Rita Peterson is a busy woman. She runs a truly 21st-century company, one of the only woman-owned, Native American– owned, HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone)-certified engineering services firms serving the Department of Defense around the country, around the globe, and even into space. Her brainchild, Caribou Th under LLC, is headquartered on the Lac Courte d’Oreilles Ojibwe Reservation in Hayward, Wis.

By the time she was 17 years old, Sheridan Evans had already had three knee surgeries. Surgery after surgery could have been a daunting experience, but for Evans it was the catalyst that opened her eyes to the field of medicine. And with a brand-new bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in Native American studies from the University of Oklahoma, Evans is well on her way toward her goal of becoming a surgeon providing high quality care for Native Americans.

Entrepreneur and software trailblazer Paul Kabotie is taking a moment to reflect. It’s been a while since he’s retraced his road to here and now — he’s become a successful professional, happy family man, and proud member of the AISES Board of Directors. “When I was starting out on my own, I couldn’t possibly have known how things would work out,” says Kabotie. “It really was about always taking the next step forward, no matter what.”

Michael Charles, a brand-new graduate of Cornell University, has always applied himself. But he hasn’t always been sure of his path in life. After graduating from Longmont Christian High School in Colorado, Charles, Navajo, hadn’t decided on a direction for his studies. “I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but realized that I have strong math and science skills,” he explains.

Ambitious and determined, Melissa Flamand isn’t afraid to set the bar high. Challenging academic programs, her parents, and her teachers have shaped her into the person she is today: a student who values hard work and is focused on her goals.

For Chayla Rowley, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, working as a civil engineer focusing on water provides an opportunity to develop solutions that are beneficial to both people and nature. “It’s thrilling to know I can continue my ancestors’ long tradition of nurturing the Earth so future generations may enjoy her blessings,” Rowley says. This philosophy, rooted in her ancestral culture, serves Rowley well in her role with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), working out of Steamboat Springs, Colo.

These days Trentin Russell, 17, watches the Cloquet Senior High School wrestling team from the sidelines, but he’s not uninvolved. Even though a shoulder injury keeps him from participating with his teammates, Russell does as much as he can — even if that means operating the scoreboard.

Solianna Herrera has finally found her passion, and through it she is determined to change the world. A recent graduate of the University of South Florida, Herrera is preparing for a future as an atmospheric scientist. She wants to make a difference in the environmental health of communities and have a hand in planning the earth’s energy budget for the sake of future generations.

Chad Lovett is happy to be back home in Fort Worth. Texas wasn’t exactly home to begin with, but it’s where, as a young adult, he began coming into his own. That was more than 20 years ago, but the recollections are still vivid. “You don’t necessarily know it at the time,” he explains, “but some of those early calls you make can really set you on your path.”

As a child living in a remote village in western Alaska, Kory Morris Francis Joe was enthralled by the stars. Stargazing was a therapeutic pastime for Joe, who would stare up at the night sky to distract himself from the alcoholism that plagued his family, and so many others, in his rural community. Today Joe, Yupik Eskimo and Asa’carsarmiut Tribe, is studying at Northern Arizona University to become a mechanical engineer in a space program. He uses his past as motivation for the future.