I’m the first in my family to attend university. Early on, my parents told me how much school would help me in the future, but I never really thought of going to college after high school. I thought I would find a job somewhere around Shiprock, N.M., and maybe take a few classes at San Juan College, a local community college. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that two Teach for America teachers opened my eyes to my full academic potential. They challenged me in AP Calculus and Honors Chemistry and helped me apply to several colleges and scholarships.

When I was six years old, my older sister bought me a toy microscope. The first thing we did was prick her finger so we could look at a drop of blood under the microscope. 

For most students, the prerequisites for academic success include more than intro courses. To do well in a rigorous campus environment, students need a strong safety net of support that includes like-minded friends, effective mentors, and cultural affirmation. 

The student debt crisis has been in the headlines lately, and for good reason. Student loans are now second only to mortgages as the country’s principal category of consumer debt. There are more than 44 million student borrowers with a total of $1.45 trillion in debt — the average graduate from the class of 2016 entered the workforce with more than $37,000 in student loans.

I grew up in Eagle Butte, a small town on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I’m Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. My home consisted of my parents, four siblings, many cousins, and friends. My parents have huge hearts and always welcomed children into our home.

I grew up on the Hoopa Indian Reservation in Northern California for the first part of my childhood, then I moved to Karuk territory, specifically the Katamiin region, when I was in sixth grade. The town is very remote. Although the city’s sign says it has a population of 250, I swear I’ve never seen 250 people there before!