Cola Boyer gets MA in Business Leadership from Whitworth University
Shoshone-Bannock tribal member Cola Boyer. (Submitted photos)
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
SPOKANE, Wash. — Shoshone-Bannock tribal member Cola Boyer is the Kalispel Leadership Academy Administrator and wanted a degree that centered around human beings since she chose a degree in human resources.
She graduated from Whitworth University with her master’s degree in business leadership because it was intriguing to her on how leadership in businesses work.
“I wanted to see first-hand what and how businesses were organized and what kinds of leadership should be placed in specific spots,” she said.
The experience she learned the most from was the summer intensive leadership course. The course required a 12-week community project that centered around Spokane School District early learning enrollment; a class that centered around design thinking; a class that was based on leadership styles, and a class that was based on adapted and technical leadership.
For this program she was a part of a weekend camping trip that included white water rafting. In this experience, all of their group was challenged in different ways.
They also created a product in an eight hour period and produced the most revenue competing with another group. In the end, her group came up with a plan that acquired the other teams business and combined our revenue to create a business plan that shocked our instructor in a good way with a revenue of over $3000.
Boyer plans to take a year or two off of school before looking into her doctorates degree in a leadership studies program.
“I am working on getting some things together to come home and work for our people. That’s always been a dream of mine,” she said.
Boyer was voted by her classmates to receive this year’s Whitworth John Hengesh Award in recognition for servant leadership, compassion for the needs of others and quiet excellence.
“I am so thankful for my experience at Whitworth University. I found my true meaning in life with my peers and instructors. I encourage all of our tribal youth and tribal members to reach for your goals and dreams in life and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. There is a big wide world out there and it’s just waiting for you to make its mark on it! I’m cheering you on!,” she said.
