Simi High senior receives scholarship from Indian Education Consortium
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers

Whitney Tautkus does her best to be a well-rounded person.

The 18-year-old Simi Valley High School senior recently returned from the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. She plays violin in the school orchestra and mallet percussion instruments, such as the xylophone, in the marching band.

Tautkus also received a scholarship from the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium that will help pay for her college textbooks.

For the last 13 years, Tautkus, whose maternal greatgrandmother was a full-blooded Choctaw Indian from Oklahoma, has participated in the consortium's school program, an opportunity to learn more about her Indian heritage and receive career and school counseling.

"It was a way to get in touch with our Native American heritage and show pride in it," Tautkus said. "I'm really proud of my heritage. I love to tell people that I'm a Native American. It's something to be proud of."

To earn the scholarship, Tautkus was required to write an essay on how she would help society after graduating from high school. She wrote that she wanted to become an obstetriciangynecologist and deliver babies.

SVHS teachers Mary Campbell and Daniel Sternberg helped out by writing letters of recommendation for her.

Instrumental music instructor Sternberg also nominated Tautkus for the leadership conference, which she attended from March 25 to 30. To pay for the trip, the senior solicited donations from the Simi Valley Moose Lodge and the Rotary Club of Simi Valley.

In Washington, D.C., Tautkus met with Ventura County representatives on Capitol Hill and

ON HER WAY- Simi Valley High School senior Whitney Tautkus, 18, displays the badge she wore on a recent trip to the National Youth Leadership Council 2008 conference in Washington, D.C. Tautkus, who is part Choctaw, also won a scholarship for Native Americans.

witnessed a simulation of Congress in session.

"Doing the simulations, I felt what it was like to be a person with that much responsibility on their shoulders," Tautkus said. "It's not easy to work in politics. Most people think anybody can do that. They look at the president and say, 'Oh, gosh, why'd we put him in power?' By being there, you see it's a lot more challenging and difficult than you'd expect. . . . It's a lot harder to run this country than people expect."

Tautkus plans to attend Moorpark College for two years to save money before transferring to a four-year institution, possibly UC San Diego. The Simi Valley student said she is impressed with UCSD's pre-med program. Plus her older brother Christopher, 21, a member of the U.S. Navy, is currently stationed in San Diego.

Tautkus said that even though she has a love for music and literature, her studies come first.

"I don't know if I can continue playing music when I graduate," she said. "I really want my focus on becoming a doctor. I won't be able to play music- maybe in the future. Right now, I want to focus on getting through college and medical school."