Internships & Jobs

Find and secure the experience that will meet your career goals

Internships & Fellowships

Internships are short employment opportunities, paid and unpaid, that allow students to “test drive” an employment opportunity before committing to making it a lifetime career.

Internships offer you the opportunity:

  • to learn more about a specific job or industry
  • to understand more about the professional job environment
  • to build relationships with people that can share information and insight; and
  • to provide a space to build professional and personal confidence

Employers are more willing to consider students as an applicant if you participated in an internship before, during, or after college. Internships can also add value to graduate admissions essays and applications, which can improve your admittance chances into a program. For more information contact internships@collegefund.org.

CONNECT

Do you have questions about your major? How about your plan for a job after school? What skills and experience do you need to get the job you want? Why not ask someone that’s been there before! The College Fund Connect platform allows you to identify professionals from a specific school or particular field, and then ask them questions about their experience. They also post jobs and internship opportunities on the platform, so set-up your profile today and build your network!

 

Student CONNECT Orientation Video

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Career Pathways Guidebook

This culturally-relevant guide was created to help Native students prepare for, and successfully navigate, the diverse landscape of job opportunities and sectors of work. Including contributions from Native graduates, professionals and artists, Career Pathways explores best practices and opportunities in and familiar and accessible way.

CLICK HERE to receive updates about the latest career readiness resources, events and opportunities

News & Events

American Indian College Fund Honors Tribal College Students of the Year and Coca Cola Scholars

American Indian College Fund Honors Tribal College Students of the Year and Coca Cola Scholars

Denver, Colo., March 14, 2024—The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) honored 35 Tribal College and University Students of the Year and 35 Coca Cola First Generation Scholars at a ceremony held on Sunday, March 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President of Diné College, was also named the College Fund’s 2023-24 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year.

The Adolph Coors Foundation sponsors both the Tribal College and University Students of the Year and the Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year. Each Tribal college and university (TCU) selects one student to represent their institution and the College Fund selects the TCU President Honoree. Students receive a $1,200 scholarship and the president is awarded a $1,200 honorarium.

The Coca-Cola Foundation provides scholarships for first-generation Native students who attend a TCU. The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded almost $3.6 million in scholarship support to the College Fund since 1990 to assist more than 500 students with their college education. Students can reapply to the scholarship each year if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average and are active in campus and community life.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “We are so proud of our students who are representative of the amazing and talented students who attend our tribal higher education institutions. Our values and vision are reflected in each of them. We look forward to all the ways that they will continue to contribute to the self-determination and wellbeing of our Tribes and families.”

The 2023-24 Tribal College Students of the Year are:

  • Aaniiih Nakoda College: Alexis Bigby
  • Bay Mills Community College: Alysandra Gonzales-Flora
  • Blackfeet Community College: Gwynne E. White Quills
  • Cankdeska Cikana Community College: Tyrese Leaf
  • Chief Dull Knife College: Jozette Limpy
  • College of Menominee Nation: Chenoa Webster
  • College of the Muscogee Nation: James Gray
  • Diné College: Gwyneth Shorty
  • Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College: Anthony Sam
  • Fort Peck Community College: Gib Medicine Cloud
  • Haskell Indian Nations University: Justine Butterfield
  • Iḷisaġvik College: Vincent Elkins
  • Institute of American Indian Arts: Isabella Edmo
  • Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College: Rachel Ritchie
  • Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University: Andre’Anna Acosta
  • Leech Lake Tribal College: Darrin Brown Jr.
  • Little Big Horn College: Kayle Addison
  • Little Priest Tribal College: Denise Milford
  • Navajo Technical University: Layla James
  • Nebraska Indian Community College: Jiah Marks
  • Northwest Indian College: Karla Miller
  • Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College: Kacey Murdock
  • Oglala Lakota College: Austin Red Dog
  • Red Lake Nation College: Angeline Harris
  • Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College: Tamara Lawson
  • Salish Kootenai College: Bryce Norling
  • Sinte Gleska University: Michal Beardt
  • Sisseton Wahpeton College: Jana Isburg
  • Sitting Bull College: Elena Rodriguez
  • Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute: Dominique Bluehorse
  • Stone Child College: Jazmyne Torres
  • Tohono O’odham Community College: Ashley Mccreery
  • Turtle Mountain Community College: Aaliyah Selburg
  • United Tribes Technical College: Jennifer Fragua
  • White Earth Tribal and Community College: Lauri Zupan

