Destiny in life is what the Great Spirit chooses for us – and we cannot be more grateful for the selection of outstanding State Government Interns who worked on important issues with us this summer.
The Commission of Indian Affairs was fortunate to have two such interns assigned to our office: Kristen Richardson of Clayton, who worked on the Indian Child Welfare Project, and Susan Angela Ramer of Hendersonville, who worked on the American Indian Health Report.
Additionally, four law school students worked this summer for the Attorney General’s Office on projects of interest to North Carolina’s tribal communities: Matt Autry of Fayetteville assisted in matters related to the Indian Cultural Center in Pembroke; Andrew Norton of Hillsborough and Lisa Valdez of Charlotte collaborated in researching the Meherrin court case; and Ashley Worrell of Virginia performed legal research regarding the potential state recognition of the Tuscarora Nation.
The Commission hosted a farewell pizza lunch today in honor of these students, who received thanks and best wishes from Administration Secretary Moses Carey and Deputy Secretary June Michaux. As Carey told them, “I hope you got as much out of your experience as we got from you. You’ve done your share to make this place a little bit better than when you came.”
It was gratifying to hear the students each talk about their experiences and the impact their work had on them. “It’s really been fulfilling for me to visit tribal communities, hear their concerns and be able to say we are working on solutions,” said Ramer, who has accepted a job at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. “’I’m grateful for the opportunity as it has made me even more confident of my career choice.”
Photo (from left): Matt Autry, Ashley Worrell, Susan Angela Ramer, Secretary Moses Carey, Kristin Richardson, Lisa Valdez and Greg Richardson.