Student Ambassadors
Be a student leader and serve your community.
Student Ambassador Program
The American Indian College Fund Ambassador Program was established in 2015 to strengthen students’ and alumni personal and professional skills and to represent the College Fund.
Ambassador Program Details
The American Indian College Fund Ambassador Program was established in 2015 to create a mutually supportive relationship between the College Fund and selected scholarship recipients to serve as ambassadors and enhance professional skills. Program elements are designed to strengthen personal and professional voice and skills through active representation and reflection of the mission of the College Fund. Ambassadors use their voice to promote the College Fund to the general public and share their story of being an Indigenous scholar.
The program, as a form of practicum, aims to create knowledgeable College Fund community representatives to aid in public facing promotion, peer-to-peer resource sharing, and promote College Fund initiatives like scholarships both on-and-off Tribal College and University campuses. This program also aims to provide a pool of speakers and/or participants for College Fund educational and fundraising events across the country. It is a further intent that the training and representation of the College Fund at on- and off- campus events expands access to personal, professional, and academic opportunities. In this program, scholars can expect to build bonds with other Indigenous scholars and network through relationships at the College Fund.
Currently, there are 10 cohorts of scholars since the program’s inaugural 2015-2016 cohort. Over 100 Ambassadors have shared the story of their academic journey and how the American Indian College Fund has played a role in supporting them. Much like how for our scholars there are many ways to be knowledgeable, there are also many ways to be a College Fund Ambassador.
Read more about our Ambassadors Robin and Joaquin on the College Fund blog.
Hear from Past Ambassadors
Amanda Ruiz
Amanda Ruiz, 2020-2021 Ambassador cohort, lends her story to attendees of the 5th annual Summer of Success conference. She shares her dedication to her education and the perseverance needed to be a leader in her family and community. Her use of personal story to encourage Native American scholars are a vital part of her co-Keynote address.
Nessa Ankney
Nessa Ankney, 2023-2024 Ambassador cohort, was co-Keynote at the 5th annual Summer of Success conference in May 2024. She is open and sincere about her academic journey story while encouraging Native American scholars to be true to themselves. Her experience with utilizing resources and opportunities to continue her education is a must listen for any scholar.
American Indian College Fund Student Ambassadors 2024-2025 Cohort
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- Annalise Guthrie (Cherokee Nation), Haskell Indian Nations University 2020, University of Kansas 2025.
- Bridget Hoshont’omba (The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Nebraska Indian Community College 2025.
- Cherish GrassRope (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation), Salish Kootenai College 2024, Gonzaga University 2026.
- Deanna Teller (Navajo Nation), Haskell Indian Nation University 2025.
- Elizabeth Crumm (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes [Wichita, Keechi, Waco, and Tawakonie]), Kansas State University 2025.
- Krista Goodluck (Navajo Nation), Navajo Technical University 2024.
- Lisa Aimsback (Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana), Blackfeet Community College 2025.
- Promise Lensing (Santee Sioux Nation), Sinte Gleska University 2025.
- Tasheena Egan (Navajo Nation), Tohono O’odham Community College 2024, University of Nevada-Reno 2026.
Student Blogs and Updates
Siblings in Science: Breaking Boundaries in Indian Country in the Name of Native Pride and Native Science
Growing up in an urban environment was not easy for us. A lot of nights we weren’t sure whether or not we would eat dinner. It was in the Eastside of London Ontario, Canada where the struggle of survival and the knowledge of the “real world” began. We were not exposed to our culture other than at powwows; we were not familiar with our traditional languages, nor did our family participate in ceremony. As adults we understand the power of ceremony, culture and prayer; this is something that we agree is beneficial if it is present every day.
Dera: Think ‘Skin
Growing up on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in south central South Dakota was a real experience. I have seen things that people only get to imagine as they read a book. Heck, some people in this country do not even know where South Dakota is.
Always In Transit
For me, this time of year means travel. It means recruiting for a program I care deeply about – the University of Colorado Upward Bound Program. My trips begin with a flight to a small town like Durango, Colorado or Fayetteville, North Carolina or in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sometimes I fly all day just to end up on a little commuter plane with two-seats on each side of the aisle, and fly through turbulence to land in a different place in a new state.
Leaving Home to Fulfill a Destiny
went to work for the Blackfeet Tribe fresh out of high school. I planned to work for just a year, and then go to college. That year turned into 22 years. I went to college for the first time in my life just short of my 44th birthday. Had it not been for the Blackfeet Community College, I might not have ever gone to college. True, I had to start commuting 50 miles round trip again, but the upside was that my husband agreed to join me. He hadn’t ever gone to college either.