Gillham graduates from SNU

Barbara Ellen (Bobbi) Gillham, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma tribal member, graduated from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, on Saturday, May 13, with a Doctorate of Education in Administration and Leadership.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Career Development and Higher Education programs assisted her in accomplishing this achievement. At the end of the three-year program, Bobbi graduated as a Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society member with a 4.0-grade point average. Her dissertation, “The Impact of Trauma-Informed School Practices on Positive Student Outcomes” was recently published by ProQuest. Bobbi received her bachelor’s degree in art education and master’s in school administration and library science from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Bobbi is a career educator of 30 years who taught in the Arkoma, Van Buren, and Poteau School Districts.

She is a principal at Pansy Kidd Middle School, in its third year of implementing a trauma-responsive learning environment.

During 24 years of serving Poteau’s students, she has been an English teacher, art teacher, librarian, assistant principal, principal, and curriculum coordinator.

In addition, Bobbi has been the Director of Poteau School District’s Johnson O’Malley and Indian Education programs for the last four years. During that time and in partnership with Julie Marvin, Poteau JOM Coordinator and Academic Advisor, and Poteau’s dedicated JOM Parent Committee members, Poteau School District’s Johnson O’Malley program has been recognized at the state and national levels as exemplary.

Bobbi is the granddaughter of the late J.V. and Barbara Conrad and Jack and Edna Pope. She is the daughter of Micheal and Rita Pope, both retired public school educators. She lives in Poteau with her husband, Erick, their son-in-law, Mitchell Moya, three daughters, Olivia Moya, Vivan Howerton, and Emma Claire Gillham, and two grandsons, Benjamin and Lincoln Moya. Her goals are to leverage the knowledge and experience gained as an SNU doctoral student and graduate to advocate for removing barriers that hinder student achievement and encourage using preventive, research-based approaches to assist struggling students.