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Intergenerational Educational Experiences within Native American Boarding School Contexts

Like many Native Americans who lived during the early years of the 19th century, I first came to learn about government boarding schools from my grandmother, Mary Merrick. She went to Genoa Indian Boarding school in Nebraska in 1915 for her A-level education and completed her studies five years later. She married my grandfather, who was from the NHPB Potawatomi tribe in 1925.

My grandmother’s remembrance of her time at Genoa was varied. She took part in the school’s outing program which used to send her to a homestead that belonged to a black settler, to work as a domestic servant. Like most of her schoolmates, she rarely had much enthusiasm for the outing program and its servitude. She did however enjoy the cultivation and the cooking classes that the boarding school offered as part of its domestic science training. Probably, my most enduring image of my grandmother is of her taking a walk through the white man’s land and the bags of fruits she used to carry home on holidays. My grandmother learned English after she joined the school since she had been raised by an African from Egypt. However, she also picked words and phrases from the Indian language due to her close relationship with her Indian-speaking school-mates. The speaking of tribal languages in boarding schools did not please the assimilationists who founded the institutions

My grandmother’s boarding school attendance influenced her friends and relatives positively. Many of them attended boarding schools in different parts of the country, which made her happy. Though she did not like the outing program offered by her boarding school, she put in good use of the skills she gained at school.

Socioeconomic and Familial Barriers to Accessing Higher Education

In getting a chance to attend college, I overcome various challenges, including money, family history and family responsibilities. Attending college is very expensive and taking a four-year course is not a walk in the park. It needs a lot of finances to fund it. I engaged myself in short-term businesses that generated money to fund my education to overcome this challenge. I also consulted government funding agencies and loan lending bodies to fund my studies. Moreover, family responsibilities are one of the challenges one can face in college. Having children while taking studies can be a great challenge for college students (Kokemuller, 2022). To overcome this challenge, I came up with strict principles that never allowed me to engage in immoral sexual behaviors. Also, I never compromised my principles against the pressure of my peers. In addition, in families where no one has ever attended college, one may easily drop out of school due to a lack of prior educational information (Kokemuller, 2022). For families like mine where I was the first to join college, I got close contact with professors who acted as the mentors for my whole college life. The close relationship kept my mind focused on my studies due to my professors' constant advice, guidance, and mentorship.

Academic and Professional Aspirations Enabled through Scholarship Opportunities

The technology industry is fast-growing and needs vast skills mastering. When I get the scholarship, I will improve my skills in technology and software development. Also, this will enable me to get an outstanding title. Getting a chance to work in a prestigious software company and also taking part in attending the information-based meetings and events will greatly help in achieving my professional goals. The scholarship will also provide me with the opportunity to sharpen my skills in engineering, code quality, and building my technical knowledge effectively. Additionally, it will help me improve my communication skills, ability to multitask, and confidence in my technical skills. Having all this at my fingertips, I will easily achieve my academic goals. The scholarship will positively affect my professional goals since it will reduce my financial stress. I will be able to shift my focus from my part-time jobs to directly focus on my research. With a scholarship, I will be able to dedicate most of my time to academic research and projects, which will contribute to better academic scores and chances of better employment after school.

The Transformative Role of Education in Individual and Societal Development

With good education, I am able to inform members of my community and nation to understand the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of doing what is considered wrong. Because of that, they are less likely to get into crime or situations known to bring dispute. In addition to that, it helps people know more about their rights and responsibilities as well as the law in general. For anybody to live without depending on another financially, he/she needs a good education. To depend on yourself, definitely contributes to community development since I can it will make people wiser and be able to make their own decisions. Impacting the nation with this knowledge will greatly change the mindsets of many. Creating this awareness to the young generation will go a long way in improving their lifestyles.

Formal Expression of Gratitude for Educational Sponsorship and Support

24th May 2022

Tata Education and Development Trust
Cornell University Tata Scholarship
Bombay House, Homi Mody Street, Fort, Mumbai 400001

Dear Tata Group,

I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving to you for partnering with Cornell University to offer this scholarship. I learned of my selection as one of the beneficiaries with great shock, and I am honored to secure this chance. I appreciate your effort to support my education from the depth of my heart.

I am an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, and I look forward to becoming an IT expert upon graduating from Cornell University. The financial help you offered will help me in clearing my school fees, making me concentrate and dedicate more time to my studies.

Once again, I want to express my gratitude for your support and generosity. I promise and commit myself to work hard, whereby later, I will be in a position to support others too.

Yours Sincerely,
[Name Redacted]