Wind River Indian Reservation Students Visit State Capitol

Feb. 28, 2007 -- Wind River Indian Reservation youth recently traveled to Cheyenne to attend legislative committee and caucus meetings and to observe debates on the House and Senate floor. The event was sponsored by the University of Wyoming and Central Wyoming College (CWC) as part of a TRIO field trip.

The federal TRIO programs were established in 1965 through the Higher Education Act to help students overcome financial, social and cultural barriers in pursuing a college education. Since then, more than 10 million Americans (two-thirds from poor and working families) have benefitted from TRIO pre-college and college programs. All UW TRIO programs are located within Student Educational Opportunity, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs.

"I never thought the state legislators would really take us seriously," says St. Stephens sophomore Ben Warren. "But on our trip to Cheyenne, they really took the time to listen to what high school kids had to say."

Perhaps that's because the students had done their homework.

"Students had the opportunity to visit the Legislative Services Office (LSO) on their first day in Cheyenne," notes former Sen. Mark Harris from Green River. "With the handbooks provided by LSO, students were able to study each legislator with whom they planned to discuss reservation issues. This gave students a better idea of how to more effectively approach each senator or representative."

"Rep. Patrick Goggles (Ethete) hosted and spent the most time with us and Rep. Del McOmie (Lander) let us practice our points on him," says Chandria Trippo, another student from St. Stephens. "They helped us know how to approach the others and showed us the right way to talk to officials."

Knowing the right way to approach officials was important to the students' learning experience when Harris was able to secure a meeting with Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

"Meeting the governor gave the students the opportunity to ask questions relevant to tribal issues and to see where he stands," says chaperone Viola Antelope. "He also asked each student what they planned to study in college and how they saw their future."

"The students did an outstanding job of representing their schools and communities and I think the folks in Cheyenne got a good idea of how these young people are preparing for the future," Harris adds. "The purpose of the TRIO college prep programs, including Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search, at CWC and UW is to promote an equitable educational future for all."

Photo

St. Stephens School senior Jared Bell and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007