12 From her paternal grandmother, whose first language was Choctaw, she learned about her heritage. Timberman’s grandmother was part of the U.S. government’s plan in the 1900s to assimilate Native Americans by placing them in boarding schools. Timberman has always understood who she is. “Being Choctaw has always been a part of my identity,” she says. “My childhood home was an average, everyday Oklahoma home in terms of how it looked. We had no notable Native American art, but what we had was the feeling and sense of being Choctaw.” ‘MANY TRIBES. ONE SPIRIT’ Timberman participated in a creative writing competition for high school students held at OSU in 1991. She didn’t win the competition but the overnight stay on campus made an impact. “It was my first time on a university campus and I had an opportunity to really explore,” she says. During the college search process a year later, she and her father returned to Stillwater. “It’s daunting looking at opportunities that the world has placed in front of you. Going off to college was like going to a foreign country for me. There was the big question of ‘What do you want to do with your life?’” Timberman and her father met with Pete Coser at the OSU Multicultural Development and Assessment Center, now called the OSU Inclusion Center for Academic Excellence. “Thankfully, we had a great meeting with the inclusion center folks. We felt there would be a positive native community at OSU. The strong support they offered was very attractive to me as a Choctaw girl from a small town in Oklahoma.” As part of the federal workstudy program, Timberman worked for the inclusion center, interacting with students from every culture imaginable including Vietnamese, Hispanic and other Native American cultures. “It was great to meet with people from around the world and other native people from outside the state,” she says. Timberman served as president of the OSU Native American Student Association and received its Outstanding Contribution to the Native American Community Award. The group’s motto — “Many Tribes. One Spirit” — suited Timberman. In 1996, she served on the inaugural planning committee for Orange Peel, a now defunct annual pep rally at OSU that featured comedians Bill Cosby and Norm McDonald and pop artist Dog’s Eye View. Timberman’s involvement at OSU was a stepping-stone to her current job. “To be able to plan all these events and meet so many diverse people was very educational,” she says. “We always received great support from the faculty. There was such a feeling of inclusivity here, which helped guide me personally and professionally,” she says. “Being OSU LEADS THE NATION IN AMERICAN INDIAN GRADUATES OSU led the nation for a second consecutive year in the number of American Indians who graduated with a bachelor’s degree, as reported in Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Citing data from the National Center for Educational Statistics for 2009–2010, the magazine lists OSU as the top degree producer for American Indian Bachelor’s — All Disciplines Combined with 355 American Indians receiving diplomas. Northeastern State University with 335 graduates and the University of Oklahoma with 241 graduates followed OSU. In Oklahoma, we started out as a col l ision of cul tures and today that has grown into a col laborat ion of cul tures. This is an exci t ing t ime to be an Oklahoman and to be a part of this journey. — Gena Timberman on the Amer ican Indian Cul tural Center & Museum (pictured) JASON J. CANIGLIA
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