Scholarship fund supports Native American grad students

Izzy Yasana, a member of the Klamath Modoc tribe in Oregon, has always wanted to earn a graduate degree, but she didn’t have the time and couldn’t afford it. Her husband is an elementary school physical education teacher; she was working full time at Nike Inc. They wanted to save money to support their growing family.

“We’re just trying to survive over here,” she said. She remembers asking herself, “How do I gather that funding? I don’t have the means to be able to have a family and follow my academic dreams.”

By Sara Weissman

Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, greets participants at an American Indigenous Business Leaders conference.