Fifteen UMN Morris students in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) student organization on campus were able to attend the 2023 AISES National Conference in Spokane, WA, the largest college and career fair geared to Indigenous students. The opportunity for UMN Morris students to attend was made possible with the support of the UMM Salt Springs Endowment American Indian Student Travel Fund and the American Indian Advisory Committee (AIAC)'s approval. Of the group from UMN Morris who attended, the majority were first-year students.
“It was amazing for such a large group of students to be able to attend the conference,” said liz thomson, interim associate vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at UMN Morris. “[T]he AISES co-chairs… shined in their student leadership skills, working with the chancellor, AIAC, and a variety of staff members.”
In addition to interacting with Native elders and other Native students and AISES members, UMN Morris students were able to learn about career, internship, and education opportunities.
“I learned valuable public speaking skills and how to network professionally,” said Taylor Waukazo ‘26, White Earth Band of Ojibwe, AISES Region 5 national representative and co-chair of AISES at UMN Morris.
Students were able to network on site with workforce professionals and develop their job-seeking skills through interview coaching, resume creation, and career planning.
“[T]this was a great opportunity to allow Native youth to see what is out there,” said Cree Anoka-Brito ‘26, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, co-chair of AISES at UMN Morris.