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TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - Dustin Cooper, of Ada, came to Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps (TLJC) at the age of 16 with little direction in his life. Three years later, he is an honors business student at Northeastern State University (NSU) and will graduate from the Job Corps program with certificates in Culinary Arts and Business and Office Technology.

"I am very proud of the progress Dustin has made since coming to us", said Sueanne Freeman, education supervisor at TLJC. "He has enrolled at NSU and earned an overall GPA of 3.75 in his first semester, which is outstanding. School officials were so impressed with Dustin’s leadership skills that they personally asked him to be a peer leader for one of NSU’s college strategy classes. Dustin’s participation in Job Corps has really made him like a son to me."

During his stay at Job Corps, Cooper was involved in numerous activities. He was a member of the academic team and the president of the Student Government Association (SGA) for two terms, as well as maintaining dual enrollment in both TLJC and NSU. This gave him opportunities to meet new people and help his fellow students.

"I enjoyed the friendships I made as the president of SGA", Cooper said. "The relationships that I formed have made it possible for me to keep strong connections with the people I helped who now live in such places as New York, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Wyoming." His success in the TLJC Academic Olympics landed him several scholarships, which are helping to finance his education at NSU.

At TLJC, it wasn’t uncommon for Cooper to lead fundraisers that would raise up to $2,000 so his fellow students could enjoy dances and mini-carnivals. In addition to these major expenditures, Cooper saw to it that other needs were met such as raising money for students to buy microwaves, VCR’s, and television sets. Cooper plans to take the skills he obtained as the president of SGA and apply them to his goal of working for a non-profit organization to continue helping people.

"I love helping young people to get a good start in life", Cooper said. "The reactions I get from them when I see how they appreciate my assistance is worth so much more than money."

He recently started a part-time job with a non-profit organization called Women in Community Service (WICS).

"I get to work with students that don’t complete their program, to find jobs or help them to continue their education", Cooper said. "I like it a lot.}

Cooper will be one of the 145 graduates participating in the Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps graduation on Thursday, February 20 at 2:00 p.m. in the TLJC gymnasium. For more information on TLJC or the graduation ceremonies call 918-456-9959.

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma Attn: (Department Name) P.O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465 Telephone: 918-456-0671 (Toll Free OK) 1-800-256-0671