Written by Adriana Riggs, Turtle Mountain College, Turtle Mountain Accessing Choices in Education (ACE) Program Director
2024-2025 Indigenous Visionaries Fellow
I first heard about the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program in the summer of 2024. It is a ten-month fellowship supporting the empowerment and success of Native faculty and staff at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). I decided to apply to the College Fund’s program and was honored to be accepted. Now, halfway through the program, I’ve had the unique opportunity to learn from Indigenous leaders and connect with Native women from diverse TCU backgrounds.
One of the most impactful aspects of this fellowship has been the importance of building community. For some time now, I have hesitated to apply to a master’s program. I haven’t applied mainly due to the fear of rejection and not being able to succeed under the workload of a graduate program. Needless to say, these fears often led to an anxiety spiral that hindered me from moving forward with my educational goals. However, the shared commitment and conversations with the other Indigenous Visionaries fellows have shown me the strength of community and mentorship; words of encouragement during moments of doubt and celebrating each other’s small wins. Through this program, I’ve developed renewed self-awareness by learning from others’ experiences and successes; taking mental breaks to reconnect and refocus. Previously, I often felt isolated in my fears, which led to burnout and stress. The first half of this program has sparked a desire in me to pursue my education and personal development goals and help others navigate the same barriers.
Overall, this fellowship has helped me reframe my relationship with fear and self-doubt, provided me with tools and resources to build supportive relationships and an understanding of how to prioritize time for balance in my personal and professional lives. Moving into the second half of the fellowship, I look forward to continued conversations and personal growth with other fellows and Indigenous woman leaders.
Adriana Riggs (Diné) at Turtle Mountain College in Belcourt, North Dakota.
