Joy Culbreath with husband Alton Culbreath photo by Zach Maxwell
Choctaw children of tomorrow
BY PAYTON GUTHRIE
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation has changed immensely over the last twenty-one years with Joy Culbreath leading the way into the future of Choctaw education. Culbreath joined the Choctaw Nation in 1993, when there were few programs to help tribal members with goals for higher education. Twenty-one years later, the Choctaw Nation is helping students across the globe reach their goals.
Culbreath’s family moved from Boggy Depot, to Lubbock, Texas, in 1942 at the age of three to find work as many families did in southeastern Oklahoma. Joy lived in Lubbock until 1957 when she graduated from Lubbock High just a year after Rock-n-Roll legend Buddy Holly. During her time in Lubbock, Joy “danced with Elvis at the Cotton Club.”
Joy met Alton Culbreath during summer trips to Durant to visit her sister. Shortly after graduating high school she married Culbreath and then moved to Durant.
Education was also important to Culbreath as she made several sacrifices to pursue her goals of a higher education.
“We had to figure it out,” Joy said “we grew a big garden, raised our own beef, and I made all our children’s clothes. We did everything we could to save money so I could go to school.”
Joy graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1967 receiving her Bachelor’s in Business Education and Elementary Education. She later earned a Master of Behavioral Studies and a Master of Administration.
Culbreath worked at Southeastern in the Trio Program and with federal programs for the next 30 years becoming the Director of Upward Bound. In 1993, she retired from Southeastern “on a Friday and on Monday morning began working for the Choctaw Nation.”
The next twenty-one years Culbreath spent as the Executive Director of Education for the Choctaw Nation was a time of growth and expansion. A number of new programs and scholarships were created to help Choctaw tribal members under Joy’s watch.
“It’s taken total dedication,” Joy said about the growth, “I’m a visionary. I’ve always tried to plan and look for what we can do to help children a generation from now.”
Now, Choctaw children have the needed programs and opportunity for education. One of these new programs sees the Choctaw Nation teaming up with schools in the Choctaw Nation to form a summer school program.
“I can see by us partnering with all eighty-five schools in the Choctaw Nation that summer schools are going to change education in southeastern Oklahoma.”
With the Choctaw Nation in good hands, Culbreath announced her retirement although she said she would still be involved with the Nation through several projects including a historical book and various educational programs.