Graduates say persistence pays off

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

Persistence in the face of difficulty was the theme of this year’s Tribal Education Department’s Honor and Recognition Event held at the Spirit Mountain Casino Event Center Friday, June 27, with graduates talking about the determination it took to keep fighting for their goals.

The annual event celebrates graduates from middle school through doctorate degree level.

Occasionally speaking through tears, various gradutes said they feel great pride and gratitude for having accomplished what they set out to do, despite every barrier. In some cases, getting across those barriers took years, even decades, and took not only hours of study, but also struggling with feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, they said.

“This is a huge accomplishment for me,” Tribal member Molly Leno told the audience about achieving her high school completion certificate. “It’s always been one of my biggest barriers to complete due to obstacles in life. I should have graduated 30 years ago. But here I stand as living proof it can be done. The icing on the cake is I’m able to graduate this year with my two sons. My son Future Leno, and my oldest son, True Rimer, they’re graduating also this year. I could not be any prouder or happier for us all. I know it’s been a long and hard journey for each one of us.”

Willamina High School graduate and Tribal member Bayleigh Leno said the support of the Tribe and her family make a difference.

“The truth is, a lot of us were never expected to stand up here,” she said. “The systems are not built for us to succeed. In fact, for a long time, they were built to erase who we are. But we’re still here. We’re graduating, we’re making moves, we’re proving that we are strong, capable and absolutely meant to be in these spaces. That’s not always easy. We’ve all had moments when it feels too hard, when life, school, or just the weight of everything got to us. But we kept going. We showed up, we leaned on our families, and friends and culture and our community, and that’s what helped us push through. For me, being a part of this Tribe has been a big part of that. Knowing that I come from a place and a people with so much strength, so much history, it keeps me grounded. And I’ve learned that even when I feel unsure or overwhelmed, I’m not alone. My ancestors are with me and my community is behind me.”

Each graduate was presented with a blanket during the ceremony, to audience applause.

Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier, Secretary Jon A. George and council members Lisa Leno, Brenda Tuomi and Denise Harvey attended. George led a drum song while the honor guard posted the colors and the eagle staff. Tuomi gave the invocation.

Harvey welcomed the sizeable audience, saying it was a powerful moment for her, and she was “very, very proud of you all.”

“It’s not easy going to school,” Harvey said. “There are times when it’s going great and other times when you need a little help. I hope all of you know you can always reach out to your Tribe, and we will support you and your goals and accomplishments.”

Harvey told the graduates that, “I’m proud and honored for each and every one of you and so blessed to be here in my position as a Tribal councilperson and knowing that this is what our Tribe does for our people.”

The audience enjoyed a meal of lasagna, chicken, shrimp, pasta, salad, green beans, bread sticks and dessert.

Tribal Education Department Manager Angela Fasana said it was uplifting to see how far everything has come since the 1990s, when the education and honor program began.

“Your Tribal Council has, since before Restoration, supported education for us as Tribal people, investing millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, at this point, in us as Tribal people,” Fasana said. “We serve hundreds of students in our program every day.”

Tribal member Katherine Rodriguez, who received her master’s degree in accounting from Eastern Washington University, was the third speaker.

“I graduated from high school 19 years ago in 2006, and since then, I’ve been able to earn three degrees: My associates, my bachelor’s in financial management and this year I graduated with my master’s degree in professional accounting,” she said. “It’s really exciting and I don’t know how I did it.”  

She said she struggled at her first university, eventually transferring to another school, but found a path that worked for her.

Rodriguez said she’s proud of the way she found her way through one challenge after another.

“During my master’s program, I was given a 10-page paper to write every week for the entirety of the quarter for my forensic accounting class, and if anybody had told me I was going to be writing so much for an accounting degree, I would’ve rethought that completely, because I’m not an English major,” she said. “I want numbers and I want math. I don’t want to write essays. So, you take the challenges and you just roll with the punches.”

2025 graduates

The following students were recognized at the June 2025 Honor and Recognition Event at the Spirit Mountain Casino Event Center Friday, June 27:

Eighth grade promotions:

Kason Bailey, Perrydale Middle School; Callie Bennett, Santiam Christian; Gunner Bishop, Willamina Middle School; Eve Delai, Elikites Ed; Devin Doar, Willamina Middle School; Cohen Fugate, Talmadge Middle School; Chaska Gomez, Olympic Middle School; Channing Haller, Anderson Middle School; Samantha Hedrick, Willamina Middle School; Logan Kneeland, Willamina Middle School; Lance Logan, Willamina Middle School; Dandez Lopez-Martin, Taft High 7-12; Brody Lux, Willamina Middle School; Quentin Manangan, Somerset Academy; Raylyn Schweitzer, Oakville Middle School; Layla Self, Tillamook Junior High School; Jordynn Simmons, Doral Academy Pebble Campus; Qwinem Simmons, Walker Middle School; Landin Stewart, Gaiser Middle School.

