TORTUGAS PUEBLO (TEWA AND APACHE)
Washington State University
ENTOMOLOGY
It’s a good thing I don’t mind getting stung. Having spent most of my adult life working with bees, getting stung is normal for me. From commercial beekeeping outfits to my own queen honey bee breeding farm, my love of bees runs deep. Now, as I look to complete my master’s degree in entomology at Washington State University (WSU), I’m well on my way to gaining the knowledge and experience I need to better support bees — and the planet.
Growing up in the Mesilla Valley of Las Cruces, New Mexico, I always felt a special connection to the land, just as my ancestors had before me. I grew up valuing a sense of place and purpose. My ancestors had learned to work with and care for their surroundings, and I knew I wanted to do the same.
My younger sister Kelly and I also learned the value of living in a town where everyone knows each other. Our mother had a reputation as an amazing teacher who had won regional and national awards. As a result, I always understood the importance of education. My mother told me once that “education will set you free.” Her reputation as a caring and inspiring teacher really motivated me to apply myself and value my education.
With that inspiration, I was able to excel in high school and believed my career path lay in the sciences, in particular marine biology. I initially pursued an undergraduate degree at the University of Miami in Florida. But I found that going to a school the size of my hometown — and so far away — made life difficult. I definitely had bouts of homesickness. I got lost in the crowd and felt like a number, so I reevaluated my options. I decided to enroll at St. John’s College in New Mexico, focusing on another of my passions — ceramics and the arts — and I completed my undergraduate degree in historical philosophy, fine arts, and literature.
Because I needed financial assistance for my undergraduate education, I decided to put off graduate school for a few years. Instead, I joined the Peace Corps and got my first introduction to working with insects. When I was stationed in Paraguay as a beekeeping extensionist, I knew I had found my true calling. I became fascinated with rural development, food systems, agroecology, and how pollinators are such an integral part of biodiversity on our planet.
Because I needed financial assistance for my undergraduate education, I decided to put off graduate school for a few years. Instead, I joined the Peace Corps and got my first introduction to working with insects.
I went on to spend almost a decade working for several commercial beekeeping outfits before starting my own queen honey bee breeding farm back in New Mexico. After 20 years in the field, I decided it was finally time to pursue my graduate degree. At the time, I was also working as a lab tech for New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Alcalde Sustainable Research Center. My manager there, Dr. Shengrui Yao, encouraged me to pursue an advanced degree. Then, I met Dr. Walter Sheppard, the chair of the Entomology Department at WSU, at a beekeeping conference. He was able to secure grant funding for me to enroll.
The decision to go to WSU was possible only with the support of my family. I feel so blessed that my mother and sister offered to move to Washington with me to help with my children. Without their support I wouldn’t have been able to focus on my studies.
But with their support, I’m thriving. I’ve been awarded a Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship to travel to Spain this fall, combining both my love of bees and ceramics. I will be researching bee breeding behavior with endemic strains of honey bees, and I will also be chronicling the relationship between clay and apiculture.
I hope to use these experiences to reach my ultimate goal of serving as a translator and helping build the bridge between the field and academia. If I can help quantify farmers’ experiences, then their efforts can be better understood by scientists, and scientists can then recognize and better support farmers’ questions and needs. As a farmer and scientist myself, I’m well situated to help these two groups unify their knowledge.
I am so very glad that the bees found me way back when. They have led me on a wondrous journey that has had me shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears but nonetheless, has really made me appreciate the insect world and all they do for our planet.
My hope is that others will hear my story and not be afraid to pursue their own passions. I’m afraid of regret, and I’m more afraid of not trying than trying. I push myself to try new things, and that’s how I found my true calling. I want others to recognize that their paths aren’t always clear or linear, and they’re not set in stone. And sometimes, changing direction is the best choice. Don’t be afraid to try — you can always change course!
— As told to Alexa Panza
OJIBWAY FROM MISSISSAUGA FIRST NATION
Queen’s University
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
I grew up in Ontario, Canada, on Mississauga First Nation, a small reserve next to a little town called Blind River. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to go into the health care field, but I wasn’t sure what would be the best fit for me. I did know I wanted to help people, and to hopefully return to my community later on.
My family was always, and still is, supportive of my education. They encouraged me to study something that I was interested in and passionate about. Although I had to explain what biochemistry is and why I wanted to study it nearly every time I went home, they were supportive.
During high school, I loved math and studying science, specifically chemistry and biology. One of my teachers mentioned that I would be good in biochemistry, so after looking into different programs, I decided to listen to my teacher’s advice and picked biochemistry as my undergraduate major at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. I liked the school so much I decided to stay there to do my master’s in occupational therapy.
I’ve been able to combine my love of science with my passion for working with children through Aboriginal Access to Engineering, traveling to Indigenous communities near Kingston to introduce children to STEMM.
Moving eight hours away from home, a super small town, to a large (in my eyes) city took some adjusting, but it quickly became “home” after I found a good support system. In my first year of university, I signed up to have a mentor and was paired with a first-year medical student. She first introduced me to occupational therapy. The more I learned, the more I was interested in pursuing a career in this field.
During my second year, I was taking mandatory courses to complete my degree, including some challenging chemistry courses and a statistics course. I was not satisfied with my overall grade in the statistics course and decided to retake it during the summer. I studied the online videos, repeated the practice problems, and reached out when I needed extra guidance. This allowed me to significantly improve my grade and better understand the material.
Knowing that I have everyone’s support back home, and how I just want to make them proud, really helps me get through the hard times and pushes me to do my best. I also want to show the youth in my community that it’s possible to study STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) — and I want to show them the many opportunities available.
Throughout my years at Queen’s, I was able to participate in various volunteer activities. I introduced young girls to STEMM with WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), mentored a first-year Indigenous student with Q-Success, worked with an at-risk child as a Kaleidoscope mentor, assisted a senior with MS on how to use technology for the Cyber Senior Project, and with Revved Up, facilitated an adaptive exercise program for people with mobility impairments and developmental disabilities.
Every summer since high school, I’ve also worked at day camps.
Through working with Indigenous communities for the past seven years, I was able to be actively involved with not just my own community, but other Indigenous communities as well. Being an Indigenous person in a STEMM field, I understood that there was, and still is, a need to engage young Indigenous children in culturally relevant science and technology activities. For the past three years, I’ve been able to combine my love of science with my passion for working with children through Aboriginal Access to Engineering, traveling to Indigenous communities near Kingston to introduce children to STEMM.
My most memorable volunteer activity was with the SkateABLE program, where I taught children with disabilities to skate. Watching the kids have fun, develop independence, and progress in their skating genuinely resonated with me. It opened my eyes to how I can make a meaningful impact on someone’s life, which further confirmed my reason for pursuing a career in occupational therapy.
After the 2017 AISES National Conference in Denver, a few of us started the Queen’s AISES College Chapter (Q-AISES). The first year I was involved as the senior director of outreach, and last year, I was one of the co-presidents.
Once I complete my education, I hope to practice occupational therapy. One thing I hope to accomplish in the future is to combine Indigenous traditional teachings and medicines with techniques learned through the occupational therapy program to help not only Indigenous people, but other populations as well.
For students who are about to go to college, I would say don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, from friends, family, or professors. They are all there to help you and really do want you to succeed. Also, be sure to make time for self-care: catching up with friends, smudging, getting exercise, setting aside time to watch one episode on Netflix, etc. Another important thing is to step outside your comfort zone to try new experiences, even when they seem scary. It’s the only way to grow as a person and to learn new things — even if you end up not liking them, now you know!
— As told to Kyle Coulon