inspiration in her decision to attend
college. As well as Campbell driv
ing her to complete her degree, she
gave her the words of encourage
ment that was needed to succeed
on a path that Sears had not yet
traveled. She was unsure and ner
vous about getting into college and
Campbell eased the process.
Sears began her college path at
Chemeketa Community College
in Salem, Oregon. At Chemeketa
she worked toward an Associate of
Arts Oregon Transfer Degree. She
was unsure of what
she wanted to do in
life, but she knew it
was important to get a
college degree. "Every
other week there was
something different
I wanted to do." she
explained. She used
Chemeketa's Coun
seling and Career
Center to assist her
in researching many
different careers that
seemed intriguing. It
was there that she de
veloped and explored
the idea of Journal
ism and Communica
tions as a major. Upon
further research she
found that the Univer
sity of Oregon had a
baccalaureate program
that would suit her in
terests perfectly.
Sears, like most non
traditional students starting col lege
life long after high school, did not
have just college, classes, and books
on her mind. She had to continue
working while going to school and
sometimes that meant working 16
hour shifts. She maintained a job
at Spirit Mountain Casino work
ing as a table games dealer while
she attended classes through the
University of Oregon full time.
"It was difficult. My life changed
drastically," she said. There were
many long days and long nights
of working, attending classes, and
studying.
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Tribal Member Angela Sears
After four and half years she
made it through her program and
is now a graduate of the Univer
sity of Oregon with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Journalism and
Communications, with a double
emphasis in Advertising and Public
Relations, and a minor in Com
munications. She is currently in
the Tribe's Mentorship Program,
working within the Public Affairs
Department and has plans to enter
into a Masters Program in Stra
tegic Communications that the
University of Oregon offers at their
Portland campus this winter. "My
successes in school had a lot to do
with age and experience. If I would
have gone into college right after
high school, I wouldn't have had the
same level of commitment."
Sears also gives thanks to the
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde for the scholarship and grant
funds that were made available
for her to go to school. "Everyone
should take advantage of the educa
tion funding that the Tribe offers,"
said Sears. "It is part of what our
Tribe has worked so hard for self
sufficiency and making a better
life for ourselves and our families."
That, in itself, is exactly what she
has done.
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