Candice Yazzie

For the past two years, I attended the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) as a Buder Scholar and a SAGE recipient. As a Buder Scholar, scholarship programs supported me financially and academically in pursuit of a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree. This is very rare for any Native American woman to accomplish, and I feel fortunate to have done so. During the course of my two-year program, I have learned that one out of every three American Indian women will become a victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse.  For the past two years, I have focused on Native American issues and challenges.

As a practicum student at Haskell Indian Nations University Counseling Center, I gained work experience as a social worker and counselor of Native American students in an
academic setting. Most of the students I worked with came from different federally-recognized tribes, families, backgrounds, and cultures. I became aware of the challenges Native American students experience while away from home at a higher institution. I was able to work one-on-one and in groups with Haskell students to help them address problems and solutions while attending Haskell.

Prior to being admitted to WUSTL, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Indigenous and American Indian Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University. I was honored to return to Haskell and contribute at the Counseling Center. When I returned as a Haskell alumnus, the experience was intense yet rewarding. I was able to share my personal journey of overcoming challenges and successfully completing my Master’s Degree. I also contributed by organizing events, such as the Sexual Assault Awareness “Take Back the
Night” event; I also conducted a Talking Circle with actress Irene Benard, a victim of domestic violence.  The entire campus came together in support of events organized on behalf of Haskell campus. The best feeling about this experience was that I received positive and rewarding responses from my Native students, faculty and colleagues. At the end of the semester, I was awarded the 2015 Dr. Clara Louise Myers Outstanding Practicum Student Award in the American Indian/Alaska Native concentration.  This was a life-changing experience for me. My main goal now is to work to help my Native people
overcome their personal challenges and to let them know that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.