CWC STUDENT EARNS LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION AT NATIONAL SUMMIT

Central Wyoming College student Zariah June has won the Rising Leader award for active participation in the American Indians in Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Leadership Summit.

AISES supports pre-college, college, university, tribal and professional chapters in the U.S. and Canada. The organization highlights geographic, economic and social aspects of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers in order to broaden the work force.

The summit took place April 12, in Pechanga, California.

CWC professor of American Indian Studies Dr. Tarissa Spoonhunter paired with University of Wyoming Native American Program advisor Reinette Tendore to create a sister chapter.

At the leadership summit, June represented CWC alongside Spoonhunter, alumni Albert Mason and Royal Wells, and several University of Wyoming students.

AISES participants chose June for the Rising Leader Award based on her active voice in various conference sessions during the summit.

Spoonhunter said the summit was a helpful opportunity for June.

“This gave her leadership skills and practices, along with networking to internship opportunities and networking to other Indigenous STEM students in the U.S. and Canada,” she said.

June also attended the AISES annual conference in September in Phoenix, where she received the Aldinger Foundation Fellowship for women in STEM.

Spoonhunter said she hopes the chapter’s involvement in AISES and other organizations will complement efforts to streamline STEM pathways for students as they continue their education.

CWC and UW offered data science workshops and used a National Science Foundation grant sub-award to partner with the Northern Arapaho and Shoshone tribal historic preservation offices, Tribal Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Eastern Shoshone Bison Restoration Program.

With a mission to transform lives and strengthen communities through learning, leadership and connection, Central Wyoming College offers two bachelor’s degrees, 58 associate degrees and 10 certificates. The college includes a main campus in Riverton, an outreach center and the Alpine Science Institute in Lander, as well as outreach centers in Jackson and Dubois. Central Wyoming College is a designated Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution (NASNTI) and serves the largest American Indian student population in Wyoming.