Fort Washakie High School is on track to graduate more students than ever this year. It still won’t be a big number, but getting a high school degree is a big deal for students at this small school on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Some are making college plans. Others are just crossing their fingers hoping to get through the rest of the school year.
Blaze Condon was a junior last semester, but she’s earned enough credits to graduate from Fort Washakie in May. She says it felt great to break that news to her family.
“They couldn’t believe it because the last school I went to, I dropped out,” says Condon. “So I guess it’s pretty cool that I’m graduating on time.”
She plans to attend United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota. Blaze considers college her ticket off the reservation, where she sees very little opportunity. But she says it won’t be a one-way ticket.
“I need to go and come back, and when I do come back, maybe I wouldn’t feel as trapped as I do now,” Condon says.
Eugene Elk is also planning to grab his diploma in a couple of months.
“I am going to graduate,” says Elk. “I know that for a fact.”
Eugene hopes to study business at the University of Colorado—Boulder. He says he’ll have to take a year off first to save up some money. But that’s not getting him down.
“I feel like I’m making history right now,” says Elk. “I’m like one of the only ones on my dad’s side to ever graduate.”
We have the possibility of graduating 11 students this year. Now, when you look in previous years of having 3 or 4, this is a huge accomplishment, for our students as well as our school.
Eugene will turn 18 this month. That’s a big deal no matter where you live, but it’s bigger on the reservation. Laws here require students to attend school until age 18. It’s only until 16 in the rest of the state. Eighteen is also the age when enrolled tribal members start receiving monthly payouts. Fort Washakie Principal Shad Hamilton says eighteenth birthdays can eclipse graduation day for many students.
“When students turn 18, some of them will just disappear,” Hamilton says. “They take the money and run. In some cases, we’ll see those students come back to us again and actually finish up. In a lot of cases, we haven’t seen them. It’s kind of 50-50 there.”
Harold Friday doesn’t like that statistic. He turned 18 last month, and says he was disheartened when someone at Fort Washakie asked him if that meant he’d drop out of school.
“I was all, ‘What is that supposed to mean? My goal is to graduate, and look how far I made it,’” says Friday. “I’m going to make it.”
After he makes it to graduation, Harold plans to go to the Wyoming Culinary Institute at Sheridan College.
“I’ll still be in Wyoming, but like five hours away from home,” Friday says.
Some Fort Washakie students planned to graduate this year, but didn’t quite make it happen—like Manny Vasquez.
“I’m missing a lot of math credits, because that’s usually my first class,” says Vasqeuz. “I just can’t wake up and then I just come in late in the mornings.”
So, Manny will be back next year—to graduate in 5 years instead of 4. In the meantime, he says he’ll try to get other things set for his future.
“Maybe get a job,” he says. “I just need money.”
Che Stiffarm is also looking for a job. He’ll have time as a half-day senior next year. And money’s been on his mind since Che lost his father to cancer a few months back.
“I also want to help my mom out, because, now that she’s the only source of income—she’s going to need help paying for college since my dad’s not here anymore,” Stiffarm says.
Only about half the students on the reservation graduate high school in four years. But Fort Washakie High School Counselor Scott Polson says he’s proud of the progress he’s seen here.
“We have the possibility of graduating 11 students this year,” says Polson. “Now, when you look in previous years of having 3 or 4, this is a huge accomplishment, for our students as well as our school.”
These reports are part of American Graduate – Let’s Make It Happen! -- a public media initiative to address the drop out crisis, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
