Message from the President Continued from page 5
• The Gates Millennium Scholars program sponsors Alternative Spring Break, which brings together 50 Gates Scholars from various college and universities each year to engage in a weeklong community service trip. Participants are exposed to different cultures and ideas, and are challenged to demonstrate initiative, teamwork, leadership and the rewards of lending a helping hand. (See the story in this issue.) These are just a few of the many programs that we should encourage our young people to explore. The bottom line is that Native youth-serving organizations are doing more than enriching the educational experience. They are preserving culture, instilling confidence in our youth to set and achieve goals, providing perspective from other cultures and arming the next generation with skills to succeed in their schooling and beyond. I am equally encouraged by the Indian youth participating in these programs. Their spirit and energy is
inspiring. Their curiosity and willingness to listen and learn is humbling. They approach these experiences with open hearts and minds and leave with profound gains in culture, education, social awareness, mental advancement, and worldly perspectives. Our future, I’m certain, is in very good hands. I would like to take this opportunity to inform the readers that this is my last Message from the President and say “farewell” to all. I have enjoyed my term and would like to welcome the new President of the AIGC Board of Directors, Grayson Noley. I wish him the best in his endeavors to take AIGC into the future! Welcome to new board members, Joel Frank and Walter Lamar and congratulations to newly elected Vice-President Melanie Fritzsche and SecretaryTreasurer Rose Graham. Thank you to all members of the AIGC Board and staff for their dedication and hard work for higher education of American Indian and Alaska Native students! ✦
The American Indian Graduate
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