Life After St. Joseph's Indian School
What will I do after graduation? Where will I go? Who will I become?
All of these introspective questions, while extremely exciting and important, have been known to cause anxiety in the lives of many young adults facing the monumental step of high school graduation.
Here at St. Joseph's Indian School, our mission to educate our students for life — mind, body, heart and spirit — is never more true than when we work with our older students to help them identify their path in life post-high school graduation. Our houseparents, counseling staff and transition staff play an important role during this monumental time in our students' lives.
Senior Home
In 2015, St. Joseph's began our High School Senior Home Program. This program provides our current high school seniors with opportunities to learn the skills and responsibilities they will need to be successful after graduation.
In addition to learning kitchen skills such as meal planning, budgeting and meal preparation, our students participate in Life Skills Lessons. Our Life Skills Lessons focus on the subjects of health, finances, education and housing. Through these programs, our students learn important life skills that help prepare them for things they will face in the future.
"I've learned some good stuff to cook and I actually really like to cook. I'm kind of a master chef," jokes Caden, a senior student, making his houseparent Melissa laugh.
"Caden is probably the best cook and apparently is really humble about it," she rebutts.
But whether it's grilling steak or heating a pot of chili, students are required to budget for the meals they purchase at the grocery store. They're given a set amount and are required to stick to their budget.
"When they leave, they are on their own and won't have unlimited funds to buy things they want," Melissa says. "So we're trying to help them really grasp that concept so they don't find themselves in financial difficulty once they are out in the real world."
Outside the home, our staff works hard to bring people from the community and area in to speak with our young adults. College staff present on their universities and local professionals share insights about their career, giving our students unique opportunities to further investigate what they are most interested in.
Our students also have the opportunity to work in the community, giving them a place to further develop skills such as timeliness, integrity and perseverance.
Plans After Graduation
During the fall months, our seniors receive a variety of brochures from colleges around the state and throughout the Midwest. As students begin identifying colleges of interest, our high school staff works with them to arrange visit days to travel to visit campuses and staff in-person.
After identifying the post-secondary institution that feels most "like home," our staff works with our students to apply to that particular institution, complete the FAFSA and apply for scholarships that will assist them in the financial aspects of post-secondary education.
Additionally, St. Joseph's students who are furthering their education are able to apply for a St. Joseph's scholarship, which is a robust program that gifts approximately $140,000 to Native American students pursuing higher education each year.
While some of our students are interested in technical school or college, others find themselves drawn to military service. For those who choose to enlist, St. Joseph's staff walks beside them step-by-step to determine the path that will best assist them in getting exactly where they dream to be.
For others, the workforce is their calling. St. Joseph's staff works with these students to apply for jobs and search for housing in their location of interest.
As They Go
We know our students have diverse plans after graduation (college, vocational-technical school, military or the workforce). With a budgeted amount of money, an itemized list and some guidance from staff, each senior student is able to choose items to purchase that they feel are most necessary in the next stage of their life.
Through this program — dubbed the Senior Suitcase Program — students purchase items such as microwaves, televisions and laundry baskets, giving them a "suitcase" of things to help as they pursue the next step in their lives.
While They're Gone
Knowing that, statistically, American Indian students are retained and graduated from college at rates far below any other ethnic group, St. Joseph's Indian School has been working hard to reach out regularly to our alumni who are attending post-secondary institutions.*
From care packages on holidays to scholarships and personal visits from our staff, we work hard to actively encourage our former students to stay the course and graduate from their post-secondary school.
We are proud to partner with our Native American youth as they continue walking their path in life. As Chief Seattle once said, "When you know who you are; when your mission is clear and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will; no cold can touch your heart; no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you are alive."
Philámayaye — thank you — for walking alongside us as we encourage our students to find their inner fire and pursue what makes it burn brightest. Contact Denise Hyland at dhyland@stjo.org or 1-800-584-9200 to learn how you can continue investing in bright futures for our Lakota students for years to come.
*Fighting a Different Battle: Challenges Facing American Indians In Higher Education, Journal of Indigenous Research, Harrington and Harrington, University of North Carolina