Supporting Their C ommunity

By Chris Eboch

In our modern world, young people with advanced technology skills have bright futures. The challenge is making sure students from every background can access that future. Underrepresented students have unique struggles, but peer support and professional guidance can help them succeed. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society—known as AISES—is a professional society focused on increasing the representation of Indigenous people of North America and the Pacific Islands in STEM studies and careers.

STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is sometimes called STEAM, with an added A for art. Employees with these skills are in high demand but often in short supply, and job opportunities are expected to keep growing. Proponents say these programs teach creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be valuable in many career fields and other aspects of life.

According to AISES, students do best when started on the STEM pathway early. Parents and educators need STEM-related information and resources to support learning. AISES helps Indigenous students by offering programs and services for precollege, college and graduate students. The organization provides scholarships, professional mentorships, peer support and the Winds of Change magazine, which shares profiles and tips.

Byron Whitehorse, a staff adviser to the AISES chapter at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, speaks highly of the program.

“AISES has provided multiple opportunities for students to network, gain internship experience, provide scholarships and, most importantly, provide NMT Native students with a club with other students who share the same experiences and struggles,” he says.

New Mexico is part of AISES Region 3, which covers the American Southwest. The New Mexico Tech chapter has grown since the rise of the pandemic, providing connection in a time of isolation.

Students from the Tech AISES chapter hosted the university’s first-ever Native American Heritage Day last November.

“Indigenous students who attend New Mexico Tech come from areas where the communities are mostly Indigenous,” Byron says. “So, customs and traditions are vastly different when these students leave these areas.”

AISES helps students meet others who understand that background. Jonnie Alisha Woody, vice president of the New Mexico Tech chapter, is from Shiprock in the Navajo Nation.

“AISES is such an uplifting and exciting family to be a part of,” she says. “AISES has provided me areas where I can network and gain mentors and learn about opportunities.”

Jonnie is a senior majoring in biomedical sciences, planning to become a pediatric oncologist. She has been involved with AISES since eighth grade, when her middle school teacher had her work on electric cars.

“Being an Indigenous student can be hard,” says Jonnie, who is of the Salt people and born for the Bitter Water people. “I feel ashamed that I don’t learn my culture as much as my education. I feel overly privileged for the life I live off the reservation and the opportunities I receive. And I also feel sometimes I am just not smart enough or talented enough to be here. Being away from my culture and my family is hard, especially now that generational tides are turning, and my elders are starting to pass on to the next life.”

Participating in AISES helps keep her connected to her culture as well as her education and professional goals. Jonnie was one of eight AISES students from the Tech chapter who attended the 2022 AISES National Conference in California.

“You go and there are professionals, elders, and peers that encourage you,” she says. “The wisdom and guidance I once received, I now have to live on my own and learn to help the next generation. AISES is a place where many indigenous professionals and students understand or have insight. You get to see their wins and successes and it makes me feel more than capable to be a pediatric oncologist someday.”

While at the national conference, AISES students from Tech successfully competed to host the 2023 AISES Region 3 conference in Socorro. Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint is partnering on this conference, which was held March 24 to 26. By bringing the AISES Region 3 conference to Socorro, the Tech chapter hopes to inspire more Indigenous young people to attend the school.

“New Mexico Tech is surrounded by many proud tribes, like Isleta Pueblo, Alamo Navajo, and Mescalero Apache,” Jonnie says. “I hope this brings these students to Tech and encourages them to pursue a degree. I hope this event erases any hesitation any student might have about their ability to be a STEM professional.”

They only had a few months to plan the conference. The AISES student club has the support of staff and faculty at New Mexico Tech and Navajo Technical University, but the students did much of the work.

“Our biggest challenge is balancing our time for our club growth, our own educational goals, our own financial goals and our personal priorities, such as our families,” Jonnie says. “We are securing speaker positions, co-organizing events with Women’s History Month and working to find different ways to fundraise. The event is coming together.”

The New Mexico students looked forward to hosting an inspiring conference for students from Arizona, Utah, and Colorado as well as throughout New Mexico. Attendees could learn about STEM opportunities and find support for their educational and career growth. Jonnie’s goal was for attendees to leave feeling excited about where they can go.

While an annual conference brings students and experts from the region together, the campus groups help maintain those bonds throughout the year. Indigenous students aren’t the only ones who face obstacles in education, so the AISES chapter partners with different groups in underserved communities. Together these groups hope to increase diversity in the STEM field while allowing students to find career success and fulfillment.

“We have our own close-knit AISES community on campus,” Jonnie says. “We help one another, and we work towards our goals together.”