MVSKOKE RESERVATION – Collegiate upperclassmen have a lot on their mind when entering their final years of university. Capstone projects, internships, jobs, the list never ends. To add to these stressors, statistically most students will not follow the career path in regard to the degree they acquired. This phenomenon is referred to as underemployment, or where college graduates work jobs that do not require a four year degree. According to a report released in February by the Burning Glass institute, 52% of graduates are underemployed a year after graduation. To help set up students for success, the Mvskoke Leadership Program offers internship opportunities that can turn into job placement after graduation.
The program is open to college juniors and seniors, as well as graduate students who are Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizens who live within the Nation’s reservation jurisdiction. The goal is to set up each participant with an internship in their field of study. Some of these fields may include education, finance or communication science. According to MCN Secretary of Education Dr. Kaila Harjo, the program acts as a bridge between the student, their field of study and the Nation, similar to the Summer Youth Works program. Internships also help with credits necessary for some degree plans and can present networking opportunities.
Oftentime students may have a career path in mind, however they might not know how to pursue it. Some industries may have several different options to choose from, such as business or finance.
“Since there are so many different levels in which business and accounting majors could have a capacity within those departments, it allows for them to find out, ‘is tribal finance really where I want to be?’ or is ‘corporate finance where I want to be?’,” Dr. Harjo said. “They get an opportunity to test the waters before they dive fully into a certain specific area.”
Although the primary objective of the program is to tackle underemployment, students also learn about their culture. A couple times a month meetings are held with the Cultural Preservation and Mvskoke Language departments to host cultural presentations on Mvskoke history, language incorporation and diversity. Students also attend National Council regular sessions and the Intertribal conference held in the summer.
The average class size for the program is 8-10 students, however it can take up to 15 if necessary. Although students’ residence must be on the reservation, they can still participate in the program if their school is off the reservation. The program has seen students who attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. According to Dr. Harjo, although most of the program’s students come from Tulsa, it has also seen students south of I-40.
In addition to underemployment post graduation, the program also tackles another uncomfortable issue present in many job fields: unpaid internships. Through the Mvskoke Leadership Program students can work up to 40 hours a week at the organization they are placed in. In addition to earning wages, this allows students to support themselves while getting on-the-job experience. Although the Fair Labor Standards Act is clear that for-profit organizations must compensate interns for work, not all corporate internships are paid.
At the end of each 16-week course the program hosts a banquet for students to share perceptions on their experience and what they have learned through their internships. A scholarship is also provided. Dr. Harjo remarked that it is important the tribe must follow through helping students succeed in life after graduation.
“The more that we grow educational opportunities here for our Mvskoke citizens, the more opportunities that are going to be presented similar to this,” Dr. Harjo said. “If we really are putting an emphasis on higher education, then we need to be able to connect them to opportunities in the workforce that are related to their degrees.”
The application for the Mvskoke Leadership Program can be filled out and submitted online. For further questions, call 918-732-7773. The online application can be accessed here.
