8 MARCH 1 5, 2009
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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-
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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
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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
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M created by George Vakt