| State University of New Mexico
For any student leaving their rural hometown to study in a larger city far away, the transition can be difficult. Making new friends and finding a sense of belonging in a new place isn’t always easy – and for many Native American students leaving a deeply ingrained, close-knit community is a big change.
Of the approximately 14,200 students at New Mexico State University, around 2.3 percent identify as Indians or Native Americans. At the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, Indian Resource Development works to connect tribes, corporations, high schools, colleges, and universities across New Mexico and create career paths through camps, internships, and economic development programs. NMSU’s American Indian Program also offers services and resources to help local students adjust to the diverse campus and achieve success in their studies.
Two native students from the College of ACES found this togetherness through the mentors, clubs, and organizations that turn a department into a community.
Rachel Ann Livingston
Diné student Rachel Ann Livingston grew up in the small community of Baahaali, also known as Bread Springs, New Mexico, south of Gallup. Livingston, who is expected to complete her bachelor’s degree in fish, wildlife and conservation ecology with an emphasis on aquatic ecology and management in December, said her deeply rooted native background made it difficult at times as a student in the more urban area of Las. to be successful crosses.
“When I got to NMSU, I had just moved away from home five hours,” she said. “I had no other connections besides Dr. Colleen Caldwell, who hired me as a working student in the fish laboratory. “
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In Caldwell’s laboratory, Livingston met a new friend, another student with Diné roots, who invited her to join the student groups of the Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society.
“When I walked into the classroom where the meeting was taking place, it was full of laughter – just like at home,” she said. “Everyone knew each other, and even if they didn’t, they still welcomed you. I made a lot of connections here and it was easier to connect with other students in the classroom. The department and joining the student club gave me a sense of community that I had missed since leaving home. “
Livingston was also able to network with other local students in her department – an easy task with the chatty bunch.
“The opportunity to connect with local friends was great – they understand somewhat the struggles you face,” she said. “When someone understands you without actually telling them, it seems a little more relaxing.”
With a view to graduation, Livingston hopes to either work for the Navajo Nation’s Fish and Wildlife Division or continue her education with a degree in a new major. Her work as a student assistant on the American Indian Business Enterprise Program – a partnership between the NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and the IRD – has sparked an interest in environmental economics that she is considering.
Whatever her path, Livingston wants to make sure she works outdoors and gives back to the young people in her community by helping them find their own career path.
Elizabeth Riley
Elizabeth Riley began her majoring in Environmental Studies last fall with a minor in Native American Studies. As a registered member of the Pueblo of Laguna, Riley traces her roots to the Jemez Pueblo and Navajo and Oneida tribes.
Moving across state to start college during a global pandemic, Riley faced additional challenges as she mastered the freshman experience of living on campus in Las Cruces.
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“Because of the pandemic, it has been difficult to find and connect with other Native American students warning us not to stay two meters apart,” Riley said. “The online meetings are not for me, and as a student who prefers to be in class and interact with the professors and other students, I had to adapt quite a bit.”
Still, she said the NMSU was her first choice when applying to colleges, in part because of the sense of belonging she experienced during her campus visit – something that no other campus she attended appeared to offer.
On campus, Riley became the manager of the women’s basketball team and found a position as a student assistant in the College of ACES Academic Programs office.
“Since I started working there in October, I’ve found plenty of resources that have helped me tremendously, be it the study rooms at Gerald Thomas Hall, socializing with people in my program, or getting to know New Die Mexico State University and all it has to offer, ”she said.
Looking at graduate school after her bachelor’s degree, Riley sees young Native Americans like her as the problem solvers of the future.
“I’m the first in my family to want a STEM degree,” she said, “and I hope it inspires not just the younger ones in my family, but everyone around me.”
Amanda Bradford writes for Marketing and Communications for New Mexico State University and can be reached at 575-646-3223 or email ambradfo@nmsu.edu.
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source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/native-students-find-a-community-in-nmsus-college-of-aces/
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