New Scholarship Coordinator Working to Reach More Students
The Oneida Indian Nation believes a quality education is the foundation for a successful future, and assisting Members in their educational endeavors remains a top priority for the Nation’s leadership. Through its innovative Scholarship Program, the Nation is proud to provide many avenues to support Members in furthering their education and careers.
In 2018, 70 Oneida Members were enrolled in a higher education program; up from the two Members that enrolled when the scholarship program began in 1990. The Nation remains committed to investing in future generations through higher education, and it hopes more Members will take advantage of the opportunities to gain more knowledge and skills that will make them successful in any career they choose.
The scholarship program offers students the financial flexibility to earn vocational or trade certificates, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and even doctoral degrees. It also provides financial incentives to students at all levels of education – from elementary on up – that achieve high marks in their respective classes for each semester or marking period.
The Nation’s new scholarship coordinator, Lindsey Langdon, started her new role on November 1, 2018. As coordinator, Lindsey manages the financial assistance process and incentive distribution for students. She’s excited to help Nation Members achieve their educational and career goals.
Lindsey earned her Bachelor’s in sociology from Elon University and is an alumna of Teach For America where she taught students of the Oglala Lakota Nation at the Pine Ridge Reservation in Allen, South Dakota. The experience was very meaningful for Lindsey and she was happy to work with such a special community. Through TFA, she became certified to teach secondary English Language Arts and returned home to Clinton to teach adult English as a foreign language at Mohawk Valley Community College. As an adjunct instructor, she taught classes to local immigrants and refugees. Now at the Oneida Indian Nation, she’s truly enjoying her new job and is really passionate about it.
As she gets acclimated in her new role, Lindsey hopes she can reach and interact with more students earlier in their academic careers to ensure Members get the most out of their educational opportunities. She’s already engaged with many students in the Nation community.
“I want to get to know the younger students and really raise awareness about these great opportunities,” Lindsey said. “It would be great to work with the local area schools to attend college nights, or create resume and writing workshops for the students. These are useful tools to connect with middle and high school students.”
The Scholarship Office is hoping to make the process of applying for grants and other outside scholarships less burdensome for students as well by making it easier for Members to access the forms necessary to obtain scholarship funds. Among the forms included would be the Educational Assistance Request form, New York State Indian Aid forms, Bureau of Indian Education higher education grant applications, and FAFSA instructions.
Lindsey is also putting together separate instruction documents for each form so students know exactly what to do and when to do it. In addition to the Scholarship Program policies and procedures booklet that explains all of the degree programs available to Members, a checklist document for each program will make the financial aid application process more efficient and effective.
The Nation’s Scholarship Program is accessible for all eligible Members and it will continue to provide the best support for students. For more information on scholarship policies and opportunities, or if you have any other questions about the program, contact Lindsey Langdon at llangdon@oneida-nation.org or (315) 829-8150.