High school graduates:

Nya Ainam, McKay High School; Chloe Ayala, Sheridan High School; Samantha Bishop, Willamina High School; Jessica Burton-McGee, Waldport High School; Austin Carrasco, Amity High School; Paisley DeLoe, Willamina High School; Keyona Dotson, Enterprise High School; Baylee Dumarce, Willamina High School; Keahi Duran, Willamina High School; Ava Fagundes, Willamina High School; Grayson Farr, Lebanon High School; Hailey Garl, Tumwater High School; Sam Gleason, West Salem High School; Madison Grant, Stayton High School; Noah Gregg, Mt. Spokane High School; Annabelle Guardiola, Willamina High School; Loren Holmes, Siletz Valley; Emilio Jaimes, Madras High School; Gavin Lane, Kingston High School; Moriah Langley, First Light Academy; Bayleigh Leno, Willamina High School; Future Leno, Willamina High School; Gracie Mercier, Willamina High School; Kaikanim Mercier, Willamina High School; Mikayla Mercier, Willamina High School; Renaldo Noffsinger, Lebanon High School; Chase Range, McKay High School; Keylie Runningbird-Redhawk, Willamina High School; Katherine Stryker, Ridgefield High School; Mathew Trump-Torres, Norman High School; Taytum West, Willamina High School; Izzy Youso, Sprague High School.

GED/High school completion

Brandon Bastin, Adult High School Completion; Tristen Denhem, Adult High School Completion; Koana Leno, Adult High School Completion; Molly Leno, Adult High School Completion; Rilee Mercier, Adult High School Completion; Ciera Petersen, Adult High School Completion; True Rimer, Adult High School Completion; Lisa Schmid, GED; Tiffany Tobiska, GED; Sianna Stone, GED; Tayer Stone; GED.

Certificates

Madison Aaron, Chemeketa Community College; Angelica Banton, Northwest Beauty College; Logan Bobb, Chemeketa Community College; Justine Flynn, Kansas State University; Makenzie Galvan, Phagans School of High Design; Shawn Haggerty, Southern New Hampshire University; Prommisse Thornley; Police Academy.

Associate degree

Christine Beal, Portland Community College; Braden Ebensteiner, Chemeketa Community College; Reece Ebensteiner; Chemeketa Community College; Michael Flores, Lee College; Hailey Haller, Shasta College; Edi Larsen, Portland Community College; Rhonda Leno, Chemeketa Community College; Melinda Mathews, Chemeketa Community College; Poppy Mitchell, Linn-Benton Community College; Jacob Olson, Linn-Benton Community College; Alec Palanuk Mercier, Chemeketa Community College; Conner Sabey, Chemeketa Community College; Susan Sabey, Lane Community College; Tarina Thornock, Grays Harbor Community College; Alexandria Thorsgard, Chemeketa Community College; Keith Wockenfuss, Texas State Technical College.

Bachelor’s degree

Alexander Bliven, Western Oregon University; Aundrea Cooney, Santa Clara University; Brandon Emmerich, Bowling Green State University; Makenzie Hill, Heritage University; Rayna Hutton, Portland State University; Darien Leno, Oregon State University; Sierra Norwest, Portland State University; Joshua Rye, Austin Peay State University; Payton Smith, University of Alabama; Mia Stanley, Portland State University; Jonah Strand, Oklahoma Christian University; Isaac Texeira, University of California; Myriah Wetmore, Bushnell University; Sedona Williams, Oregon State University.

Master’s degree

Timothy Allen, Davenport University; George Ankeney, Stanford University; Taylor Bradford, University of Nevada; Bailey Daniels, George Fox University; Samantha Games, University of Denver; Christina Morgan, Arizona State University; Olivia Morrow, University of Washington; Samuel Riding In, University of Oregon; Katherine Rodriguez, Eastern Oregon University; Kryshanne Searls, Eastern Oregon University; Christian Trimpe, Oregon State University.

Professional degrees

Christopher Mansayon, Oregon State University; Michael Reyes, Gannon University; Jordan Reyes, University of Buffalo.