Local students recognized at American Indian College Fund ceremony

Press release

Four local students were recognized at a ceremony held Sunday in Minneapolis by the American Indian College Fund.

Alexis Bigby of Aaniiih Nakoda College and Jazmyne Torres of Stone Child College were among the students named 2023-24 Tribal College Students of the Year and Lyle Stiffarm of Aaniiih Nakoda College and Kaycee Chiefstick of Stone Child College were named 2023-24 Coca-Cola First-Generation Scholars.

The American Indian College Fund honored 35 Tribal College and University — TCU — Students of the Year and 35 Coca Cola First-Generation Scholars at the ceremony held Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Charles M. Roessel, Ph.D., president of Diné College, was named the College Fund’s 2023-24 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year.

“We are so proud of our students who are representative of the amazing and talented students who attend our tribal higher education institutions,” American Indian College Fund President and CEO Cheryl Crazy Bull. “Our values and vision are reflected in each of them. We look forward to all the ways that they will continue to contribute to the self-determination and wellbeing of our Tribes and families.”

The Adolph Coors Foundation sponsors both the Tribal College and University Students of the Year and the Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year. Each tribal college and university selects one student to represent their institution and the College Fund selects the TCU president honoree. Students receive a $1,200 scholarship and the president is awarded a $1,200 honorarium.

The Coca-Cola Foundation provides scholarships for first-generation Native students who attend a TCU. The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded almost $3.6 million in scholarship support to the College Fund since 1990 to assist more than 500 students with their college education. Students can reapply to the scholarship each year if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average and are active in campus and community life.

The other 2023-24 Tribal College Students of the Year are:

Bay Mills Community College — Alysandra Gonzales-Flora

Blackfeet Community College — Gwynne E. White Quills

Cankdeska Cikana Community College Tyrese Leaf

Chief Dull Knife College — Jozette Limpy

College of Menominee Nation — Chenoa Webster

College of the Muscogee Nation — James Gray

Diné College — Gwyneth Shorty

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Anthony Sam

Fort Peck Community College — Gib Medicine Cloud

Haskell Indian Nations University — Justine Butterfield

Ilisagvik College — Vincent Elkins

Institute of American Indian Arts — Isabella Edmo

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Rachel Ritchie

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University — Andre’Anna Acosta

Leech Lake Tribal College — Darrin Brown Jr.

Little Big Horn College — Kayle Addison

Little Priest Tribal College — Denise Milford

Navajo Technical University — Layla James

Nebraska Indian Community College — Jiah Marks

Northwest Indian College — Karla Miller

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College — Kacey Murdock

Oglala Lakota College — Austin Red Dog

Red Lake Nation College — Angeline Harris

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College — Tamara Lawson

Salish Kootenai College — Bryce Norling

Sinte Gleska University — Michal Beardt

Sisseton Wahpeton College — Jana Isburg

Sitting Bull College — Elena Rodriguez

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute — Dominique Bluehorse

Tohono O’odham Community College — Ashley Mccreery

Turtle Mountain Community College — Aaliyah Selburg

United Tribes Technical College — Jennifer Fragua

White Earth Tribal and Community College — Lauri Zupan

The other 2023-24 Coca-Cola First-Generation Scholars are:

Bay Mills Community College — Oona Burton

Blackfeet Community College — Brandi Harwood

Cankdeska Cikana Community College Marissa Baer

Chief Dull Knife College — Kyla Kwandibens

College of Menominee Nation — Melissa Wescott

College of the Muscogee Nation — Deidre Yarbrough

Diné College — Vanesha Cleveland

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Anthony Sam

Fort Peck Community College — Sherry Ross

Haskell Indian Nations University — Tilda Hubbell

Ilisagvik College — Kacey Woodruff

Institute of American Indian Arts — Brianna Waukau

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe Community College — Gabrielle Picciano

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University Desmund Lapointe

Leech Lake Tribal College — Torrey Kingbird

Little Big Horn College — Dvera Tolbert

Little Priest Tribal College — Dawn Makesstrongmove

Navajo Technical University — Rebecca Yazzie

Nebraska Indian Community College — Bridgette Hoshont’Omba (Jameson)

Northwest Indian College — Julie Bosch

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College — Cassandra Hopkins

Oglala Lakota College — Conner Roubideaux

Oglala Lakota College — Summer Afraid Of Hawk

Red Lake Nation College — Kyleisha Garrigan

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College — Ayla Sisco

Salish Kootenai College — Bobbi Brooks

Sinte Gleska University — Sunshine Brings Plenty

Sisseton Wahpeton College — Dora Jones

Sitting Bull College — Nicholas Peters

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Audrey Weebothee Magdalena

Tohono O’odham Community College — Christy Mcgaughey

Turtle Mountain Community College — Quentin Brien

United Tribes Technical College — DaSean Marquese