A Seventh-day Adventist Boarding Academy Serving Native American Youth Since 1946
From SOUTHWEST to SOUTHEAST
Newsletters
HIS Student Extends the Healing Ministry of Christ By Diana Fish, CFRE
“I was pleasantly surprised when he thoughtfully answered my question with an enthusiastic, ‘I think I’d like to do something in the medical field.’ I immediately began thinking about how we could further spark his interest in a way that would encourage him to excel in school, and be a role model for other students.”
When I chose to leave Florida Hospital to serve as the
Director of Development at Holbrook Indian School (HIS), a boarding academy for Native American youth, it was not an easy decision to make. My husband and I loved the ocean and moving was not in our plans.
HIS is located just outside the borders of the Navajo (Diné) Nation in Holbrook, Arizona. I had been with the Florida Hospital system for a little more than ten years. Three and a half years prior to coming to Holbrook I was invited to join the amazing team at Florida Hospital Global Mission Initiatives. It was my dream job! But God was clearly calling us to Holbrook, so off to the desert we went.
The sociological damage caused by forced assimilation of Indigenous people in North America during the late 1800s, has left many families in ruin. Native American youth face seemingly insurmountable obstacles as they try to find their way through the two conflicting worlds in which they live. We need to give our students a reason to overcome the challenges they face. It’s easy for them to settle for far less than what they are more than capable of achieving. While at Florida Hospital (cont’d on back page)
As I became acquainted with the students, I noticed that many of them lacked vision for their future. You can ask just about any student, “What do you want to do after you graduate high school?”, and you’ll be met with an apathetic, “I don’t know.” When I met Corwin Bahe, who at the time was a junior at HIS, I was pleasantly surprised when he thoughtfully answered my question with and enthusiastic, “I think I’d like to do something in the medical field.” I immediately began thinking about how we could help further spark his interest in a way that would encourage him to excel in school and be a role model for other students.
Corwin Bahe presents a piece of his handmade pottery to Florida Hospital for Children CEO, Marla Silliman. From left to right: Elena Pathak, Meagan Krizek, Corwin Bahe, and Marla Silliman.