S MOKE S IGNALS
NOVEMBER 15, 2014
15
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Student Spotlight — Andrea Grijalva
By Tiffany Mercier
Youth Education administrative assistant
“Have you ever met a person who can
just make your entire day feel better?” asks
Youth Education Department’s Chris Bailey
when asked about Willamina High School
sophomore Andrea Grijalva. “Besides being
a dedicated student and athlete, Andrea has
shown that she cares about her community
and fellow students.”
Andrea was chosen as this month’s Stu-
dent Spotlight. She has one of the top fi ve
grade point averages for Native American
students in the Willamina School District,
proving that education is a priority in her
Andrea Grijalva
life.
An amazing student, talented athlete and caring community member,
Andrea is shining proof that Tribal youth are able to succeed despite
teenage obstacles. Her favorite subject in school is English and she said
she fi nds math to be her biggest struggle.
When asked how she is able to overcome this challenge, she says, “I
wouldn’t make it through without Chris and Youth Education. Sports is
another big thing. They help me a lot.”
With a love of sports, Andrea balances her education with involvement
in volleyball and basketball. Her goal is to attend the University of Cali-
fornia, Los Angeles, and pursue a degree that will “help people be active
and healthy.”
Andrea says that one of the biggest challenges to academic success is
the immense amount of peer pressure to make unhealthy choices. She has
made a choice to overcome this pressure and offers advice to other youth
by saying, “Don’t get caught up in it. Have your mind set on what you
want. Know that high school will not last forever.”
She said that involvement in her Tribal culture and community helps
her maintain a sense of self and the strength needed to know who she
is and what she wants. As an active leader in the formation of a Grand
Ronde Youth Council, she hopes to help youth be engaged and have a voice
within the community.
Her mother, Stephanie Simmons, is incredibly proud of Andrea and all
of her hard work. “She has grown into a beautiful, intelligent young lady
who has a very good head on her shoulders,” Stephanie says. “She works
hard to keep her grades up so she can go on to bigger and better things
when she’s done with high school. I will be here for her every step of the
way. I am very proud of her.”
Andrea has shown tremendous growth personally, academically and
with her leadership abilities. Balancing school, sports, family, friends and
her community, Andrea defi nitely has a full load of responsibilities. She
keeps her eye on the future and is willing to take the necessary steps to
reach her goals. The dedication, focus and leadership that she exhibits on
a daily basis is truly an inspiration for all Tribal youth. n
Where high school students come to explore more about their future and post-high school plans
For Who: Native Youth 9 – 12 Grade Students & Parents/Guardians
Date: Tuesday, December 9 @ 5pm (Dinner will be provided for students and parents who attend)
November 2014 chxi– pulakHli
Youth Activity Nights, chxi-pulakHli, are for 6th-12th grade YED Youth. Wednesdays in the gym from 5-7:00pm and
Thursdays in the Youth Education Building from 5-7:00pm. This month we are offering three (3) on-site cultural
activities that will be held in the Youth Education Building, Gym, or Elder Activity Center. The culture activities are run
as a series; if you attend one, expect to attend them all. Nov. 20th, boys will be drum making and girls will be crafting.
The replacement Linfield College Football game will be November 1st. Meal and transportation will be provided.
Must have completed and turned in a permission slip to attend. The week of Nov. 23-29, no activity nights that
week. No meal on cultural nights. Pizza provided on pizza & movie night.
For further questions, contact Kendra Steele, Recreation Assist. @503-879-1921, kendra.steele@grandronde.org
Su
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1 chxi– pulakHli
Linfield FB
2
3 chxi– pulakHli 4
Afterschool 4-5:00
@GYM
5 chxi– pulakHli
6 chxi– pulakHli
Culture activity 5-7
@YED
7
8
9
10
11
12 chxi– pulakHli
13 chxi– pulakHli
14
15
16
17
18
19 chxi– pulakHli 20 chxi– pulakHli
Drum Making
(Boys) 4-7 @YED
21 Restoration
Celebration
22
23
24
25
26 Half Day
CLOSED for
Holiday
28 CLOSED for
Holiday
29
27 CLOSED for
Holiday
Location: CTGR Adult Education Building
Pathways include:
Track 1: College Prep for Seniors
(Financial Aid, Applications, Other Key Steps)
Track 2: Career Guidance
(Trade schools, Military, Workforce)
Track 3: 9th-11th Grade Student Success
(How to prepare for your senior year)
Guest speakers
OSAC presentation for College scholarships
For more information contact
Youth Education Department @503-879-2101
LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday – Friday: 9 A . M . – 6 P . M .
(closed Monday - Friday: noon – 1 P . M .)
Saturday: 10 A . M . – 2 P . M .
30
Movie Time @ the Library: Movies will be held through December
at 5:30 p.m. Youths age 12 and younger must be accompanied by an
adult. The remaining schedule is:
• Nov. 18: “Legends of the Guardians”
• Dec. 9: “Miracle on 34th Street”
National American Indian Heritage Month in November: The
library display will feature Native books and authors throughout the
month.
Donations: Many thanks to the following contributors to the library
collection: Ronnie Pederson and Lewis Younger. We appreciate the
great additions to the library.
Reminder: Donated items must be clean and in good condition.
Oregon State Library inter-library loan services: The Tribal
Library partners with Oregon State Library to offer “library to library”
inter-library loan services. By completing the inter-library loan form,
library patrons may request items from the Oregon State Library
collection. Items will be couriered to and from the Tribal Library.
OSL lending policies apply for return of items.