Three local teens recently completed the Cherokee Youth Council program including Louwana Montelongo, Emily Welch and Hannah Ledford.
Louwana Montelongo
Montelongo, the daughter of Missy Crowe and the late Manuel Montelongo, plans to attend Duke University to become a lawyer. “She has been in the program for approximately five years and has become an important voice of our councils in past years,” said Sky Sampson, Cherokee Youth Council Program manager. “We are so proud of the young woman you have become and we trust that you will share your voice even further in this community and in other communities.”
Hannah Ledford
Ledford, the daughter of Cynthia Ledford and Rogelio Ibarra, plans to attend Appalachian State University to study political science and one day plans to return to Cherokee to make a positive impact on the community. “Hannah has been an amazing member of our Youth Council program for five years, and we can’t believe how much she has grown both in height and in spirit,” said Sampson. “She is such a strong historian and we are so proud of her accomplishments this year. Keep sharing your cultural knowledge.”
Emily Welch
Welch, the daughter of Charles Welch, plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh to become a speech language pathologist. “Emily has been a member of the Cherokee Youth Council for three years, and we are absolutely astounded by the amount of growth we have seen in her. She has truly blossomed into a beautiful young woman that is not afraid to share her voice in our council and in the community.”
Sampson added, “We will miss each one of you and the individual talents that you brought to our Youth Council family. We can’t wait to see what you will accomplish in college and in life. Thank you for being a part of our program.”
– Cherokee Youth Council
