Tribe honors 119 graduates during June 22 celebration

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde honored 119 graduates earning eighth-grade through receiving doctoral degrees during the Graduation Celebration held Friday, June 22, in the Tribal gym.

Education Division Manager Leslie Riggs welcomed the graduates and their families to the celebration and the invocation was delivered by Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi, who had just returned from New York City and the visit to Tomanowos.

The ceremony opened with a drum that included Riggs and Cultural Resources Department employees Brian Krehbiel and Jordan Mercier and their respective daughters, Kailiyah Krehbiel and Ila Mercier.

After dinner, McNary High School graduate Evan Harvey spoke and then eighth-grade and high school graduates were honored.

After Eastern Oregon University graduate Michele Plummer spoke, GED and college graduates were honored. Graduates receiving master’s and doctoral degrees received either a Tillamook or Chinook carved paddle created by Krehbiel and every post-secondary graduate received a Pendleton blanket.

The Tribe’s Education Committee includes Tammy Cook, chair; Mychal Cherry, secretary; and David DeHart, Peter Grout, Shelby Maerz and Chris Mansayon.

Tribal graduates honored this year were:

Eighth grade: Anesia Ainam, Lily Ayala, Brandon Bearface, Jacob Bidwell, Richard Brisbois, Dyshani Eastman, Griffen Farr, Brandon Gatchell, Tristan Gatchell, Noah Gerbrandt, Aiden House, Dominic Holtz, Jackie LaBonte, Noah Larsen, Ashten Leno, Chazz Leonard, Talia Marrufo, Mariah Martin, Kendall Norwest, Onahzay Pacheco, James Partridge, Aleah Patterson, James Pena, Nakai Rock, Noey Sanchez, Austin Simpson, Jacey Smith, Kale Sohappy, Aiden Stewart, John Stryker, Jaysson Swirtz-Ferdig, Braxton Tucker, Miguel Ulestad Ramires, Nicholas Ventriglia and Madalyn Volz.

High school: Lily Baker, Kaylene Barry, Goldie Bly, Isabelle Bobb, Kiona Brisbois, Kiona Campbell, True Gibbons, Izayah Hall, Evan Harvey, Taylor Holm, Oglala Knows-His-Gun, Sacheen Lampert, Alexis Lane, Raymond Larsen, Hunter Latham, Mataya Martinez-Holmes, Hannah McCallister, Bethany McKnight, Jacob Olson, Brandon Partridge, Will Soderberg and Emily Sterling.

GED: Mariah Black, Cheyenne Gilbert, Maureen Leon, Elizabeth Pantaleon and Jessica Towner.

Certificates: Ronald Johnson, Life Skills, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; and Kyle Rohde, Computer Support Specialist, Chemeketa Community College.

Associate degrees: Kaylor Auger, Lower Columbia College; Myranda Bradshaw, Linn-Benton Community College; Andrea Chandler, College of Southern Nevada; Kerrina Freeney; Chemeketa Community College;Samantha Furtado, Walla Walla Community College; Sonja Haskins-Mack, Chemeketa Community College; Stephen McKnight, Lane Community College; Shayla Myrick-Meyer, Chemeketa Community College; Kaylee Peters, Linn-Benton Community College; Anthony Quenelle, Shasta College; ChyAnne Schlappie, Chemeketa Community College; Hannah Sherwood, Chemeketa Community College;Roxanne Teeter, Excelsior College; and Sharon Williams, Yakima Valley College.

Bachelor’s degrees: Chloe Balleras, Criminal Justice, Seattle University; Joey Bradford, History, Portland State University; Shasta Byington; Elementary Education, George Fox University; Cheyanne Fasana, Family and Human Services and Education, Oregon State University;Kerrina Freeney, Business, Western Oregon University;Shawn Haggerty, Business Administration, Southern New Hampshire University;Randy Haskins, Japanese, Portland State University;Anna Hoffer, Ethnic Studies, University of Oregon; Taryn Holm, Family and Human Services, University of Oregon; Jesse Langley, Economics, University of Washington; Kara Langley, Agricultural Education, California State University Fresno; Mario Martinez, Interdisciplinary Studies, Marylhurst University; Katelin Mercier, Human Services and Family Science, Oregon State University; Kyle McLaughlin, Psychology, University of Oregon; Nakoosa Moreland, Psychology, Western Oregon University; Jennifer Murphy, Applied Management, Peninsula College; Samantha Nixon, Human Development and Family Science, Oregon State University; Christina Norwest, Social Science, Portland State University; Hannah Portwood, Human Development and Family Science, Oregon State University; Joshua Parazoo, Sociology, Oregon State University; Melissa Pascal, Native Studies Leadership, Evergreen State College; Christopher Rempel, Mathematics, Portland State University; Katherine Rodriguez, Business Management, Yakima Valley College; Kimberly Roybal, Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Oregon University; Susan Scheese, Liberal Arts, Thomas Aquinas College; Stefanie Shandy, Management, Oregon State University; Kryshanne Smith, Social Science, Portland State University; Madisson Thomas, Economics and Accounting, University of California, Santa Barbara; Grace Tichelaar, Psychology, Portland State University; Bryanna Trevino, Social Science, Southern Oregon University; Amy Valentine, Social Science, University of Alaska Southeast Juneau; Colton Vix, Kinesiology, Sam Houston State University; Kiana Wilson, Psychology, Western Oregon University; and Amber Yates, Management and Organizational Leadership, George Fox University.

Master’s degrees: Amanda Dorman, Crime and Intelligence Analysis, University of Oklahoma;Sierra Keck, Education, Simpson University; Michele Plummer, Business Administration, Eastern Oregon University; Lorena Rivera, Tribal Administration, University of Minnesota; Justin Simmons, Public Administration, University of Utah; and Patrick Sorensen, Education, Dallas Baptist University.

Doctorate degree: Deanna McNulty, Nursing Practice, University of Missouri--Kansas City.