Holbrook Indian School
A Seventh-day Adventist Boarding Academy Serving Native American Youth Since 1946
Made to Thrive By Nicole Potgieter
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hen Quentina first came to Holbrook Indian School (HIS), she was having a hard time. Students bullied her, but they were careful to not get caught. When Quentina would react, she’d get sent to the principal’s office. During her first year, she spent more time at the principal’s office than any other student. She was often so frustrated with schoolwork that she would tell her teacher, “Just give me an F!” You would hardly recognize her today. She loves to read! She no longer is being sent to the principal’s office, and she has made the honor roll. Students at HIS often come from disadvantaged backgrounds. In their world, almost half of students do not graduate from high school. Only
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PA C I F I C U N I O N R E CO R D E R
8 out of 100 hold a college degree. Sixty-three percent of students on the reservation never talk to a school counselor to figure out what courses to take in high school or about what they want to do after high school. At HIS, we want to break this cycle. We want to provide an environment in which our students can thrive.
To reach that goal, we created our mentorship program with students like Quentina in mind. The HIS mentorship program is one of the reasons Quentina is doing so well today. Students are assigned or recommended a mentor, who will be a role model and confidant for