Dear Membership,
I’m sharing my speech I gave as the commencement speaker for the Effie Kokrine Charter School Class of 2026. My goal was to offer hope, praise and encouragement to the class, and I’m hoping that you will find the same.
Graduation is such a time of achievement, not only for the student, but for everyone involved in a child’s life: teachers, counselors, tutors, families and friends. Graduation marks the end of a season of life and the beginning of another. It’s good to take time to reflect.
Congratulations to all our graduates, of all ages.
Melissa Charlie, FNA Executive Director
2026 EKCS Commencement Speech
Welcome graduates, families, educators, Elders and future graduates.Baasee’ for having me here this evening. I have spoken before many people in many different capacities. This is different. This is an honor I will always cherish.
I am Melissa Charlie, Executive Director of Fairbanks Native Association, daughter of Norma Dahl and the late Bobby Charlie; granddaughter of the late Cerosky and Linda Charlie of Minto; and the late Dale Dahl of Fairbanks and Bertha Pease of Beaver.
I graduated from Lathrop High School 28 years ago. Had you told me that I would be standing here before all of you as an Executive Director and a Fairbanks North Star Borough school board member, I would never have believed it. Not because there were few female leaders during that time, but because there were even fewer Indigenous female leaders to look up to. I am thankful for Shirley Dementiff, Georgina Lincoln, Rosemarie Maher, Bernice Joseph, and Lucy Ann Carlo for breaking the trail for so many strong female leaders today.
Today, we have smart Indigenous women from the Interior in key roles running major organizations. For example, Sharon Hildebrand is the Chief/Chairman of the Tanana Chiefs Conference. Dr. Charlene Stern is the Interim Provost at UAF. Natasha Sigh is the CEO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium in Anchorage, and Sharon McConnell is the Executive Director at Denakkanaaga and board chair for FNA.
I’m not diminishing the value of our men. I’m emphasizing that Indigenous women had to overcome additional barriers to attain leadership roles that were historically limited to men.
As Native people it is important that we seek guidance and mentorship from our Elders, both men and women. They have gone through things in life that we have no understanding of. Always seek their guidance. We don’t know what the future has in store for us, but it is with their wisdom and knowledge that we can overcome any obstacle. Growth comes from learning not only from our own experiences, but from the mentorship and counsel of others.
You will fall, but get back up.
You will fail, but learn from it.
Come out of it better than you
were before.
You will grieve. Loss is
inevitable, but God will wipe your
tears, and he will heal you.
You will also succeed, but stay
humble.
You will be happy. You will be
healthy. You are strong.
You will succeed. This is the
first step.
Be true to yourself and be kind
to yourself.
Never give up.
Go into the world with
gratitude. Always seek knowledge. Never quit learning. Better yourself and love yourself.
Leave your mark in this world. Leave this world a better place because you are here. May your legacy be filled with courage, purpose, and a service to others.
To the Effie Kokrine Charter School class of 2026, may God bless your trail, guide your heart, and strengthen your journey.