When the Oneida Indian Nation’s economic turn-around began, the Nation focused its efforts on helping Members attain their educational goals. Always looking generations ahead, higher education remains an important goal, helping Oneidas secure a better tomorrow.

“Our goal -- for all of our programs -- is keeping Oneida Members in school,” Brenda Hicks, senior manager for the Oneida Indian Nation Education Department, said. “We strive to give them the best opportunities to make a better life for themselves.”

The scholarship program affords eligible Oneidas tuition funds equal to the cost of a state college. Those who attend private schools receive the equivalent of the state school tuition. A living expenses stipend is also awarded to all students.

Since the program’s inception, Oneidas have received two doctorates, 38 master degrees, 59 bachelor degrees, and 60 associate degrees. Included in those numbers are 2009’s students -- three earned master’s degrees, five obtained bachelor’s diplomas, and four received an associate’s degree. Currently, the program is serving 104 Members attending college -- including two certificate/seminar students, 34 associate’s degree students, 46 four-year students, 16 graduate students, and six Ph.D. students. Twenty-six Members are studying at Manlius Pebble Hill.

The Nation also has established incentive programs for elementary, high school, vocational, and college students.

“It was a great experience,” Richard Stafford (Wolf Clan) said. “It was really fortunate (for me) that the Nation had a program to take advantage of that let me improve my education.”

Like most of the scholarship program students, college aspirations came later in life for him. He earned his GED in 1987 and four years later went to work at NYSEG in Binghamton, N.Y.

“In 1998 I took a couple of college classes, but I didn’t continue it,” Rich explained. It wasn’t until he left his position at NYSEG in 2002 that he began to think about pursuing his education, beginning with an associate’s degree.

“I thought to myself that I had come this far, how long is it going to take to get a bachelor’s?” Then he continued on with his studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Binghamton University. That one-more-year drive stuck with him, and he received his master’s degree in history in August 2009 from Cortland.

“The program was great, and scholarship director Wilma Cook was always very helpful with advice” he continued. “It allowed me to continue to pay my bills. It made it more stress-free; I didn’t have to worry about if I had to do this, or do that. I’m just really grateful the Nation has a program like this. It eliminated a lot of worries which let me concentrate on school work.”

Rich recalled a meeting with one of his professors, who asked him what his plans were after finishing his master’s studies. Rich jokingly told his professor he’d probably, “pump gas or flip burgers,” and said he had no plans. The professor asked Rich if he would be interested in teaching. After visiting with the professor he was offered a position as an adjunct lecturer for European and US history. Rich’s mom, Lucille, his wife Diana and children, encouraged him to give it a try. Today Rich is busy teaching freshman-level history classes at Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY.

“My mom is proud. She’s surprised that I ended up teaching. Of course, she probably wishes that I did this 20 years ago. Teaching has always been in the back of my mind, but it was nothing I thought I’d get a chance to do. When I see some of my old friends and my family, and they ask me what I am doing, I tell them I teach at Broome County Community College, they’re surprised,” he said, then laughed, adding “shocked might be a better word.”

Meanwhile, at Syracuse University’s School of Human Ecology, mother-of-three Tammy Rood (Turtle Clan) is busy juggling a heavy course load, which includes working with clients and studying. The full-time grad student is in her second semester, working toward a degree in marriage and family therapy. She has just over a year left until she earns her degree.

“I cannot be more thankful than what I am for what the Nation has given me,” Tammy said recently as she began her commute to school. “I see all these young kids in their early 20s, scrimping and saving to pay for college, it makes me more appreciative of this program. I have this unique opportunity to better myself because of it.”

As a single parent, college seemed out of reach for Tammy. Already the program allowed her to earn an associates’ in child and youth human services and a bachelor’s in human service generalist from Cazenovia College.

It is a grueling schedule and, as Tammy has learned, it’s not just about the latest counseling techniques and strategies to help her clients, she has had to focus inward. After all, in order to help others, you have to have healthy and rewarding family relationships.

And while her older children, Alex Dickerman, 19, and Ashley Dickerman, 17, have adjusted well to Tammy’s schedule, her youngest Elijah Bandera, 8, sometimes struggles with Tammy being away.

“It’s extremely hard. It’s so much more than going to college. You really have to work on yourself as well. You have to be healthy enough to work with your clients,” she said. “It becomes part of you, and it’s hard to get out of that mindset. It’s been a little bit of struggle with family, having them get used to it, but I’m more me. I’m more confident and I’m a different person now.”

Although she is comforted knowing her mother, Martha, is watching Elijah, Tammy said “at times I have been in tears over this. I try to make up for it. Friday night is our date night, and I try to take him (Elijah) to the movies once or twice a month. But this won’t take too much longer. It’s a little sacrifice I have to do to make our lives better.”

“I can’t explain how grateful I am to the Nation for allowing me to have this; because they’re still paying for me to support my kids and manage my household. There’s no way I would have been able to do it.”