Short Answer Questions

Tips for The Full Circle and TCU Scholarship applications

The Full Circle and TCU Scholarship applications have an essay style format with three short-answer questions.

These sections are your chance to share your story and give readers an opportunity to see how a scholarship would help you achieve your stated educational and professional goals and require you to discuss three elements: an obstacle that you have overcome in order to get to where you are now; your educational goals and how this scholarship will help you achieve those; and how your education will help your Native community.

We recommend that you type out your responses to the short-answer question in a Word document (like this template) to ensure safe keeping if you need to abandon the application before submission.

To enhance this section, start by creating an outline of your thoughts and initial answers to each question. The outline does not need to look perfect, but it will allow you to start thinking about and organizing these questions and how they relate to each other.

Here are two sample outlines to help get you started:

  • A Visual Outline for those who prefer to see the outline as part of the big picture.
  • A Textual Outline for those who prefer a more linear approach.
  • Whichever outline you choose, remember that they are not meant to be exhaustive. They are designed to help you organize your thoughts and begin planning for writing your final responses.
  • There is no right or wrong answer for these questions, but it is very important that you provide a thorough response to each short-answer question.

As always, don’t forget to check your grammar and spelling!

NOTE: The short-answer section is ONLY available in the application, not in the profile. This means you must have all of your application ready (INCLUDING YOUR TRANSCRIPT READY TO UPLOAD) when you answer these questions; otherwise your answers will not be saved.

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From Silence to Strength: A Native Woman’s Journey Through Mental Health and Healing

By Melarie Pretty Paint-Conway (Deaxkaash Biia – Eagle Woman)

2024-2025 Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program

My name is Melarie Pretty Paint-Conway. My Indian name is Deaxkaash Biia — Eagle Woman. I am an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Montana. I currently work at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) as the Student Health Coordinator. I am also an alumna of UTTC, where I graduated in 2017 with an Associate of Science in Practical Nursing. I continued my education and earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2022 at Presentation College in Aberdeen, SD.

My mother was the biggest influence in my life. She always pushed me and my two younger sisters to pursue our education and reach our goals. Through her struggles and triumphs, my mother demonstrated strength and resiliency. Watching her face hardships with determination became a driving force in my own life.

Melarie’s mother Dorcus, middle sister Keirsten, herself and little sister Kerrera at Two Leggins near the Big Horn River in St. Xavier, Montana.

Melarie’s mother Dorcus, middle sister Keirsten, herself and little sister Kerrera at Two Leggins near the Big Horn River in St. Xavier, Montana.

Mental health has always been an area of deep concern for me. As Native people, we often struggle with mental health issues but are hesitant to seek help. For some, asking for support is seen as a sign of weakness. When you look at our history—what our ancestors endured, the historical trauma, and the generational pain—you can understand why so many of us still suffer silently. My mother was one of the silent sufferers before she decided she needed to break the cycle for herself and her three girls. This is the story of my mother’s mental health journey and how she decided to be the change for her children.

Melarie Pretty Paint’s graduation photo at Presentation College on May 6, 2023

Melarie Pretty Paint’s graduation photo at Presentation College on May 6, 2023

“My personal struggles with mental health began in my late teens. I married young and had three beautiful daughters, but after only two years, my marriage ended in divorce. As a single parent, I juggled multiple jobs while attending school, doing everything I could to provide for my girls. It was a daily struggle—mentally, emotionally, and physically. For years, I kept everything bottled up. I isolated myself, focusing only on my children and my work. But over time, my mental health declined. Anxiety and depression overwhelmed me, to the point where I couldn’t continue working. Growing up, I often heard from my grandmother that talking about personal problems would bring shame to the family. That belief made me hesitant to seek help. But as my mental health worsened, I realized I had no choice—I needed help not just for myself, but for my children. Despite my fears, I decided to try counseling. And I am so thankful that I did. Counseling gave me the tools to heal, to cope, and to regain control of my life. As I worked on my mental health, I was able to return to work, rebuild my strength, and start living again. Today, I work at a recovery center, helping individuals who are struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. I share my story with them, letting them know they are not alone. Many of them, like me, have unaddressed trauma from their youth. I remind them that healing is possible—and that seeking help is not a weakness; it is a powerful act of courage. Mental health is just as important as physical health.

I still deal with anxiety, but today, I have the tools to manage it. Counseling continues to be part of my journey, and I encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out for help. You are not alone, and healing is possible. As Native people, we carry the strength and wisdom of our ancestors, but we also carry wounds that need healing. It’s time to break the stigma surrounding mental health in our communities. Seeking help is not a betrayal of our traditions or our strength—it is an act of honoring ourselves, our families, and our future generations. Healing begins when we acknowledge our struggles and open the door for others to do the same.”

By talking about mental health openly, we reclaim our resilience in a new way—ensuring that our communities not only survive but truly thrive. Breaking the stigma around mental health in Native communities is an act of strength. Seeking help does not make us weak, it makes us warriors of healing for ourselves and future generations. By speaking up, we create space for resilience, hope, and true healing to take root.

