Willesha Memorial

Willesha knew she wanted to be a nurse when she was only 8 years old; her spirit was bright and her heart was generous. A member of the Choctaw Nation, Mowa Band, Willesha was raised in Klamath Falls and Portland, Oregon. Her fifth-grade class was one of the first local “I have a Dream” cohorts in 1990 and she was the first person from her immediate family to attend and graduate from college. She obtained a Bachelor’s in Social Science (on full scholarship) from Portland State University and received a second Bachelor’s degree in nursing from OHSU. Before she became a nurse, she worked at the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA). Once she was licensed she assumed the roles of Mother Baby and Labor & Delivery staff nurse, charge nurse, peer educator, preceptor, and lactation consultant (IBCLC) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Willesha chose to leave us at the age of 38, and this loss sent ripples of grief throughout her extensive community. The scholarship is a tribute to her amazing quality and serves as a reminder of the importance of tending to ourselves and each other during vulnerable times.