2024 ADBA Scholarship Winner
Tracelyn Strand, from Rapid City, South Dakota, will be attending United Tribes Technical College this fall to train as a Dental Hygienist. She states, “I would love to give back to the kids on the reservation that I am enrolled in as dental care and hygiene are not always accessible or a good experience for many of them.”
In describing her leadership roles in her school and community, Tracelyn states, “I am a member of the National Honor Society and that is very important to me. I am breaking the stereotype of Native Americans that have no drive or care about getting educated. I was one of the team captains for the varsity basketball team and a mentor to younger players. I also help my basketball team in cleaning lower income areas of my city to help beautify areas that needed assistance.”
“One of the biggest accomplishments that I have achieved is having perfect school attendance my entire life. When growing up, we were not well-off and lived in a lower income area that was known for drugs, criminal activity and violence. I wanted to prove that, no matter what a person’s situation, making it to school is always possible. I was raised to believe that education is so important because it is something that can never be taken from you. When I was in the 5th grade, I was recognized for my perfect attendance by several news channels, even CBS.com. I have been on the honor roll all four years of my high school career and am currently ranked 44th out of 326 kids with a 3.80 GPA.”
Tracelyn’s experiences with the APBT are many. She relates, I was born into this great breed as my dad and uncles have always had dogs either for showing or as household pets. They have always been just another member of the family. I have been going to shows for a long time in Colorado, Missouri and Utah.
In her letter of recommendation, Jacki Wakefield-Jones writes, “Tracelyn loves helping out her father in the dog yard taking care of their dogs and she gives him a hand with their conditioning for the shows. Being an athlete does come in handy for all the long walks holding back a strong dog! Tracelyn loves sharing her lifelong knowledge of the breed to educate those who have a negative perception of our dogs. By doing this, she is helping all of us who own these dogs to break the negative stereotypes associated not only with our dogs… but with us as owners as well.”
In conclusion, Tracelyn states, “I am proving that APBT owners are well educated and positive members of society that are making great impacts in this world. I am not from a wealthy family when it comes to money, but I am from a rich family when it comes to family and my heritage. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals of being able to attend college.”
