2008-2009 Year in Review 

Message from the President

Each school day, I take time to walk around campus—to stop into the kindergarten classroom and read a Dr. Seuss book with the students, or talk to the high school seniors about their plans for college. And with each visit, I see students realizing their potential, going after their dreams, reaching accomplishments even they thought impossible. Indeed, they are a testament to hope. Hope realized.

It is an honor to share our 2008/09 Year in Review with you, and I hope you read it with the knowledge that you play an important role in the ultimate success of Lakota students on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Whether you’ve offered prayers or gifts to our students, you have contributed to the formation of talented young men and women poised to go out and set the world on fire.

Last year, our students made impressive strides in the classroom. In this “look back” at the academic year, you’ll read about the seven women who earned Gates Millennium Scholarships and our graduating seniors who went on to post-secondary education. And our athletes took the lead on service initiatives in their communities.

Service extended from the classroom to the community, with parishioners taking an active role in furthering the Church’s mission. At Our Lady of the Sioux in Oglala, for instance, the faithful engaged in youth ministry initiatives and worked with local leaders to aid those in need with food and clothing drives.

And our beloved Heritage Center continued to welcome artists and visitors to the museum with the annual art show. This past year, the cataloguing of more than 7,000 pieces of three-dimensional art neared completion.

Thank you, for continuing to share your talents, prayers and gifts. We depend on it. Lila wopila tanka!

Fr. Peter Klink, S.J., President