Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College graduates glow with personal pride

Julie Severn

5/15/2002 12:00:00 AM

Perseverance, faith and community strength guided Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College students to graduation on May 7.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal members Carla Jeffrey and Glenna Halliwill, as well as Soaring Eagle Casino employee Ronald Blackmer earned their associate's of arts degrees in business administration.

The commencement in the Soaring Eagle Black River Room began with an honor song from High Spirit and a pipe ceremony conducted by Seventh Generation Program Coordinator Beaver Pelcher.

"These students have shown great commitment and dedication to achieve their goals," said Chief Maynard Kahgegab Jr. in a welcome address. "I'd like to challenge each of our graduates to continue pursuing their dreams and achieving their lifelong goals because in the end it will become very valuable to this Tribe."

Knowledge attained by the graduates is already an asset to the community since all three are employees on the Isabella Reservation.

Jeffrey, 30, is the employee relations assistant in Human Resources. She is also a single parent of two children.

"This is something I decided to do to show that education is important," stated Jeffrey. "I had my daughter when I was 15. I can't encourage her to further her education if I don't do it myself."

She added she plans on transferring to Central Michigan University to pursue a bachelor's degree in business administration.

"It's important for everyone to continue their education," Jeffrey also said. "You can never have enough knowledge."

Twenty-nine year-old Glenna Halliwill agreed.

"You are never too old to learn," she said. "Education doesn't stop with a high school diploma."

Halliwill is the Tribal Operations employment coordinator in Human Resources and is a single mother of four children. Her future plans are to attain a bachelor's degree while advancing her career within Human Resources.

Halliwill's college education began when she signed up for beadwork classes to learn to make regalia for her daughter.

"This was not an easy task," said an emotional Halliwill during the ceremony. "I want to thank my mom for watching my kids while I was at work and school. It's been really difficult. She has probably seen my children more than I have in the past few months."

Halliwill also thanked Human Resources Manager Audrey Falcon for allowing her education leave and to co-worker Jamie Roy helping out in her absence.

"Education is not one person's accomplishment, but the accomplishment of many people," said Tribal Education Director Carla Sineway. "The graduates achieved their goals in consolidation with support from their families, from their friends and from the Tribe."

Blackmer, a 54-year-old graduate, works third shift security at the Soaring Eagle Casino. He is currently taking economics and mathematics courses at Mid-Michigan Community College. From there he plans to transfer to CMU.

"I really enjoyed the cultural experience," Blackmer said. "I could have got an education anywhere, but the cultural enrichment is something that I will carry on with me as I continue through life."

Blackmer gave thanks to his family and friends for their support throughout all his academic endeavors.

"I've met a lot of really nice people and learned a lot about life from the students," he added.

Sineway also said that education is key for Native people to succeed.

"Knowledge onto itself is nothing," Sineway said. "We must take this knowledge and plant the seed in our children so we will have a harvest in the next generation. Education is the beginning of knowledge that will move us ahead as Native people."