fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

DENVER — The American Indian College Fund announced its selection of 12 new student ambassadors for its 2020 cohort. 

In its sixth year, the College Fund Student Ambassador Program trains American Indian and Alaska Native students to serve as leaders in their communities, work to combat stereotypes, and create greater visibility of Native Americans and an understanding of the importance of their diverse cultures.

College Fund student ambassadors promote higher education and visibility of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN), inspiring the next generation of Native students in media interviews, at cultural events, in their communities, and on their campuses.

The 2020 cohort also received advocacy training to help them spearhead engagement and action for issues impacting Native communities. This year the multi-day training, which was moved online, provided student ambassadors with leadership development, public speaking, interviewing, writing, and social media training in an interactive modular format. The virtual format allowed attendees the additional opportunity to participate in conversations about career planning and persistence with professionals in their fields. 

Special guests included veteran Native American actor Zahn McClarnon (recent credits include television shows Barkskins, Longmire, Fargo, and Westworld) who was joined by his mother, a longtime professional educator; and Kevin McDermott, a retired NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings before leaving the NFL to launch his dream career in finance.

The 2020-21 American Indian College Fund Student Ambassadors are:

  • Lyndsey Blanco (Tlingit and Haida Central Council), a business administration major at Ilisagvik College in Alaska;
  • Kimberly Blevins (Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation), an environmental science master’s program student at Sitting Bull College in North Dakota;
  • Natasha Goldtooth (Diné), an agroecology/environmental science major at Diné College in Arizona;
  • Spring Grey Bear (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe), a business administration major at United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota;
  • Kenwa Kravitz (Pit River/Wintu), a native studies leadership major at Northwest Indian College in Washington;
  • Emily Lockling (Fond du Lac Band of Superior Chippewa), an environmental science major at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Minnesota;
  • Jacob McArthur (White Earth Ojibwe Nation), a business administration major at Bemidji State University in Minnesota;
  • Tori McConnell (Yurok Tribe), a neurology, physiology, and behavior major at the University of California Davis in California;
  • Jamison Nessman (White Earth Nation), a pre-medicine student at Bemidji State University in Minnesota;
  • Chandra Norton (Hoopa Vakkey Tribe), a community advocate and responsive education in human services major at Northwest Indian College in Washington;
  • David Plant (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), a business management major at Salish Kootenai College in Montana.
  • Amanda Ruiz (Sicangu Lakota), a natural science degree and pre-engineering major at Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota;
  • Christopher Villaruel (Ajumawi/Pit River), a Forestry Hydrology Major at Humboldt State University in California;
  • Lester Wells (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe), a Lakota leadership and management master’s program major with an education administration emphasis at Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota; and

· Jade Yazzie (Diné), a food and nutrition in dietetics major at Montana State University in Montana.

More Stories Like This

Native Forward Scholars Fund Announces 2025 Students of the Year at Empowering Scholars Summit
Navajo Nation Speaker Curley and Council Delegate Dr. Nez Join Education Leaders to Address Federal Budget Cuts
Mackie Moore (Cherokee) Named Interim President of Haskell Indian Nations University
Mohawk Students File Legal Suit Over Changes Impacting Access to Federal Financial Aid
Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to Tribal College Funding, Threatening Their Survival

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].