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Native youth commonly face challenges to block their road to college. However, I am confident that all obstacles can be overcome. 20 youth currently enrolled in the 2015 Pitzer Pipeline are living examples of my statement. Many of us first handedly face obesity, alcoholism, diabetes, and other communal issues back home. We are the descendants of warriors who stood up to powers craving land, slaves, and outright colonization of indigenous peoples. The task at hand was to write about 5 things that can make it hard for Native American students to attend college. However, I am straying away from it with a purpose. This piece of work is dedicated to all Native youth who find themselves reading this. You already know the struggles; you live with them. I seek to motivate you to continue on. All human beings are walking on our Mother Earth for a reason, because all life is special. Listen. Share. Observe. Find your place in your community and love your people, for it is an important practice often times long forgotten. Our children need love, guidance, and more love. Simply acknowledging a person can change their life. Let us practice the old ways again. Tlatzocamate, Ela:kwa, Aho.

Things that might hold native youth from proceeding from college would be teen pregnancy. That is a lot more common then you think. I actually know a few people who have gotten pregnant at a young age. They still have a job and a place to live but they have struggled more than they should have. If you have the right mind set you can make it. Another thing that may hold you back from going to college would be not having enough money. Poverty is what mostly what affects the people from my rez anyway. Grades have a great affect on your opportunity to go to college. Being independent is also a big deal when leaving to college. Not everyone can just up and leave across the country. Sometimes it is difficult to leave home when you have certain responsibilities there such as taking care of siblings, supporting family and being a role model for my siblings.

Reflection:  Today was a great day I got to hear my friend sing. I got to meet some more new people and learn even more new things. I was thinking about how much i was going to learn within the whole time I’m here. I have already learned so mush and its only the second day.

5 things that can make it hard for Native American students to attend college:

1. lack of  educational support

2.people that are bad influences

3. When your family says they have no money and you feel like there are no other options

4.finding references for college apps.

5. when ants keep crawling on my arms

Reflection:

I had a tiring day, i had 6 hours  of sleep last night, I loved the speakers today, if i yawned a bunch I’m sorry!!!!!, I like to make people feel comfortable in the environment that they’re in. I liked having rose and those other two women speak about sex trafficing I love the topic, social justice. I learned a lot about a couple months ago. how things are unjustified and very justified. I like to watch for those types of things when I’m watching movies about social justice, I have a huge interest in that. well i hope everyone has a good night :)))))))))))))))))))))))))

My parents never completed college, my mom is working on it but is always busy with providing for my sisters and I. The five things that makes it difficult for Native American students to attend college would be: Loss of Hope, Alcohol and drugs, early pregnancies, dark pasts, and sometimes insecurities. These play major roles in everybody’s lives, which cause long term effects.

Today I felt a little homesick when Scott and many of the Lummi girls asked my sister and I to sing. I started to miss my older sister and I teared up while listening to the stories in our Cultural class, it made me think of the experiences my older sisters have been through, it made me feel worried and scared about their pasts, it also made me think that the choices I make decide my fate, because my 4 oldest sisters never went to college; they were hurt, became pregnant, and felt left out by my mom. Since my first, second, and fifth oldest sisters are working on their college degrees right now, i want to be able to be the fourth person in my family to receive an education in the major I want.

The classes we had today are becoming a lot more exciting, I feel way more energetic for the day because of our first class, which is Theatre. The Western U class was amazing because we got to research our tribes and investigate the diseases that killed off 90% of the Aboriginal people in the 1800s. It felt good to learn more things about my ancestors. I feel proud and honored to be a Native American.

Native youth are most of the time restrained of going to college because of financial problems. Yes, pretty much like a lot of students around the world, but many native youth that live in reservations are in deep poverty. Another reason is because they are often subject to discrimination for their native roots. I guess you can say it is a way that they are pushed down to not go to college. Native youth also fall into bad influences, of course not all native youth, but this eventually can lead to drugs or alcohol addictions. Another obstruction can be the level of education they receive at schools. And lastly, lack of support.

