Scott Willie, a member of the Navajo Nation
tribe and a first-generation college student, had a difficult start in his path
to a higher education. When he first began attending college in his home state of
New Mexico, he found himself baffled by simple questions such as, “When and how
do you tell your professor that you have to miss class?”
Additionally, Willie struggled with
financial hurdles that prevented him from attending college for a short time. “I
had to choose between going to school and buying food,” he explains.
Through hard work, Willie ultimately
overcame his early challenges as a college student. He moved to Utah in 2016,
and he is now an SLCC student majoring in biology. Willie is also currently
working as a program coordinator for a University of Utah study that seeks to
determine why Native Americans are more susceptible to certain diseases,
including diabetes, obesity and kidney failure.
Willie credits his success, in part,
to being awarded a Zumbro Family Scholarship. The Zumbro Family Scholarship offers two
awards annually of $2,500 each to SLCC Native American students who are members
of a Utah tribe and are working to obtain a two-year degree.
As part of his future plans, Willie
has decided he wants to focus on public health issues so he can help others in
his Native American community, many of whom don’t have access to health care
services. “My grandmother, who is a healer in my community, helped me to
understand that I want to help people,” he says. “The Zumbro Family Scholarship
will help me to complete my educational plan.”
Willie is also glad to be at a diverse
school such as SLCC, and he believes he benefits from learning at an
institution that knows how to serve underrepresented populations and
first-generation students. “SLCC helps students to see themselves as leaders
and problem solvers in their communities,”
he says.
Willie has some words of advice for his fellow
first-generation college students who are attending SLCC:
·
Talk to your family and let them know you want
to be a college student and pursue your own dreams and goals.
·
Meet with your advisors and counselors to let
them know about your circumstances and any obstacles you may be facing in your
school or home life.
·
Find groups and organizations you’d like to join
to make your college experience more meaningful.