When Laura Smith-Velazquez was eight years old, her parents got her a telescope. The dark sky over Dorr, Mich., made for the perfect laboratory for Smith-Velazquez, an especially curious child. “I was fascinated with the sky,” she recalls. “It was so beautiful and I had so many questions.” 

One of Frances Dupris’ fondest childhood memories is having chicken pox. No, it wasn’t because the illness was fun. Rather, what she remembers with such nostalgia is that having chicken pox meant that she got to spend an extended period of time with her grandmother, Louise Eagle Tail Quick Bear, and great-grandmother, Rebecca Quick Bear, who took care of her while she was sick.

When Sandra Begay was an 11-year-old attending boarding school, she knew she wanted a career in engineering. It wasn’t that she was taking an engineering course in elementary school, but rather it was when she realized there was a problem that could be solved. 

When Brendan Kinkade was a young kid growing up in Oklahoma and Texas, he wanted to know how things work — a concept he now refers to as “practical physics.” At the time, though, the pursuit of practical physics translated into completely taking apart and then reassembling motorbike engines on his back patio. “Every screw and washer had a place, and if you deconstruct things, you have to know how they go back into place,” says Kinkade. “It taught me to be systematic and process-oriented. And to understand that there are many pieces that make up the whole.”

The countdown is on. It’s almost time for the AISES National Conference, an annual highlight for thousands of Indigenous professionals throughout North America and beyond. The conference will be making its virtual debut on a 100 percent online platform, giving participants new ways to make the most of three action-packed days. This year’s all-virtual format will include opening and closing ceremonies, a keynote address, a talking circle, expert-led topical sessions, research presentations, mixers, and Indian Country’s largest College and Career Fair. 

We’ve all heard it: workplace feedback, constructive or otherwise. Sometimes we’re expecting it, and sometimes we’re not. Whatever the circumstances, receiving criticism — or praise, for that matter — is a significant skill that can almost always be improved by applying some thought and practice. With companies and organizations spending millions every year on employee engagement programs — and workplace engagement levels at a record high in the United States — feedback conversations are in your work life to stay.

A vital facet of the AISES network is its growing number of AISES Professional Chapters. These affiliate organizations offer support and opportunities to members nationwide as they navigate their career paths. The chapters’ ongoing activities and contributions at the local level are the grass-roots foundation of the AISES mission. From serving as role models to helping their communities and organizing professional development events, AISES Professional Chapter members are leading advocates for the advancement of Native students and professionals.

Many people hate networking — myself included. I find it difficult, anxiety provoking, and stress inducing. If you’re like me, there are a hundred other things you’d rather be doing, but that doesn’t mean networking isn’t an important skill. While it may never become something you love, approaching strangers can become something you can do with relative ease. Here are a few things to remember as you learn to network like a pro.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Face to Face

It’s that time: Your performance review is coming up. Whether your review takes place once a year or more often, it’s not unusual to have some apprehension about the event.

When Steven Just takes stock of his high school experience, he admits that because of some personal struggles, he did not achieve the highest grades or have the best attendance. In fact, sometimes he clashed with the principal and teachers. But the advice he gives today — even to students who aren’t enjoying high school — is apply to college. “College is so different from high school,” he points out, “and you can choose to study subjects that you find interesting.”