 

The 2023-24 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars are:

  • Aaniiih Nakoda College: Lyle Stiffarm
  • Bay Mills Community College: Oona Burton
  • Blackfeet Community College: Brandi Harwood
  • Cankdeska Cikana Community College: Marissa Baer
  • Chief Dull Knife College: Kyla Kwandibens
  • College of Menominee Nation: Melissa Wescott
  • College of the Muscogee Nation: Deidre Yarbrough
  • Diné College: Vanesha Cleveland
  • Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College: Anthony Sam
  • Fort Peck Community College: Sherry Ross
  • Haskell Indian Nations University: Tilda Hubbell
  • Iḷisaġvik College: Kacey Woodruff
  • Institute of American Indian Arts: Brianna Waukau
  • Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe Community College: Gabrielle Picciano
  • Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University: Desmund Lapointe
  • Leech Lake Tribal College: Torrey Kingbird
  • Little Big Horn College: Dvera Tolbert
  • Little Priest Tribal College: Dawn Makesstrongmove
  • Navajo Technical University: Rebecca Yazzie
  • Nebraska Indian Community College: Bridgette Hoshont’Omba (Jameson)
  • Northwest Indian College: Julie Bosch
  • Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College: Cassandra Hopkins
  • Oglala Lakota College: Conner Roubideaux
  • Oglala Lakota College: Summer Afraid Of Hawk
  • Red Lake Nation College: Kyleisha Garrigan
  • Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College: Ayla Sisco
  • Salish Kootenai College: Bobbi Brooks
  • Sinte Gleska University: Sunshine Brings Plenty
  • Sisseton Wahpeton College: Dora Jones
  • Sitting Bull College: Nicholas Peters
  • Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute: Audrey Weebothee Magdalena
  • Stone Child College: Kaycee Chiefstick
  • Tohono O’odham Community College: Christy Mcgaughey
  • Turtle Mountain Community College: Quentin Brien
  • United Tribes Technical College: DaSean Marquese

 

About the American Indian College Fund The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $319 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Reporters: The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.

Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President, Diné College, Named as the American Indian College Fund 2023-24 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year

Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President, Diné College, Named as the American Indian College Fund 2023-24 Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year

Denver, Colo., March 12, 2024—The American Indian College Fund selected Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President of Diné College, as its 2023-2024 Tribal College President Honoree of the Year. This award is granted to a distinguished individual who has made a positive and lasting impact on the tribal college movement.

Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President, Diné College.

Dr. Charles M. Roessel, President, Diné College.

Dr. Roessel grew up on the Navajo Reservation. His parents, Robert and Ruth Roessel, played key roles in creating Navajo Community College (now Diné College), the first tribal college, in 1968. Although his father served as the institution’s first president, Dr. Roessel never expected to follow in his footsteps.

After graduating from Chinle High School and setting aside his dream of becoming the first Navajo major league baseball player, he attended the University of Northern Colorado to earn a bachelor’s degree in photo communications. This degree was his introduction to the field he calls his first love, photojournalism, which he went on to receive a Master’s in at Prescott College. Roessel spent the next few years working with various publications such as Arizona Highways, Time, and National Geographic Society. His photography was only one aspect of his broader philosophy of respecting history and providing accurate depictions of the past and connecting them to the present.