Healing is strength. By breaking the silence around mental health, we honor our ancestors and protect future generations.

Part of Who You Are

An interview with Dakota Artist Ella Robertson

Julie Buckman interviews Ella Robertson (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), a mostly self-taught artist who teaches Native American textiles at Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC). Robertson recalls getting her start as a child making Barbie clothes on her aunt’s sewing machine. Today she is a renowned Dakota community artist and entrepreneur specializing in many art forms and created SWC’s logo, one of her many accomplishments.

Robertson reflects on the complexities of intertribal identity in art, harvesting her own art materials, and maintaining a love for art while navigating the monetization and deadlines of entrepreneurship. She speaks to the patience, reciprocity, and openness art has taught her, and emphasizes the importance of intergenerational teaching and storytelling through art as she watches her own children become artists themselves.

IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin to Retire

More than 40 years of service-focused leadership

Dr. Robert Martin, President of IAIA, right, with his wife, Luci Tapahanso.

Dr. Robert Martin, President of IAIA, right, with his wife, Luci Tapahanso.

After serving for more than 40 years of service in Native education, Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) will retire from a lifetime of work in education in July 2025. He currently serves as the President of the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a role he has held since 2007. IAIA was only the last of four tribal colleges and universities (TCU) that benefited from Dr. Martin’s leadership. He previously served as President of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) (1981-89), Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) (1989-99), and Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) (2001-05).

Dr. Martin made a lasting impression at each TCU as he helped them to grow. At SIPI, he mobilized students and community to keep the college open despite the U.S. Department of the Interior’s proposal to close its doors. He led Haskell through the transition from a junior college to a university under his leadership. TOCC earned its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and was designated a 1994 Land-Grant Institution by Congress during his tenure.

During his 18-year tenure at IAIA, Dr. Martin oversaw the establishment of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in performing arts, along with graduate programs in creative writing, studio arts, and cultural administration. While growing new academic programs, he oversaw the growth of the campus to include the construction of five new buildings and family housing. Scholarships for IAIA students also increased under his leadership.

These accomplishments are perhaps less surprising, but no less noteworthy, coming from a man who believes, “To lead is to serve,” Which was the title of an article Dr. Martin wrote for the Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education in which he highlighted the impact of Indigenous leadership stemming from knowledge focused on empowering the entire community and service to the people. He credits many mentors and traditional leaders, such as Black Elk (Oglala Lakota), as his role models for leadership. At IAIA, Martin’s philosophy also incorporated an Indigenous definition of student success that factored in intentionality rooted in an Indigenous community-based approach and focused on the humanities through an Indigenous perspective.

Dr. Martin was born in Pryor, Oklahoma in 1946, but his family relocated to North Carolina when he was in elementary school. In high school, Martin was interested in working on a reservation or with other Native communities. While people thought this was an odd choice at the time, Dr. Martin made his vision a reality. He began his career serving two historically Black institutions in West Virginia and North Carolina before moving to the

Plains to begin his work with TCUs. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University and received his doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Kansas.

In addition to his leadership roles at TCUs, Dr. Martin also serves on several boards, including the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Lensic Performing Arts Center, and the Higher Learning Commission. He served as a trustee for the board of the American Indian College Fund January 2004-July 2005 through his retirement from Tohono O’odham Community College. He was re-elected to the College Fund’s board and began his service in July 2010 as president of IAIA and served nine years (three three-year terms). He also served as the College Fund board’s vice chair during his 2016-2019 term. He continues his service to the College Fund as an advisor to its resource development committee.

Dr. Martin is also the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Liberty Bell Award by the Douglas County Bar Association in Kansas, recognizing individual contributions to human rights. He received an honorary doctorate from Baker University, and in 2010, he received the Tribal College President of the Year Award from the American Indian College Fund. Dr. Martin also received a National Humanities Medal (2022) in a ceremony with President Joseph R. Biden at the White House in the fall of 2024, and Mayor Alan Weber of Santa Fe declared November 17, “Dr. Robert Martin Day.”

Over the past 37 years Dr. Martin has often acknowledged the unwavering support of his wife, Luci Tapahonso (Navajo), a professor emerita of English literature at the University of New Mexico and an inaugural Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation. Regarding his retirement, Dr. Martin shared several thoughts on his time at IAIA.

“I can think of no more fitting institution from which to end my over 40-year career in Indigenous higher education than the Institute of American Indian Arts. Over the past six decades, IAIA’s influence on the Indigenous world has been monumental,” said Dr. Martin. “The boundaries were limitless. Our students learned to develop their creative style without being bound by tradition or history. What I’ve admired most during my tenure is observing the evolution of student creativity and seeing how they take risks and manifest leadership qualities while advancing their practice. They have helped make IAIA the preeminent Tribal University in the nation.”

He also summed up his career in a short, humble statement that placed service to the community as a priority.

“I am honored to have served as president of four tribal colleges in 40 years. It has been a blessing, as I have had ample opportunities to improve higher education for our people,” Dr. Martin said.