The day today started with a chill game of basketball. Which I really enjoyed because it got me active. Then followed breakfast and then the theater class. It was pretty cool meeting courage, Rose’s bird. Besides everything else I did throughout the day, the most interesting part of the day was the gathering we had with the guest speakers and the elders. It was an interesting conversation because it brought up new knowledge. And this time I did not fall asleep. Oh, and I also have to get along with the computers next time because no computer wanted to work for me. But, when someone else used it the computer worked just fine. Well that was my day.

Reasons that keep Native youth from not going to college.

1. Most natives are caught up in drugs and alcohol.

2. Financial reasons not having enough money to pay for tuition

3. not having the supports to push them to go to college

4. over all just being Native is kinda a barrier

5. having children at a young age and not having time

Today was a good day I liked hearing the stories of our guest speaker and our elder. It made me think that i should listen to my mom when she doesn’t want to to go out. it can be as easy as walking to the store and i may not come back. so i really liked the advice and stories they had to tell us.

5 reasons that make it hard for Native American students to attend college

1. A lack of encouragement and interpersonal support (emotional or financial) can cause a Native student not to pursue college or to drop out.
2. A lack of support from their family
3. stereotype
4. Drug and alcohol affect them
5. Having kids and effecting them and not having enough time to go to college

My day today was overall good. The best part of my day was when the two visitors than came today and talked about what’s happening today. I learned about that you have to respect yourself and be careful of your surroundings.

Reasons why its hard for Native American students to attend college is they don’t believe themselves. Even if they don’t get as many chances as White Students, they’re still given a lot of opportunities to change their life around. Another reason is that they are pulled into the wrong things, they don’t make their own paths but follow others into bad situations. Drugs and Alcohol is a big reason, whether they are doing these things to cover up pain or just for fun, its still hard to pull away from. Teen pregnancy maybe one reason, they have sex to young or don’t use protection. Having a child takes up most of your time, so its hard to have one and finish school at the same time. Definitely the Stereotypes about Native Americans, people not believing in young Native people can make them push their dreams away.

I had a wonderful day. Finally shared my voice with everyone. I have been in my singing box for a while and i’m glad everyone heard my song 🙂

5 things that can make it hard for Native American students to attend college

1. Culture shock, moving from one culture to a diverse or complete opposite culture.

2. Lack of educational support.

3. Lack of financial support.

4. Racial issues such as profiling.

5. Lack of emotional support and encouragement.

We started of our day with theatre. My highlight from theatre was the activity that we did with the animals because we didn’t have to communicate verbally to each other. The class after that was the Common App class. It was new to me because I have not gone over that application before, so I was excited to get a head start. The Western U programing was interesting because I researched a genetic disease for either side of my racial heritages. After that we listened to some guest speakers speak, and their stories were quite amazing. It made me reflect upon what I have personally seen in the streets, especially on the streets of Mexico City which is where half of my family is from.

Why it may be a challenge for a Native American student to attend college is because of money. Many Native American families struggle with having/saving money to pay for and to attend college. Young teens also might be addicted to alcohol and drugs. This keeps them from attending school, getting good grades, learning, and graduating high school. Dropping out of school is also another example, with students who don’t have a role model, leader, or mentor that has actually finished school and gone to college in their family/life, puts them in a position where they don’t feel the need to finish/go to school; they don’t think that it is necessary or important. Depression can steer more teens away from college/high school because many probably have been traumatized, bad past, family issues, home life is horrible, etc. Many things can distract young Native American students from seeing school as a goal in life. No support at home, or in their community is also another reason why it is hard for Native American students to attend college. They don’t feel motivated, they haven’t seen an example of a good life from going to college.

I really enjoy our morning theater class with Rose, I feel more awake and I get to bond with the other students. I also liked listening to Lauren, Rose, and Bingo in our Cultural class. It really opened my eyes more towards my future, learning that every decision I make can really impact it. Our college application class also really got me thinking more about what specific college I would like to attend to in the future. I’m also more excited about New York City because that is where I want to go to school for astronomy and astrophysics.