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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2009)
Smoke Signals 7 JUNE 15, 2009 First Gates scholarship recipient plans to obtain master's in education By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal member Ashlee Mer rill, 22, one of the first Or egonians to win a Gates Millennium Scholarship, received a degree in human development and family services on June 13 from Oregon State University in Corvallis. Merrill, the daughter of Tribal member Brent Merrill, gradu ated with honors and completed her studies in the minimum four years. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foun dation awards need-based scholar ships to minority students with an impressive record of academic achievement, leadership and com munity service. The scholarships provide students with funds to cover 100 percent of their unmet needs and is renewable for up to nine years. Merrill is the first local Gates winner to earn her degree. She graduated from Willamina High School in 2005. 2 FA 7 I - Smoke Signals file photo Ashlee Merrill Merrill told the McMinnville News-Register that she plans to a take a year off and then enroll in graduate school to seek a master's degree in education. Rachel Warner, Grand Ronde's Tribal college counselor in 2005, encouraged West Valley students to apply and guided them through Ylni wssy ft ram) ioiradl XJ O j, I i if Photo by Michelle Atatmo Singer Dtonne Warwkk tings'! Say a Uttle Prayer during har concert at Spirit Mountain Casino's Events Canter on Friday, June S. the scholarship process. "It was a crazy opportunity," Mer rill said at the time. "I was happy to do everything I could to apply for it." She told the News-Register that the Gates scholarship made it so she did not have to work to subsi dize her education, which allowed her to concentrate on her studies. Tribal member Amanda Thomas Monk, 21, also received a 2005 Gates Millennium Scholarship and went to Oregon State University for a year. She was Willamina High School valedictorian in 2005 and is the daughter of Tribal member Brian Thomas. Monk is currently attending George Fox University in Newberg, where she said she has one more year to go before obtaining a degree in nursing. D m SEIJ5ET ells, i mr Open W Honest Leadership (cD TDDaffid ' '''o-&S' v ' Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal member Kateri Marrufo feeds her 14-month-old son and Tribal member John Marrufo during the Young Mother's Tea at the Tribal Community Center on Friday, May 29. Mothers of children age 2 and under and mommies-to-be were invited to the annual event put on by the Dental Clinic and the Tribal Wellness Program. I I W Vt; A te3Ri?trtKHGium , 1 i - fi) $200 registration fee per team Contact Chris Labonte 503-879-1369 or 800-242-0232 for more information Ad treated by George Vatdel
