The American Indian College Fund named 11 Native students to the 2023-24 cohort of its Student Ambassador Program. Students named to the program are trained in leadership and communications skills to create greater visibility of Native Americans and to generate an understanding of the importance of their diverse cultures.

With 42% of the Native American population today under the age of 24, the College Fund sees an opportunity to educate the next generation of young Native leaders to realize their potential. The 11 student ambassadors help the College Fund create greater visibility about higher education and the work the College Fund, Native students, and tribal colleges are doing to create a better future for Native peoples and communities. College Fund student ambassadors represent the College Fund and their institutions in media interviews, at cultural events, in their communities, and on their campuses.

The College Fund hosted a multi-day training program for the student ambassadors in Denver, Colorado. Students participated in in-person workshops for leadership development, public speaking, interviewing, writing, and social media training.

The 2023-24 American Indian College Fund Student Ambassadors include Amanda Charger (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe), a human services major at Sinte Gleska University; Brianna Waukau (Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin), an Indigenous liberal studies major at the Institute of American Indian Arts; Chenoa Webster (Oneida Nation), an elementary and middle school education major at College of Menominee Nation; Jason Rosette (Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation), an elementary education major at Stone Child College; Jaylon Romine (the Muscogee [Creek] Nation), an American Indian/Native American studies major at Haskell Indian Nations University; Keona Hosteen (Navajo Nation), a communication disorders major at Northern Arizona University; Natasha Martinez (Diné/Chiricahua Apache), an art therapy and counseling major at Southwestern College – Santa Fe; Sam Lee Regan (Cherokee Nation), an English major at Tulsa Community College; Selena Romero (Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona), a human services major at Northwest Indian College; Sky Harper (Navajo Nation), a chemistry major at Drexel University; and Nessa Ankney (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), a fine arts major at Washington State University.