Randy
Tulalip
Northwest Indian College

Randy has received the prestigious Cartwright Scholarship from the American Indian College Fund and is graduating from Northwest Indian College this May with a 3.8 grade point average. He also serves on a national student congress for American Indians. A member of the Tulalip nation, Randy is fascinated by legal and business issues, and plans to study law to become a tribal lawyer specializing in fishing rights.

Randy is experienced in the legal realm. His family owns a tract of land that many would like to develop. But in keeping with the Indian way, Randy does not want to sell to develop “just anything. It's not about money. It's about making the right decision for the future.” He and his family are considering developing the land for educational or health care purposes.

It hasn't always been easy juggling family and school. Randy worked odd jobs through school, and was recently offered a professional job with high wages. Randy and his wife talked about whether or not he should take the job and drop out of college—a tough decision. He decided to stay true to his dreams and finish college and go on to law school, as the short-term gain was not worth sacrificing his dream of being a lawyer, and one day helping his tribe. Randy Elliott is an example of how the American Indian College Fund's donors are helping students to succeed in obtaining an education and making a difference in their communities.