I would again like to extend my sincerest appreciation to the Board of Directors, the President, and all of the donors of the Yogi Crowe Scholarship Foundation for their dedication, hard work, generosity towards higher learning, and their commitment to making a difference within the Cherokee community. Graduate school has been a very stressful but rewarding experience and I am aware of how much more stressful it can be due to financial stressors. Therefore, I am deeply grateful for again being chosen as a recipient for this grant in my final semester, because it has allowed me to have an increased focus upon my studies without the stress of financial stability. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors, for continuously trusting me with this opportunity, and I look forward to contributing to this fund to help other EBCI graduates.
During my graduate school experience, I have chosen to take coursework to help me develop a variety of skill sets to prepare me for a career in Social Work with Native American populations, such as leadership and administration, fundraising, marketing, social service program development and evaluation, community development, policy, and direct practice with youth and adults. However, in classroom experience is no substitute for hands on, real world experience.
Therefore, after the completion of my spring semester, I will be moving to Cherokee, NC to
begin my final practicum with the Cherokee Children’s Home. This feels very surreal and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to fulfill a personal goal to not only give back to the Cherokee Community, but to have the chance to meet and learn from other tribal members. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends both in and outside of Cherokee for their continued love, encouragement, and support, because without out that I would not be where I am today.
With much appreciation,
Shayna M. Williams
Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
