NEWS :: Red Cloud Indian School

Seven Red Cloud High Students Named Gates Scholars
May 18, 2007, 2007

Red Cloud High School has done what no other educational institution has done east of the Rockies: had seven students receive the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship in a single year. Twenty-five students at Red Cloud have received the honor since its inception.

The scholarship award will enable the students to go to the higher education institution of their choice while eliminating the financial barriers often associated with post-secondary education and inspiring them to reach their highest potential.

“This is one of the biggest honors that could come to these seven students,” says Fr. Peter J. Klink SJ, president. “The students deserve it. It's a reflection of all the hard work they've put into their four years of high school. With this scholarship, these extraordinary young people can attend college, earn their degree and go on to make an impact in their profession and communities.”

And, Fr. Klink says it will assist the Lakota tribe in obtaining the educated Indian professionals they need to become more self-sufficient and to exercise their rights to self-determination.

The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program was established in 1999 to promote academic excellence for outstanding minority students. Established by philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, the program reduces financial concerns, increases minority representation in disciplines severely underrepresented, develops a diversified cadre of future leaders for America and provides seamless support from high school to college and graduate programs.

Students are selected by a panel of independent readers who assess nominees based upon three major areas: academic achievement, community service and leadership.

The recipients have been infused with a strong commitment to aid those less fortunate than they are, notes Fr. Klink. Under the strong leadership of Red Cloud Guidance Counselor Gina Ferguson, along with Elisabeth Ellington, Nancy Kelsey and mentors from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, the students “have done nothing but excel academically. But what also makes them stand out is their authenticity,” Fr. Klink says. “At Red Cloud, they have been taught not to look at what they may not have, but what others don't, and to find ways to help them. These students are fated to become leading-edge contributors to society, advocates and supporters for the less fortunate.”

Recognition by the Gates Foundation also acts as a barometer for the school, providing a gauge for teachers and parents to acknowledge the holistic education students are receiving at Red Cloud.

This award also says a lot about the teachers, mentors and administrators—like Gina and the mentors from Creighton—whom have tirelessly put in time and efforts for these students,” says Bob Brave Heart, superintendent. “Not only are our academics being recognized, but our philosophy of educating the whole child—children who are brought up with the character and value of the Lakota and Catholic tradition.”