"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Multiple Scholarships Earned

***"Grove student and Cherokee Nation citizen Molly Steen was recently awarded six scholarships that will help pay for her educational expenses at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville."***

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - Funding a college education is an issue that one Cherokee citizen doesn’t have to worry about. Molly Steen of Grove was awarded six scholarships that will help pay for her educational expenses at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

“It’s always great to see Cherokee students excel,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “Education is very important to the Cherokee Nation. It is always encouraging to see our young Cherokees succeed academically and I congratulate Molly on her scholarship awards. She is a great role model for other students.”

Steen was one of the four recipients of the Cherokee Nation Education Corporation Scholarships, a recipient of the Cherokee Nation’s Undergraduate Scholarship, one of five awardees of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe AISES Scholarship, a recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholarship from the University of Arkansas and the Cherokee Valedictorian Scholarship.

Grateful for the scholarships, Molly understands that she has a lot of opportunities ahead of her.

“I am so thankful for the scholarships that I received from the Cherokee Nation, as well as the other organizations,” said Steen. “I hope to go to pharmacy school after my time at the University of Arkansas. As a pharmacist, I hope to better the lives of people in my community as well as the Cherokee Nation. And if you ask anyone who knows me, you will find out that I have even bigger plans for my future, and they involve the White House. While that is far away, it is a goal I keep in mind everyday.”

Molly wants to remind Cherokee youth and other high school students that anyone interested in earning a degree of higher education can accomplish their goal. She believes there is always someone out there willing to help.

“Establish connections with adults who can point you in the right directions when you need assistance,” said Steen. “I was a successful high school student, not because I was involved in activities that would look good on my resume, but because I surrounded myself with activities that I truly loved. Of course, the key factor here is actually motivating one’s self to spend the time and effort necessary to get yourself to college in the first place.”

For more information about scholarship opportunities available through visit the Cherokee Nation online.