Jamie Fleming has shifted from being someone who “wasn’t secure with herself” to being a “superwoman.” Today, she is a Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU) human services major, an LCO tribal government administrative assistant, and a proud mom of four kids. She is someone who came to understand that “you never know what your story could mean to someone else or how it might help them.” 

Jamie had a rough start. She dropped out of high school in 10th grade and pursued odd jobs while moving around Minnesota and Michigan. Housekeeping, front desk jobs, night audits, waitressing gigs, and assisted living caregiving count among her work experiences. Additionally, when she moved back home to Lac Courte Oreilles, Jamie “made a couple of mistakes.” She was incarcerated in a federal prison in 2019, far away from her home and children. However, she reflected on her experiences during her incarceration, which led her to a career in human services. When she got out of prison in 2020, she enrolled herself in college at LCOOU and began realizing her truer self, one step at a time. Today, she credits her mistake as a turning point in her life, as proof that one never knows what life has in store for them.

Since her release, she has attained full-time employment with the Lac Courte Oreilles tribal government. She started out as a mailroom clerk and was promoted to administrative assistant in 2021. Her promotion came after one year of taking on more responsibilities at her workplace. For example, she increasingly performed more reception tasks and delved into understanding disability benefits. Consequently, tribal members thank her day in and day out for helping them navigate the types of programs and benefits available to them within the tribe.

“I can recall a time not too long ago, before I began working for the tribe, where I didn’t know of the benefits or help that was available to our members,” Jamie said. “So yeah, it’s been a huge leap for myself and to acquire so much knowledge within the short time I have worked for my tribe. To assist other members with the knowledge I have gained, it’s kind of emotional for me. I’m just happy to help my people prosper.”

Meanwhile, what Jamie is learning at LCOOU is helping her prosper too. She’s in a grant writing class that will bolster her human services skillset and can be applied to her job. Additionally, she’s taking more online psychology courses this fall, as the subject is one of her key interests.

Experiences, classes, and events like the ones Jamie highlighted about her journey at LCOOU lead her to readily encourage people to enroll at the university. “If you’re confused, come to the front desk, and they’ll point you to the place you need to go,” Jamie said. “My sister is on the fence about it, and I have been telling her about helpful programs, like TRiO. . . . It’s a big step, but it’s not that bad once you get in the doors. . . . It’s not a huge campus; it’s convenient, and the smallness makes it close—like a family.”