Pidamiya! (September 2018)

Pidamiya (Thank You), Westminster!

Our Westminster congregation has provided scholarships this year to members of the Dakota Sioux Mdewakan (Spirit Lake People) as students at the community college on their reservation. Westminster had been providing these grants since 2016 as part of our national mission outreach to the Bdecan Presbyterian Church on the Spirit Lake reservation in Devils Lake, North Dakota, encouraging students to achieve personal educational goals that also enrich their community.

Each applicant comes to Cankdeska Cikana (Little Hoop) Community College – “CCCC” – with different goals, dreams, and desires – and, in the spring semester, Westminster provided scholarship grants to three students following the recommendations of the school. The National Mission Committee would like to introduce you to the scholarship awardees that you support.

Jaede starts her second year of school studying Early Childhood Education at CCCC thankful that she didn’t give up after a tough last year. “I did [it] for my future,” she said. “It’s supposed to be challenging, frustrating at times, and fun.” She wants to teach young children so that she can “fill [their] heads with knowledge.” Growing up with little taught her to give back more, and she thanks the congregation for giving her that chance. This is Jaede’s first year with the Westminster scholarship grants.

Amanda is also in her second year at CCCC, studying Business Administration. She started as a part-time student in 2016 with help from Westminster, and was supported in 2017 as well. She is a single mother, works full-time at the Spirit Lake Health Center, and hopes to “be a positive role model for the community and for the younger generation” at Spirit Lake. This is Amanda’s third year with scholarship assistance from Westminster.

Jefferey is another multi-year recipient of a Westminster scholarship grant, majoring in Dakota Studies at CCCC, and devoting his studies to preserving the Sioux culture and language. “I am grateful for the ‘Voices of our Ancestors Program’,” he writes – he wants to learn more about the Dakota Sioux culture and finds himself now teaching the Dakota language to others. Jefferey is also a third year recipient of a Westminster scholarship grant.

Each of the recipients can be proud of what they have accomplished thus far, and we are proud of them too!