ADA, Okla. - Chantel Pewewardy, an East Central University senior who is majoring in social work, received the 2024 Bradley Wahnee Award for perseverance and tenacity at the Oklahoma Native American Students in Higher Education Conference in February.
The student award is presented to a Native American student who faced hardships while attending college, yet demonstrated resilience confronting life’s challenges in pursuing their college degree.
The award was named after the life of Bradley Wahnee, former student at Oklahoma City University, whose young life was tragically taken by gunfire. Nominated by faculty, staff and co-workers, Pewewardy exemplified the qualities of the Bradley Wahnee award.
Pewewardy plans to graduate from ECU this spring with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She is currently doing her ECU internship with Oklahoma City Public Schools Indian Education Program, while working as program assistance with the Tribal Education Departments National Assembly in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Pewewardy is Comanche, Kiowa and Choctaw. She currently resides in Norman, Okla. with her family.
Oklahoma Native American Students in Higher Education—History Overview.
“The beginning of ONASHE started with a conversation between Richard Subia, Robin Minthorn (Williams), and Heather Shotton. We began discussions of this idea of bringing Native college students together across Oklahoma in summer 2007. We had our first gathering with invitations out to Oklahoma colleges and universities and local Native organizations to meet in fall 2007. We planned and worked together to host the first ONASHE (Oklahoma Native American Students in Higher Education) in February 2008. The intention with the planning and gathering of Native student affairs professionals, Native organizations, and later being able to bring Native students to provide input and be a part of the planning was to cultivate a space for Native students to build community across institutions, build networks of support for them while also breaking down silos of our campuses. We were able to see the growth and impact of ONASHE by hearing testimonies of Native students and professionals sharing how Native students felt more confident in their higher education journey through knowing they weren’t alone and that they had now built support systems outside of their college campus.”
Pictured: Chantel Pewewardy