Rez Wide Graduation Parade celebrates local Native graduates
Families and supporters of graduates line up to see the Rez Wide Graduation Parade on Thursday, June 17.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — There were 12 floats representing at the 477 Human Services Department and Tribal Youth Education Program’s Rez Wide Graduation Parade on Thursday June 17, 2021 at the Fort Hall Festival Grounds.
Leading the parade was Miss Shoshone-Bannock Ontaria Arrow White, who also sponsored a contest on behalf of the graduates. Winners of her special for Best Male Float goes to Adrian Rodriguez; Best Male Attire winner Clarence George; Best Float Female winner went to Chloe Fullmer and Shoshawna Covington; Best Attire Female winner Tay’a Osborne.
The floats started on Bannock Avenue next to the Tribal Business Center and went around the Festival grounds. The graduates’ family and friends were present to cheer them on.
The announcer of the event was Dustina Abrahamson, who commended the graduates on achieving a big milestone in their lives. She encouraged them to go forward and work for their dreams and goals.
The graduates received a certificate as well as an incentive and gift bag from Miss Shoshone-Bannock.
Kendra Benally, TYEP Youth Ed Liaison, estimates there were about 100 high school graduates this year total, both Shoshone-Bannock tribal members (76) and other tribes.
Larry Murillo, 477 Human Services case manager, said from the beginning of operation to the current year there are a total of 284 graduates with bachelor degrees, 64 Master levels and 14 doctoral degrees.
Best Male Float winner Adrian Rodriguez and Jessica Rodriguez.
More recently there were 16 students who graduated in May/June of 2020 and 15 students who are projected to graduate in December 2021.
Murillo said more people are attending college for several reasons, such as the total population is getting larger.
“It seems like the tribal numbers have jumped from 3,500 to close to 6,000 now. There are also more educated people in the community and these educated parents are encouraging their children to be educated at a higher level. The experience of these parents is also helping because they help navigate the students through the process presented by colleges and universities,” he said.
Murillo said there are now more guided and directed students due to their parents coaching and the EET program can help with the decision-making process to help them get their degrees in less time than in the past.
“When I first arrived, we had a number of students with 150 to 200 credits and no degree. These students were older and had barriers they did not foresee such as credits not transferring when they switched school between tribal colleges, community colleges and universities. These older students also changed majors and that also caused them to take more credits to fulfill the requirements of a new major. Many have changed their majors more than twice,” he explained.
Best Female Float winner Chloe Fullmer and Shoshawna Covington.
Other situations that have affected the current group of students attending college and the schools and universities are adapting to the post-COVID-19 timeframe. Murillo said things are changing and it seems like college closures are on the rise.
He would like to do a study of the families in the community that have second, third and now even fourth generation college students.
“There is much to discuss with our community and where they see education taking us at a whole. We have certain families that have more than 10 college graduates and I have been learning from the older ones how they encouraged the children to pursue higher education,” he said.
