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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2009)
8 MARCH 1 5, 2009 Smoke Signals RJeraeir eaurmis Lnmitftiendl CoflDecfje dlegiree Tribal Elder to receive bachelor's in May By Trinity Minahan Tribal Academic Adviser Tribal Elder Carmen Mercier will walk up to the podium at Linfield College in McMinnville on May 30 to complete a journey that began some 20 years ago. Mercier completed her course work in December and will receive her bachelor's of science in Social and Behavioral Sciences. "Years ago, my husband passed away in a car accident while I was working as a secretary and it made me realize I was going to need a college education to provide for my kids," Mercier, 57, said about her motivation to go to college. She said she did not know how it was going to be accomplished and knew it would not be easy, but she realized that she had to do it for herself and family. Mercier began taking classes at Chemeketa Community College part time while working full time and raising three children. "Life happened, barriers came up year after year and, most impor tantly, I didn't see myself being able to complete college," Mercier said. "It was an inner struggle for me." Mercier started and stopped go ing to college as obstacles occurred and various things got in the way. Fortunately, there were motiva- (College " K X':::v- J Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal Elder Carman Marciar, an Indian Child Welfara prevantion caseworker for tha Tribe, completed her bachelor's degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences in December at Linfield College in McMinnville. She has been working on the degree for 20 years. tors along the journey who helped Mercier continue. Among them were her supportive family, friends and a mentor at the Tribe's Educa tion Division John Harp. "John was my motivator to keep going and persisting through my college journey," Mercier said. "It wouldn't have been possible to com plete without him. He was always there with encouraging words for me to continue." "Through her persistence, Carmen serves as an excellent role model for other students facing barriers as they pursue their college education," Harp, the Tribe's Part-time College Program coordinator, said. "I am very proud of her." Mercier completed her senior research project by writing about a topic near to her heart, 'The Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony: A Spiritual Revival." In her re search paper, she wrote about how the sweat lodge ceremony is com ing back to the community, being practiced once again and how it has positively affected people's lives. "Through life's experiences I might not know who I am, but I know who I don't want to be," Mer cier said about the values and eth ics that guide her into the future. She said that completing her bachelor's degree has been very liberating for her and, instead of it being the end of the road, has opened doors. "I have already started looking at master's degree programs," Mercier said. "The possibilities are endless." Mercier's hobbies include sewing, taking design classes and running. She also is training for a 10K run to be held at Champoeg State Park in St. Paul. Her goal is to participate in the Hood-to-Coast Relay run in August. "I do the things that I like to do," she says. Mercier works as the prevention caseworker in the Tribe's Indian Child Welfare Department. She works with Tribal families and coordinates sup port groups for various prevention topics, such as the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren group that meets and teaches parenting and child abuse prevention education to community members. She said that she now lives her life by the quote, "Purpose is the difference between dreaming and doing." "There's a lot of truth in that," Mercier said. O f I aVj i 1 O" mm t-. Mala JUL I . . f t " j"jr , I X t 1 -mm t ; I I t .v. ill Wednesday, Mar 9 Come join Youth Education this year as we make another trip to Camp Westwind on the Oregon Coast Every year we have a lot of new faces and look forward to seeing some men; this year. This year we will be doing team-building activities, competitions, hiking, canoeing and a buried treasure hunt We are going to be limited to 55 students, who must be enrolled in school in grades 6 through 12, and be Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde members, descendents or involved in the Youth Education JOM program. Priority will be given to Grand Ronde TVibal members. Fcr more fcfcrrn-tiori cr to receive n per- 7j W I I I M created by George Vakt