Tori Watson, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in professional and technical writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is the 2018 recipient of the James W. Parins Intern Scholarship at the Sequoyah National Research Center. 

The Parins scholarship was established in 2017 as a way to honor the legacy of SNRC’s co-founder Dr. James W. Parins. The scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates a knowledge of Native American cultures and is in good standing with the university.

Watson received a $650 scholarship and interned at Sequoyah during the spring semester, where she researched the removal of the Choctaws from the southeast United States to Indian Territory during the Trail of Tears.

“Too much Native culture has been lost throughout the years, and if we can work together to preserve and counter that loss, then we have an obligation to do so,” she said. “Native American traditions have always been a part of my life, and I am very glad that I will be continuing my life long journey of learning more about my culture and history.”

Watson received her Bachelor of Arts in English from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where she graduated with high honors. After teaching in a junior high school and realizing it was undersupported, she returned to school with the intent to pursue a career in technical writing.