A reflection from the American Indian College Fund 2026 Student of the Year recipient, Audrey Saganna Jr. (Inupiat)
The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) has launched “Because of You,” a national campaign to recognize and honor the more than 1,600 tribal college and university (TCU) faculty.
On Sunday, the College Fund honored this year’s Tribal College and University Students of the Year and Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars. These students represent the values of their TCUs and the determination of all the Native students working to build better futures for themselves and their communities.
Congratulations to Dr. Leander “Russ” McDonald on being named the College Fund’s 2025-26 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year. Dr. McDonald shares how healing, humility, learning, and evolving have not only shaped his mindset as president of United Tribes Technical College but a life dedicated to others.
The Ichigo Foundation has gifted the American Indian College Fund a $100,000 award to support the Wounspe E’cetkiya O’takuye Piya A’yazunta Pi (Reconnecting Relatives to Education) Program over the next two years. With its first four graduates celebrated in 2025, this program, that provides resources to help American Indians who’ve had encounters with the justice system complete their high school equivalency, hopes to strengthen its partnership and explore other learning opportunities.