Thompson, Two Crow united in passion for Native Americans

Khirstin Two Crow comes from a large family and has even bigger dreams.

The Garland, Texas, native is the oldest of five children. She had a full academic and athletic scholarship to run cross country for Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., last year. However, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament and was unable to compete. Rather than view it as a setback, she seized the opportunity to “go above,” as she put it, and transfer to Oklahoma State University.

Two Crow is a Native American with Cherokee, Choctaw, Hidatsa and Sioux ancestry. As a registered member of the Choctaw Nation, she looked into schools in the Nation’s home state of Oklahoma and finally settled on OSU.

“I really didn’t get a grasp of money and how much school costs until my parents said, ‘You’re at OSU. You’re not running there. We are paying a bill,’” Two Crow said.

So she applied for the J. Roy Thompson Scholarship, which goes to Native Americans planning to work with Native American issues. It awards her $8,500 per year toward her education.

“I was really nervous. When I got the call that I had gotten (this scholarship), I went into crazy mode,” Two Crow said.

She is studying political science and pre-law and plans to attend either law or campaign school. Both are competitive programs where quality undergraduate transcripts are critical to earning admission.

Thanks to her scholarships, Two Crow is able to focus on her studies, not taking on debt and working an average of 10 to 12 hours per week. Without the generosity of donors like Thompson, she said she would have to work more, which would leave less time to focus on her studies.

Two Crows’ scholarship has made possible her dream of a graduate education – which she plans to follow with even loftier goals.

“Maybe a campaign manager, maybe a lobbyist, maybe a politician,” Two Crow said. “Maybe I’ll advocate for Native American law. Maybe I’ll help the individual Indian with their problem.”

Thompson earned an OSU business degree in 1933 and followed that with a juris doctorate from George Washington University. He partnered with former U.S. Senator Thomas Gore and spent the better part of his career representing the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribes in three important claims against the U.S. government.

Clearly Two Crow shares Thompson’s passions to better the Native American community. Even years after his death, Thompson’s generosity continues to advance the causes he considered important. The beneficiaries are not just the three Thompson Scholars – Two Crow, Kendall Horner and Gentry Smiling – but everyone whose lives they touch. How’s that for a return on his initial investment?