As a staff member with the College Fund, I had the honor to attend the spring Scholarship Awards Night at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to witness 260 students moving one step closer towards their educational goals. The event awarded 534 College Fund scholarships to 260 students totaling $519,906.
Author’s Note: This throwback tale is a testament of how things have changed and how they have stayed the same. Reminiscing reminds me to find humor every day. College life as a mom of twins doesn’t slow down, in fact it’s much like a tornado. So even when the twins, now in their terrible twos, hit hard, I am the foundation that this home is built on. Memories such as the story that follows provide reassurance.
Sunny is a student at Leech Lake Tribal College in Red Lake, Minnesota. Through the help of the American Indian College Fund’s Native Pathways to College Transfer Program, she was able to travel to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a campus visit.
My name is Dane Allapowa and I am a sophomore at Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC); a tribal college in Fort Totten, N.D., on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Thanks to the American Indian College Fund’s Native Pathways to College program, I was able to take a tour of my prospective college, North Dakota State University (NDSU).
My name is Joaquin Ray Gallegos and I am from the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Pueblo of Santa Ana. I was raised to be a connection-maker. Each American Indian and Alaska Native student and youth is a rare solution to the unrest and problems that grip society today. We help secure access to clean water, quality health care, and safe housing to elevate the standard of life for all of society.
After capturing all of the awards possible at the 2016 First Nations Launch in Wisconsin this year, the Northwest Indian College rocket teams were partially funded to the tune of $6000 for a VIP trip and tour at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Recently we were asked about the factors that make for a top college for Native Americans students. It is a great question and it really depends on individual student needs and goals; however, that does not make for a great blog. So I will answer this with a top ten list of things that Native American students should consider when choosing a college.
Our Native Pathways team embarked on a trip to Alaska to visit Ilisagvik College and Barrow High School. I thought my five hour plane trip to college every semester was a major journey. Barrow is situated on the northernmost part of the United States, in other words, the “top of the world.”
Tribal college students and Native Scholars Waycen and Brook are at the Democratic National Convention with our partner AT&T in Philadelphia. Among the tribal nations and delegates represented at the Democratic National Convention this week are some of our tribal college students and alumni.
Internships, like scholarships, are an important piece of a student’s higher education process. Internships provide students with opportunities to improve their skills and confidence while allowing them to build relationships in their professional fields. Unfortunately, not all students have the opportunity to work as an intern.
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