APELA IMA SCHOLARSHIP: AN IMPACTED LIFE IMPACTING LIVES
Growing up in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, within a musically talented family fed Jace Caldwell’s fascination with music and the thought of making it his career. His dad’s side of the family were highly involved in art, music, and singing, with his mom’s side into music and singing as well. It was something Jace lived.
But making it into the all-state choir his senior year of high school was life-changing, and Jace knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. He faced deciding between teaching and performance. Jace knew the impact teachers had had on his life and decided.
“My music teachers made a difference in my life, and I want to be that for someone else,” Jace says. “I want to make a difference in someone’s life.”
He doesn’t regret the decision. Jace moved fully into music education studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) and experienced being a student instructor during school. He volunteered for various programs that took him on international adventures to Portugal and China.
His experiences in college helped him learn the ins and outs of being in education, of learning how to teach effectively.
“The biggest challenge for me was learning not to rely on my own talent,” Jace says, “but to plan and teach in a way that improves my weaknesses and shows my strengths. You want to rely on your strengths and talents, but that doesn’t work.”
Through scholarships, hard work, and focus, Jace was able to graduate SOSU debt free. It was a massive step for him last December when he graduated with not only a teaching position at Western Heights Middle School in Oklahoma City but also marrying Hailey Bishop (Cherokee) and moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma.
“The scholarships monumentally helped,” Jace says. “The Chahta Foundation and the Choctaw Nation are credited to me graduating debt free. If it weren’t for those scholarships, I would be paying on a loan.”
He received the Apela Ima (giving help) Scholarship through the Chahta Foundation. Apela Ima is awarded to a graduating high school senior in the 10.5 county service area of the Choctaw Nation.
Jace also received support through both Choctaw Nation’s Higher Education and Career Development programs, as well as general foundation scholarships from SOSU, and various music scholarships.
Throughout this journey, Jace shares his pride in being Choctaw. His grandmother, Eleanor Caldwell, shared stories about her life experiences through recordings made by the Chahta Foundation. She was a student at Wheelock Academy and speaks the Choctaw language fluently.
“Those kinds of things were common,” Jace says, “hearing my Papaw and her talking in Choctaw, and my dad teaching me Choctaw words. I was never fluent, but we were exposed to it. There was just a great sense of pride, of knowing where I come from, and knowing that the Choctaw Nation cares about their people and their nation. I’m not one to hold back when explaining that to people. I’m Native American. I’m Choctaw. I’m very proud to be from this nation. ”
Credit: Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