He later became Superintendent of Rough Rock Community School. During this time, Dr. Roessel worked in the evenings to earn his doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Arizona State University. He also served as cochair of the No Child Left Behind School Facilities and Construction Negotiated Rule-making Committee. Having seen what he described as “broken promises” from the federal government about its support of tribal schools, Roessel said this knowledge helped him decide when asked to become the director of the 66 Navajo schools for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). He later served as director of the BIE.

One of his first actions after being appointed, was to visit the site of the old Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, the country’s first Indian boarding school. He says the development of tribal colleges and universities truly began with Carlisle. He believes one has to know this part of history to understand the importance of tribally-led education and the full potential of TCUs. His knowledge of the history of Diné College and the context of the tribal college movement prepared him for taking on the role of Diné College president.

“I was honored to take on the role. It was a job my dad held so I know what it was like and what TCUs stand for, as more than just colleges.” TCUs, according to Roessel, have a different mission from other colleges. They are not simply places of higher education but examples of tribal sovereignty where you build up people to build up the nation. Since his appointment as president of Diné College in 2017, Dr. Roessel has expanded the college’s support to students and the community alike.

Under his leadership, Diné College has grown into a four-year institution with a focus on creativity and innovation. He opened the School of Transformation, a non-degree seeking certificate program that provides professional development, continuing education units, training programs, and self-directed courses. The goal is to encourage students to develop a passion for lifelong learning, reach their full potential, and become employed within the Navajo Nation.

Dr. Roessel has also sought out alternative revenue streams to develop businesses on the reservation. The Aspen Institute has even recognized Diné College for its direct economic impact within the community. Dr. Roessel was also one of the first to highlight students’ needs for internet access and technology, such as laptops, during the Covid pandemic. “It isn’t just about access,” he explained, “but what comes after access to address the lack of capacity with technology.”

Looking ahead, President Roessel is leading the college toward several goals: enroll 3,000 students by 2030, offer three master’s programs by next year, and be relevant for both the Navajo nation and the region. “We are changing the conversation from being a transactional college to a global perspective and gaining a seat at the table. We want to help find solutions.” As a reflection of the community, he wants to see Diné College make a bigger impact on preserving Navajo language and culture. After all, in Dr. Roessel’s words, “Diné College is the Navajo Nation.”

When he isn’t fulfilling his duties as college president, Dr. Roessel keeps himself busy with his family and hobbies, such as golfing. He still teaches a few photography courses and is working on a photography project that allows people to share their own boarding school experiences. His greatest joy is spending time with his grandchildren who call him “Chei Chei” and “gramps,” which melts his heart.

President Roessel received a $1,200 honorarium, sponsored by the Adolph Coors Foundation, for his dedication to tribal college education.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “All of the educators, students, and their families who work within our communities to make education accessible and meaningful are deeply grateful for the vision and hard work of Dr. Roessel. We appreciate him and look forward to his continued leadership with tribal education.”

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About the American Indian College Fund The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $319 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Reporters: The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.

Read Across America

Today marks the beginning of National Reading Month, a time to acknowledge the importance of literacy. Reading can take us to fantastical lands, expand our understanding of the world we live in, and provide us with perspectives we may otherwise not have. Tomorrow, March 2, marks Read Across America Day, a time to specifically celebrate the books that educate and inspire youth across the country. One of the goals of the day is to help children connect the stories that they read to their own lived experiences. In recent years, the number of Native authors has grown to help Native youth see themselves represented and to share their experiences with their peers, teachers, and the general populace.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your own understanding of Native cultures or introduce the little ones in your life to Native storytellers, we’ve got a book recommendation for you. Feel free to peruse the suggested titles at https://standwith.collegefund.org/native-american-heritage-month/read/ where you can find books appropriate for readers of all ages. And don’t forget to join our virtual book club discussion with American Indian College Fund President and CEO, Cheryl Crazy Bull, and PEN Award-winning author, Mona Susan Power, on March 26. They’ll be discussing Power’s new book, A Council of Dolls. Learn more and register at https://standwith.collegefund.org/native-american-heritage-month/read/mona-susan-power-a-council-of-dolls/.