8
JANUARY 1, 2024
SMOKE SIGNALS
Three Tribal women graduate from George Fox
By Sherron Lumley
Smoke Signals staff writer
Since the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde officially began a
higher education program, more
than 1,000 Tribal graduates have
earned degrees and certificates
since 1986.
The three most recent graduates
are Tribal members Isabell Bobb
and Keri Kimsey, and Grand Ronde
descendant and Siletz Tribal mem-
ber Denaee Towner, who graduated
from George Fox University on
Saturday, Dec. 16.
The midyear commencement
ceremony was held at Bauman
Auditorium in Newberg, where all
three received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in psychology and mental
health, with a certificate in behav-
ioral health.
“This is perfect for the work I am
doing now and the community I’m
serving,” Kimsey, who works in
the Tribe’s Youth Empowerment
and Prevention Program, said. “It
applies very well to the work I do in
the program for suicide prevention
and mental health promotion.”
Kimsey, Bobb and Towner are
all employees of the Tribe and
working mothers, putting them in
the non-traditional college student
category. However, higher educa-
tion is becoming more and more of a
Tribal tradition in Grand Ronde, as
evidenced by the growing number of
graduate names listed in the Adult
Education Building.
“We are so proud of them,” Educa-
tion Committee Chair Tammy Cook
Contributed photo
At front, Tribal member and Tribal
Community Support Specialist
Isabell Bobb, Tribal Early Childhood
Education Family Partnership
Specialist Denaee Towner (Siletz)
and Tribal member and Tribal Native
Connections Grant Coordinator Keri
Kimsey graduated from George
Fox University in Newberg on
Saturday, Dec. 16. The three earned
bachelor’s degrees in psychology
and mental health with a certificate
in behavioral health.
said, adding that the committee is
encouraged to see so many schools
talking to Native students.
“As of June of this year we were
at 1,020 degrees and certificates
earned from the Higher Education
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Program,” Education Department
Manager Angela Fasana said. “Our
first degree/certificate earned was
in 1986.”
Fasana was one of the first 100
Tribal members to graduate from
college in 1994, and she went on to
earn a law degree in 1997.
“To know Tribal Council priori-
tizes education makes me incred-
ibly grateful to my Tribe,” she
said. “I’m always super excited to
see people who work here further
their careers.”
“It is an honor to get a higher
education,” Bobb said. “It is an in-
vestment. I am going to take their
investment and give back to the
community.”
Bobb, who works in the Tribe’s So-
cial Services Department, said that
she first received Tribal financial
assistance for her education. Then,
the state created the Oregon Tribal
Student Grant, which funded her
most recent academic year, paying
for tuition, living expenses, books
and fees. Members of Oregon’s
nine federally recognized Tribes
may use the grant for private or
public universities, undergraduate
or graduate programs.
“The Oregon Tribal Student Grant
is a great motivator,” Fasana said. “I
hope it continues to drive more stu-
dents to pursue higher education.”
The grant is administered by the
state’s Higher Education Coordi-
nating Commission. The deadline
to apply for the 2024-25 academic
year is April 5, 2024.
“If you are thinking about it, now
is the time to do it,” Bobb said. “The
scholarship covered everything and
then some. I tell my siblings and my
clients. I try to encourage people.”
She said she plans to pursue a
master’s degree next, even as she
laughed recalling delivering her
baby, 10-month-old Miller, on a
Tuesday and having an assignment
due on Sunday.
Completing a bachelor’s degree,
as Bobb, Kimsey and Towner have,
once required at least a four-year
commitment to taking classes
on campus, an obstacle for many
adults. Today, online and hybrid
programs are available at most col-
leges, and those returning to school
later in life are not alone.
“We have Elders in their 70s go-
ing back to school,” Cook said. “It’s
amazing. The Tribe stands behind
them. Our future is bright. Grand
Ronde is very progressive.”
Parents with children at home
also are able to attend full-time
due to the remote option. George
Fox’s online adult degree programs
have a 90 percent completion rate,
exceeding national averages for
public (63 percent) and private
nonprofit (68 percent) institutions,
according to the National Center
for Education Statistics.
“Really, you can do it,” Kimsey
said. “The adult degree program
really makes it accessible for the
working parent. I have two busy
sons in every sport, and I was still
able to manage all of it and gradu-
ate with honors. If you are dedicat-
ed, you can do it and still thrive in
other parts of your life.”
Kimsey’s sons Ben and Reed, 14
and 10, attended the George Fox
graduation ceremony.
“Maybe they will remember it,”
she said.
A few days after commence-
ment, Towner, a family partner-
ship specialist in the Tribe’s Early
Childhood Education Program,
considered what it means to be a
college graduate.
“My hard work has finally paid
off and I now hold a degree in psy-
chology and mental health studies,”
Towner said. “Being a full-time
parent, student and employee is no
easy task. It takes balance, serious
dedication and perseverance that
at times can feel impossible. My
hope is that with these credentials,
I will be able to support others as
they navigate through their own
journeys toward wellbeing.”
Gas discount in Grand Ronde
Grand Ronde Tribal members, as well as Tribal and Spirit Mountain
Casino employees, can receive a 30-cent per gallon discount on gasoline
at the Tribally owned Grand Ronde Station convenience store.
There are, however, a few rules. Tribal members and employees must
go inside and show either their enrollment card or employee identification
card to receive the discount.
to complete a quick 10 minute survey about
the greatest needs in Yamhill County.
If you complete the survey, you can enter
into a raffle for a chance to win $100.
Responses are anonymous.
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