"After the storms, puddles hold beautiful reflections."
- Mataya Lee
Turtle-Siobhan Travers (Nez Perce) is a parent, advocate, teacher and public speaker. She is also currently studying medicine and hopes to become a doctor on her Reservation. When she isn’t spending time with family, at work as an independent health and fitness coach or at her classes she can be found at the youth center or the local library. Some of her many passions are running, hiking, teaching others about nature and wildlife, photography, and her horse. She also enjoys participating in Special Olympics.
Turtles faith is a huge part of who she has become and she is blessed that she does not have to hide her beliefs.
Turtle, is an inspiration because she continues to strive and do things that she was told she could never do. In her lifetime she was told that she would never speak. Turtle, conducts public speaking events in two languages. When she was told she couldn't graduate high school and that she was uneducable. She knew that she needed to press fourth and finish her high school education and continue to college. When she was told she could never hold a job, she served in the army; she has become a teacher and works as a fitness coach. Lastly, when Turtle was told she could never walk again, she also proved others wrong and she participates in awareness runs.
Turtle has participated in several different pageants; she participates in many causes and advocacy activities that are not limited to, wolf education, teaching homeless and disabled youth, photography, tribal community activities, fundraising, Special Olympics, and she has become a self published author. Her primary goal is to mentor others through Integrity Beauty and to advocate to others who battle with disabilities that you can achieve anything you set your mind to do.
"I’m Ms. Alberts Goddaughter, my Grandmother and Mrs. Albert were best friends and neighbors. I met my Godsister Roberta after my Godmother passed away and because of the video the two of them made, I went on to be a first responder for the flood victims in Atlanta. My Sis, as I fondly call Roberta is the REAL THING, thank you"
- Marcina Lanee Gilliam