The American Indian College Fund honored 35 tribal college and university (TCU) students with the 2022-23 Student of the Year awards and scholarships. The College Fund also honored Dr. Michael Oltrogge, president of Nebraska Indian Community College, with its 2022-23 Tribal College and University Honoree of the Year award during a ceremony at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.

The Adolph Coors Foundation sponsors both awards, along with the College Fund. Each year, TCUs select one outstanding student to represent their institution. Awardees received a $1,200 scholarship. Dr. Oltrogge received a $1,200 honorarium.

The 2022-23 TCU students of the year are: Ethan Werk of Aaniiih Nakoda College, James St. Onge of Bay Mills Community College, Morgan Harrison-Woolf of Blackfeet Community College, Danesha Leaf of Cankdeska Cikana Community College, James Russette of Chief Dull Knife College, Melissa Wescott of College of Menominee Nation, Kogee Postoak of College of the Muscogee Nation, Dustin Hughes of Diné College, Ashla Ojibway of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Fanci Jackson of Fort Peck Community College, Randy Estrin of Haskell Indian Nations University, Yael Yisrael of Ilisagvik College, Ethan Nopah of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Leeah Owens of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Kristy Baccam of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, Christopher Erle of Leech Lake Tribal College, Mya Walks Over Ice of Little Big Horn College, Wakinyanhotunwin Flute Player of Little Priest Tribal College, Charmaine Williams of Navajo Technical University, Theresa Juarez of Nebraska Indian Community College, Mickki Garrity of Northwest Indian College, SaRaya Houle       of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, Summer Afraid of Hawk of Oglala Lakota College, Vena Cobenais of Red Lake Nation College, Jeremiah Little of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, Dominique LaForge of Salish Kootenai College, Keshena One Star of Sinte Gleska University, Billy Keeble of Sisseton Wahpeton College, Konnor Starr of Sitting Bull College, Alicia Dixon of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Clarissa Rosette-Bumpas of Stone Child College, Cory Ventura-Ramon of Tohono O’odham Community College, Issac Drees-Hajicek of  Turtle Mountain Community College, Ayanna Maynard of United Tribes Technical College, and Emmett Tibbetts of White Earth Tribal and Community College.         

Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “We are so appreciative of all of our tribal colleges’ students and are especially joyful to recognize the TCU students of the year. We think of these students as representing their classmates with their dedication to their education and their desire to give back to their communities. It isn’t easy to be a student today; college takes time and effort and many of our students have families to help to support and are among the first in their families to go to college. We thank them for sharing part of their life’s journey with us.”