Montana Western graduate featured by Complete College America

Press release

Complete College America recently asked 20 graduates from across the country to “shed light on their college experiences, from their motivation for enrolling, to the people who kept them on track, from the books that left lasting impressions, to the things they already miss about campus.”

Established in 2009, Complete College America is an alliance of higher education institutions, including the Montana University System, working together to implement strategies to remove barriers and close achievement gaps so that all students can achieve their college dreams. Regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or familial educational achievement, CCA works to ensure equal opportunities to access and completion of a college education.

Montana Western graduate, Heidi DuBray, was featured as a student from the Montana University System on the CCA website and social media and shared her story.

In her interview, DuBray said that there were many reasons that getting a degree was important to her.

“I grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation and I come from a broken family, where drugs and alcohol were an everyday thing. Even as a child, I wanted more for myself and more for my people. I wanted change. I knew that change needed to start with me and that I needed to lead by example,” she said.

Currently teaching at Napi Elementary School in Browning, DuBray was able to apply her education to teaching in her community right away as part of a 2+2 education partnership program with Blackfeet Community College, Browning Public Schools and the University of Montana Western that allows indigenous teachers to complete their education degrees without leaving their local communities.

People can read more about Heidi and the other featured graduates by visiting the Complete College America website: completecollege.org/article/20for20-the-graduates .