Published: July 17, 2008 04:52 pm      

Walkingstick honors aunt’s memory

Honoring the memory of his aunt, a long-time Social Worker in Seminole and Hughes counties, former Seminole State College Regent and current Trustee of the SSC Educational Foundation, Ben Walkingstick has established a trust scholarship fund to provide financial assistance for generations of students.

Walkingstick, Chandler, has had a long association with the college and said he wanted to find a way to positively impact lives through a gift which will provide encouragement for students to complete a two-year degree.

His aunt, “Miss Galela” Walkingstick, was the inspiration for this endowment.

Miss Galela was born in Tahlequah, in the heart of Cherokee Indian Country in 1910 and excelled in her educational pursuits throughout her life. She graduated as valedictorian of her senior class at Okmulgee High School – the first Native American Indian to receive this high recognition.

Despite the Great Depression of the 1930s, she was determined to get a college education and began classes at what is now Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. After completing two years of studies in a year and a summer session, she was awarded the Henry S. Morganthau scholarship to finish her degree at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio.

Her love of the school and the promise of education led her to later establish “The Galela Walkingstick Scholarship Award for Minority Students” at that college.

Miss Galela continued her education at the School of Social Work in the cold winters of Minneapolis-St. Paul, at the University of Minnesota.

That educational experience sparked a career as a social worker which spanned over 30 years, primarily in Holdenville and Wewoka.

As a young boy, Ben Walkingstick spent several weeks each summer with his grandmother and Aunt Galela in Holdenville. His memories of those summers include going with Miss Galela to visit Native American families and their children. Part of her work – “home visits” – greatly impressed young Ben. He recalls his aunt handing out clothing and groceries, shoes for the boys and high-topped buckled shoes for the girls.

The legacy of Galela will now be tied to Seminole State College as this newly-funded scholarship will assist female Native American students pursue their academic dreams.

Students interested in applying for this scholarship must be residents of the State of Oklahoma and full-time, regularly enrolled students at SSC. A condition for continuation of the award is that the student must maintain a minimum of a 3.0 overall grade point average and make satisfactory progress toward graduation.

The recipient of the scholarship will also be required to submit a report of her activities during each semester to the donor.

Members of the donor’s immediate family are ineligible for the award.

Ben Walkingstick has been instrumental in the establishment of the Chandler Library, Museum of Pioneer History and Lincoln County on Stage, as well as the restoration of the WPA Armory to establish the Route 66 Interpretive Center.

Walkingstick is a member of the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity and received the Distinguish Alumnus Award in 2003.

He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Oklahoma University Business School, is past Vice Chair of the Oklahoma Heritage Association, and past Chair of the Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority.

He has also served on the Board of the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

For more information about the Walkingstick scholarship, contact the SSC Financial Aid Office in Tanner Hall.