Chickasaw Nation
TISHOMINGO – A large crowd of parents, grandparents, friends and family members beamed with pride as 10 students celebrated their graduation on May 16 at the Chickasaw Nation Community Center in Tishomingo.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Lt. Governor Chris Anoatubby presented each child with a diploma.
“Chickasaw Nation Head Start students have reached an important milestone in their education,” said Chickasaw Nation Executive Officer of Education Krystal Ross. “The Chickasaw Nation Head Start program promotes school readiness. Our commitment is to enhance our children and families through education.”
Chickasaw Princess Winter Wolfe and Chickasaw Junior Princess Maggie Stick offered the invocation. Students eagerly performed songs and entertained the crowd during the ceremony.
Graduating students include Eli Arms, Adalynn Bralley, Juliet Gantt, Ember Harris, Adrian Larney, Kysen Rhodes, Lily Rose, Presleygh Strickland, Molly Garrett and Haizlee Yeargan.
Lily Rose, a 5-year-old whose parents are Hunter and Krysten, graduated during the ceremony. Lily is the third generation of Krysten’s family to attend Head Start.
“My dad, Jason Wallace, was one of the first to go through Head Start,” Mrs. Rose said. “To see it come along this far is amazing. I experienced Head Start as a child. So did my brother. It’s cool that my son and daughter get to have the same experience. Pretty much my entire family has been in Head Start. Next is my son. When I was in Head Start, I was in a class with all my cousins. I was related to my teacher.”
Similar events occurred in Ada, Ardmore and Sulphur.
The Chickasaw Nation Preschool and Head Start programs promote school readiness for children ages 3 to 5. The Chickasaw Nation Head Start program began serving the Chickasaw Nation in 1978, graduating 33 students.
The Chickasaw Nation Ada Preschool program is tribally funded and serves Chickasaw citizens. The Head Start Centers in Tishomingo, Sulphur and Ardmore are federally and tribally funded and have open enrollment. Applications for both programs are now open.