Fearless. That’s how one manager describes Nikki DuPuy in her role at General Motors (GM). From DuPuy’s point of view, she’s the proud product of a Navajo matriarchy that stressed the importance of higher learning, hard work, and self-sufficiency. “I knew early on that I would make my own way in life,” she says about growing up in Tuba City, Ariz., on the Navajo Reservation. “It’s never been about taking a traditional journey, but about finding the right path for me.”
“My grandmothers were nurses and teachers, and my mother always worked in an office with the tribe or the school,” DuPuy explains. “I saw myself going to work with a sense of purpose.” While she didn’t know exactly what that purpose would be, she kept her eyes wide open. There were the uncles who went into IT and engineers she met in high school through a summer AISES program. Later, there would be jobs sterilizing surgical tools and working at the local pharmacy. “Maybe I would go into health care or engineering, or maybe I would fix computers,” she recalls. “I knew I would figure it out.”
But some success stories can’t be rushed. DuPuy didn’t go to college right after high school. Instead, she worked to help take care of herself, her parents, and two younger siblings while eventually taking classes at Diné College. After earning her associate degree, she transferred to Northern Arizona University (NAU) to study computer information systems. In her senior year at NAU, DuPuy attended a career day panel. “That’s where I realized every company needs people who know how to use or fix computers — so I’m glad I stayed to listen.”
She stayed, she listened, and she interviewed — twice — with GM. Soon thereafter, DuPuy accepted a software developer job at the GM Arizona IT Innovation Center, a position they held open until she graduated. Two years later, she joined GM’s Quality Assurance team as a software test engineer. “I love this role because I can tap into my natural analytical skills to question requirements and ensure the utmost quality of our products,” she says. “I also love the energy and atmosphere. Everyone is eager to learn and grow — it fits with leadership’s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
In the early days of making her job a career, DuPuy learned that GM sponsors employee resource groups (ERGs ) organized around dimensions of diversity. “I didn’t see many Native Americans at our Arizona building, so I reached out and met Indigenous employees from other parts of the company through our Indigenous Peoples Network (IPN) ERG,” she explains. After joining the leadership council, she launched the first Arizona GM IPN chapter and surged into recruiting mode to assemble a core group of members, including a number of non-Indigenous allies.
Cut to 2022: DuPuy is known for her leadership at GM. When she’s not heading up Quality Assurance efforts with her trademark tenacity, she’s organizing annual back-to-school supply drives for Navajo schools. An AISES Sequoyah Fellow herself, DuPuy created a tour of her GM facility for members attending last year’s National Conference in Phoenix. “It was heartwarming to see Indigenous faces fill up the biggest conference rooms,” she observes. “Although I am one of a few Native Americans here, I know that I can bring my authentic self to work and educate others that we’re still here and we’re still thriving.” She looks forward to continually “giving back to Native communities, like we’re taught” while finding new ways to serve as a leader in both her IT and Indigenous worlds.
As she considers which ambitions to pursue next at GM, DuPuy is clear about the priorities that have served her well. “It is so important to grow horizontally by exploring other areas around you, so you’re ready to make good decisions when you move up,” she advises. “Also, network — not only to find mentors, but to be that mentor who can really make a difference for someone.” And what else does she want you to remember? “Self-care. You can’t pour from an empty cup. As Navajos say, T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego — it’s up to you (to live a good life).”
