President Monty Roessel meets with students at Diné College’s recent commencement.

More than 700 family members and friends packed the Tsaile campus on May 11 for the 50^th anniversary graduating class at Diné College. The commencement also featured a record number of bachelor’s degree recipients, including six students who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and eight more who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Both programs were instituted over the past year at Diné College.

Overall, there were 190 students who graduated. Sara Kien, Ph.D., the head of the psychology program, received the college’s esteemed Faculty of the Year award. “All of you here have done individual things that make you special,” Diné College president Monty Roessel said. “Thanks for the hard work that you have put into this.”

“There is a whole family that is here to help,” business administration graduate Felisha Adams of Iyanbito, New Mexico, said. Adams is the outgoing student representative to the Associated Students of Diné College and has been accepted to law school at the University of New Mexico. “Family, faith and future are the reasons why we study here,” Adams said to fellow graduates.

In addition to family and friends of current graduates, several past presidents and leaders from other tribal colleges attended the graduation, among them Martin Ahumada, who served as president of Diné College from 2015-2017. “I am proud of my time at Diné College. I learned a lot and I’m ready to go to the next level,” Diedra Benally of Window Rock said. Benally, a past general education diploma recipient, graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in early childhood education. “For me, graduating is a very important thing.”

Diné College is the first tribally controlled higher learning institution in the U.S. There are currently 36 tribal colleges and universities across the country. To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Diné College, there are a gala and a golf fundraising tournament planned later in the year.