Nicole Antoine: “Develop a voice, and keep asking questions.”

Eleven years ago, Nicole Antoine joined Salish Kootenai College’s Upward Bound program as a Ronan High School freshman. This year she returned to Ronan High School with a master’s degree in social work to become the school social worker. The road from high school freshman to professional social worker wasn’t an easy one. Fortunately, Antoine, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes from Pablo, Mont., found Upward Bound and used the program to her advantage. Antoine recently recalled the “huge impact” that an Upward Bound tutor, Frank Solle, had on her. Solle now resides in Michigan with his wife. “People always told me that I was smart and could do things. But Frank took it a step further. He told me I could do something and then showed me how.”

Antoine’s story reveals her fortitude and her willpower. When she became pregnant with her son, Anthony (now seven years old), the public schools didn’t work for her. She transferred to Two Eagle River School, a tribal secondary school that allows students to finish high school course work on a contract basis. At Two Eagle, Antoine worked at her own pace and studied her native language and culture. “Transferring to Two Eagle River School was a good move for me. It helped build my self-esteem in being Indian. It was there that I developed a voice and pride as a tribal person,” she said.

Once she graduated, Antoine took advantage of the Upward Bound bridge component and attended Salish Kootenai College (SKC) during the summer. Antoine successfully completed her college credits and headed straight for the SKC Human Services department in the fall. Antoine found it easy to fit in at SKC after the time on campus that Upward Bound provided. “I spent a lot of time in the Upward Bound office getting my directions and information straight,” she said. She also worked part time for Upward Bound, tutoring younger students and assisting with activities.

After receiving her baccalaureate degree in Human Services from SKC, she moved to Eastern Washington University and earned her master’s degree in social work. Then Antoine returned to her reservation, back to where this story began, Ronan High School. Antoine loves her work and the students. “I’ve lived here all my life and know many of the families I work with. It’s nice to be a support person for students in need.” Being a support person is important to Antoine because she valued Upward Bound’s support, guidance, and mentoring more than academic tutoring. “Coming from a big family, there wasn’t a lot of time for talking about individual future plans. With six younger siblings and lots of foster kids, there was always too much going on,” she said.

So far three younger sisters have also embraced education. Misty, also an Upward Bound graduate, completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in dental assisting; Carrie has completed one year of the Health Records program; and Roberta is taking courses at SKC while she prepares to graduate from high school. To others striving towards higher education, Antoine said, “Don’t give up. It is a struggle emotionally and financially, but it can happen. You have to be determined and believe in yourself. Develop a voice, and keep asking questions. Inquire about TRIO and other programs that offer college prep services and scholarship opportunities.”

Over 1,200 colleges, universities, community colleges, and agencies in the United States now offer TRIO Programs such as Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Centers, and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement. Funded through competitive grants, TRIO Programs currently help 700,000 low-income students enter and graduate from college. At this time only a portion of the tribal colleges have TRIO programs, but administrators encourage other tribal colleges to apply. For more information on TRIO, visit the web at www.trioprograms.com, or call Elaine Metcalf, president of ASPIRE (Association of Special Programs in Region Eight), the regional TRIO association, at (701) 777-3426. Region eight includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, but Metcalf can assist anyone with questions.

Heather Licht is the Upward Bound director at Salish Kootenai College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Wittenberg University in Ohio.