Plain Green to give $200 to college-bound Box Elder, Rocky Boy students

Plain Green LLC, a Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation-based company that offers loans online, partnered with Strive for College, a nonprofit that aims to help qualified high school students get into college, and the two organizations toured Rocky Boy High School and Box Elder School to visit with upperclassmen.

Plain Green administrators said they are going to give $200 to Rocky Boy and Box Elder students who show them a letter of acceptance from a college. The money will help the students with their first semester's required textbooks.

Strive for College helps high school students connect with college students to learn about life in college, how to pay for college, how to apply to universities - anything that the high schoolers need to know about how to further their education.

The program focuses on getting students who are academically eligible to attend college.

"Many people are afraid of the process," said Nikole Moffett, a representative of the program.

The programs matches high school students with mentors based on qualities such as goals and interests. The younger students meet with their mentors once a week online.

Joel Rosette, CEO of Plain Green, said that what his company is trying to do through the partnership is provide a framework for students to help them further their educations.

"We really want to provide that in our community," Rosette said, adding that education is very important to places like Box Elder and Rocky Boy.

While speaking to the students gathered in a room in Box Elder School, Rosette said when he was in their position, he did not have the same resources available to them and they should utilize them

"Nothing is easy if it's worth having," Rosette said.

He went on to say there was a greater need for education in their communities than other places. Education is more valuable.

"Any change in any community begins with an individual," he told the students.

Beau Mitchell, also with Plain Green, spoke to juniors at the Box Elder school about how important it is they further their educations. He said that many complain that there are no jobs on the reservation, but Plain Green is accepting applications every day.

Mitchell said he was going to give them a harsh statement.

"I want you to leave," he said, urging the students to relocate to get an education. "Please leave, but then come back, he added. "We need you."

The tribe's ancestors survived due to their survival mentalities. Things are different now, Mitchell said, but they still have that survival instinct - now they just need to survive and thrive.