Doing More For The Community

By Gabby Merten

Have you ever wanted to do something for the area you live in, or even just be a part of a group dedicated to doing something good? If this applies to you, the Native American Student Association (NASA), located at Owasso High School, is a great way to go.

After agreeing to a short interview, the club advisor, Vickie Graham, shares more about the club’s movements:

“We’re a Native American club- though you don’t have to be Native American to join. The biggest community project we’ve accomplished is with Bell Elementary in Stilwell, Oklahoma. They’re 99% Native American all the way up to the 8th grade. We collect donations, and adopt students at Bell for Christmas. We take all the gifts down to them and spend most of the day with them. This is a great experience that I find very heartwarming and humbling. Some of the other activities we do are Ram Alley, Gathering on Main, and the Indian Taco Sale [with the proceeds going to the Joe Don Memorial Scholarship], along with Cherokee Heritage day and selling Native Ram Pride shirts,” Graham continues. “When it comes to weekly meetups, we usually meet in my classroom before school. We do most of our work after school, with the occasional activity during school like the Bell project.” But how popular is the club itself? Surely this has some potential to branch out. 

“This is the third year that I have been the sponsor of the club. We are growing each year, and I would like to see it grow and become bigger than what it is. For now, it’s just a school thing,” states Graham. “Around seven to sixteen students show up on a regular basis. The High School’s NASA club is sort of like a role model for the eighth grade NASA group— this is actually the first year I’ve had an eighth grade NASA. The high schoolers are a huge help when it comes to mentoring as the younger kids come to help and be a part of the activities.” 

The students seem to work really well together. There must be certain leadership qualities that stick out, right? Vickie Graham responds “Students that stand out as leaders take charge of situations and welcome newcomers. They’re good role models and they make sure that everyone in the group is included. Each student has something equally important and unique to contribute.”

The Native American Student Association is a wonderful and inclusive group of individuals. If you’re looking for a club, this would be a wise choice.