American Indian College Fund Honors Tribal College Students of the Year and Coca Cola Scholars

The American Indian College Fund honored 35 Tribal College and University Students of the Year and 35 Coca Cola First Generation Scholars at a ceremony held on Sunday, March 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President of Diné College, was also named the College Fund’s 2023-24 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year.

The Adolph Coors Foundation sponsors both the Tribal College and University Students of the Year and the Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year. Each Tribal college and university (TCU) selects one student to represent their institution and the College Fund selects the TCU President Honoree. Students receive a $1,200 scholarship and the president is awarded a $1,200 honorarium.

The Coca-Cola Foundation provides scholarships for first-generation Native students who attend a TCU. The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded almost $3.6 million in scholarship support to the College Fund since 1990 to assist more than 500 students with their college education. Students can reapply to the scholarship each year if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average and are active in campus and community life.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said: “We are so proud of our students who are representative of the amazing and talented students who attend our tribal higher education institutions. Our values and vision are reflected in each of them. We look forward to all the ways that they will continue to contribute to the self-determination and wellbeing of our Tribes and families.”

The 2023-24 Tribal College Students of the Year are:    

Aaniiih Nakoda College                                    Alexis Bigby

Bay Mills Community College                           Alysandra Gonzales-Flora

Blackfeet Community College                          Gwynne E. White Quills

Cankdeska Cikana Community College           Tyrese Leaf

Chief Dull Knife College                                    Jozette Limpy

College of Menominee Nation                           Chenoa Webster

College of the Muscogee Nation                       James Gray

Diné College                                                      Gwyneth Shorty

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College      Anthony Sam

Fort Peck Community College                           Gib Medicine Cloud

Haskell Indian Nations University                      Justine Butterfield

Iḷisaġvik College                                                 Vincent Elkins

Institute of American Indian Arts                         Isabella Edmo

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College      Rachel Ritchie

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University                Andre’Anna Acosta

Leech Lake Tribal College                                  Darrin Brown Jr.

Little Big Horn College                                        Kayle Addison

Little Priest Tribal College                                   Denise Milford

Navajo Technical University                                Layla James

Nebraska Indian Community College                 Jiah Marks

Northwest Indian College                                   Karla Miller

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College                         Kacey Murdock

Oglala Lakota College                                        Austin Red Dog

Red Lake Nation College                                   Angeline Harris

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College                     Tamara Lawson

Salish Kootenai College                                     Bryce Norling

Sinte Gleska University                                      Michal Beardt

Sisseton Wahpeton College                              Jana Isburg

Sitting Bull College                                            Elena Rodriguez

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute        Dominique Bluehorse

Stone Child College                                          Jazmyne Torres

Tohono O’odham Community College               Ashley Mccreery

Turtle Mountain Community College                  Aaliyah Selburg

United Tribes Technical College                        Jennifer Fragua

White Earth Tribal and Community College       Lauri Zupan

The 2023-24 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars are:

Aaniiih Nakoda College                                      Lyle Stiffarm

Bay Mills Community College                            Oona Burton

Blackfeet Community College                            Brandi Harwood

Cankdeska Cikana Community College             Marissa Baer

Chief Dull Knife College                                      Kyla Kwandibens

College of Menominee Nation                             Melissa Wescott

College of the Muscogee Nation                         Deidre Yarbrough

Diné College                                                        Vanesha Cleveland

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College       Anthony Sam

Fort Peck Community College                            Sherry Ross

Haskell Indian Nations University                       Tilda Hubbell

Iḷisaġvik College                                                  Kacey Woodruff

Institute of American Indian Arts                        Brianna Waukau

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe Community College      Gabrielle Picciano

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University                Desmund Lapointe

Leech Lake Tribal College                                  Torrey Kingbird

Little Big Horn College                                       Dvera Tolbert

Little Priest Tribal College                                   Dawn Makesstrongmove

Navajo Technical University                                Rebecca Yazzie

Nebraska Indian Community College                 Bridgette Hoshont’Omba (Jameson)

Northwest Indian College                                   Julie Bosch

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College                         Cassandra Hopkins

Oglala Lakota College                                        Conner Roubideaux

Oglala Lakota College                                        Summer Afraid Of Hawk

Red Lake Nation College                                   Kyleisha Garrigan

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College                      Ayla Sisco

Salish Kootenai College                                     Bobbi Brooks

Sinte Gleska University                                      Sunshine Brings Plenty

Sisseton Wahpeton College                               Dora Jones

Sitting Bull College                                             Nicholas Peters

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute         Audrey Weebothee Magdalena

Stone Child College                                           Kaycee Chiefstick

Tohono O’odham Community College              Christy Mcgaughey

Turtle Mountain Community College                 Quentin Brien

United Tribes Technical College                        DaSean Marquese