Graduation day…

today is officially the last day of the pipe line, 2 weeks came and went ridiculously fast. I enjoyed every minute of this experience, the students and staff members have become FAMILY to me :] after having spent 2 entire weeks together I feel like we have established a bond that is NEVER to be broken. During my time spent here at Pitzer as a mentor, I have learned a lot about myself, we have had several amazing speakers, I must say the ones who had the biggest impact on me were Adrian Pantoja and a gentleman by the name of Hector. Adrian spoke about immigration, this topic really hit home, a lot of times I tend to take opportunities and a lot of other things for granted. Immigrants come to the United States for opportunities, whether it be money or an education, I am blessed to be where I am today and to have accomplished everything I have accomplished thus far in my short 23 years of life. Hector spoke about seeking and fulfilling our purpose here on this earth. I currently hold a bachelor of science degree in Anthropology with an emphasis on Cultural Resource Management as well as a minor in Native American studies, prior to coming to this program I was having a hard time trying to figure out what it is I wanted to study in Graduate school, I now know that…I want to pursue a Masters degree and PhD in American Indian studies with and emphasis on tribal law. It is my way of giving back to the Native community, as well as my way of saying “Thank You” to my ancestors- those who came before me, the ones who laid the foundation for my existence. On a different note, one of the highlights of the program was a day trip to Universal Studios in which we were able to go behind the scenes of movie sets and were able to talk to important executive people who work in the media industry, they talked about the importance of Networking, a lot of times your chances at being successful are increased/facilitated based on who you know! We also had an all access pass to the theme park, all the students and mentors got to ride on the attractions for a few hours, it was soooo much fun, all of the participants in the program, mentors and students alike were able to connect and interact with one another on a personal level. My favorite part of the program was our time spent at the Southwest Museum. It provided the students with insight on the field of Anthropology and emphasized the importance of preserving our heritage/culture for future generations. I also got to see 2 personal friends of mine who are employees of the museum, Karimah Kennedy and Liliam Posadas :] I have not seen them since we worked together doing archaeological fieldwork on Catalina Island last summer! On a final note, I vow to promote and perpetuate my culture today, tomorrow and always! I will use my degrees to fight social injustices within Native American communities ❤