Eight students in grades 7-12 sat in a circle, discussing how to prepare for college. While discussing what excited each student most about college, Kiana Montero, an 11th-grader in the White Mountain Apache Tribe, spoke up.
“The new people and opportunities,” Montero said confidently.
Montero is one of 300 American Indian students from across Arizona who participated in the RECHARGE conference Monday on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. The daylong conference engaged students in a conversation about college readiness with topics ranging from financial aid to academic preparedness.
For Montero, the conference provided her with an opportunity to learn about the college process.
“My parents didn’t go to college, and I want to be the first in my family to graduate from college,” said Montero.
Programs such as the RECHARGE conference serve an important role empowering American Indian students to attend college. The conference provides resources about higher education to students who might not otherwise receive this information.
“Many of the students here would be first-generation college students,” said Michael Begaye, director of the American Indian Student Support Services at ASU. “They often need guidance to navigate the complicated maze of forms and applications for college, financial aid, scholarships, etc.”
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Chaperone Delphine Begay (right) and seventh-grade ASU Preparatory student Sophia Murphy speak with students representing Barret, The Honors College during the RECHARGE conference Jan. 25 in Tempe. The conference works to empower Native American students in grades 7-12 to take charge of their education and invest in their future and community.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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ASU student Junior Allison (left) of Barrett, The Honors College chats with Julia Villain (center) and Kianne Burrough during the RECHARGE conference.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Dr. Bryan Brayboy of the Office of American Indian Initiatives speaks to students during the RECHARGE conference at the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Students take a look at their "rankings" before an exercise in learning how habits can lead to success in college Jan. 25.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Students determine what kind of field they would like to work with during the RECHARGE conference.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Hannah Reyes-Carmelo dips her hand in the fountain during a tour of ASU's Tempe campus for the RECHARGE conference.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Participants in the RECHARGE conference tour the Tempe campus with tour leader and psychology sophomore Rebecca Sustayta on Jan. 25.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
Today, fewer than 1 percent of all college students in the United States are of American Indian descent; fewer than 13 percent of all American Indians earn a college degree.
Efforts to raise college enrollment among disadvantaged groups are central to ASU President Michael Crow’s goal of increasing the number of college graduates in Arizona. Increasing the number of college graduates also has significant economic benefits, yielding an additional $660,000 for the state economy per graduate.
Already, ASU is taking strides to increase American Indian enrollment with efforts geared toward helping students succeed in college. Through specialized programs — such as the SPIRIT orientation program, which helps American Indian students adjust to life in college — and unique peer mentoring opportunities, ASU strives to ensure that its American Indian students have access to resources that promote their academic and emotional well-being.
Through these efforts, ASU has an American Indian enrollment rate of 1.6 percent, a rate that is 70 percent higher than the national average.
For Begaye, he is excited that he can help educate a new generation of American Indian students like Montero, who wants to use her education to help her community in a health-care capacity.
“I strive for better things,” said Montero. “I want to do even more, and that’s why I want to be a pediatrician.”
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