The long road to graduation made for a sweet day of celebration for five women who are members or employees of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe.
Nancy Hart, Henrietta Jacket, Lisa Jacket, Venus Mills, and Tina Begay all earned an associate of applied science degree in office management from Southwest Colorado Community College. They were among the graduates honored Sunday, May 12, in commencement ceremonies held in Fort Lewis College’s Whalen Gym in Durango.
All five began taking classes at another institution five or six years ago, then studied the past two years at SCCC to finish the requirements for their associate degrees. They all are employed by the tribe in Towaoc and were given release time from work to take classes towards their degrees. Most of their classes were offered in a classroom in Towaoc by SCCC business instructor Melinda Green.
“I am very proud of myself for accomplishing my goal – to get my degree,” said Nancy Hart.
Henrietta Jacket agreed and also noted that completing the task wasn’t easy, saying, “I feel very excited, proud and relieved all at the same time – we made it!”
Lisa Jacket noted that earning the degree required dedication, saying, “It feels great and is another accomplishment (through) my own commitment and with a lot of effort.”
She added that the SCCC classes are already enabling her to do her job better.
“All the classes were helpful, whether it’s the computers or writing, and also at home,” she explained.
“We all started out as a large group, and slowly it shrunk to a few,” Henrietta Jacket pointed out. “We had to stick together and work out some obstacles that would pop up. We had Learning Center support with transportation when classes were at the college. We made it together. Support is what kept us going and the teachers believing in us.”
Hart said she learned many lessons along the way, noting that it was important to “be in class every day, understand your assignment and if you don’t, ask questions. Do your homework and read your chapters. This will prepare you for class.”
They all agreed that the experience gained from taking SCCC classes was positive and that they would encourage other tribal members to pursue their education.
“It’s important ... when opportunity knocks, answer it and get going and utilize it to your expectation for yourself and your family,” Lisa Jacket said.
Henrietta Jacket echoed that sentiment, saying, “I grew up being encouraged to go to school, so when this opportunity came up, I went for it. Young people, now is the time. School is right here in Towaoc. What are you waiting for?”
