Colleges encourage American Indians

RENO -- Higher education officials have formed a coalition to try to turn around the historically low number of American Indian students who go on to college in Nevada.

"A lot of students from rural areas haven't been away from the reservation at all, and when they come to larger urban areas and onto a university campus, it's quite overwhelming," said Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission. "So they need that help to make the transition."

The Northern Nevada American Indian Higher Education Collaborative was formed in the fall by the University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, Western Nevada College and Great Basin College.

UNR hired Kari Emm in August as the full-time outreach and retention coordinator at its Center for Student Cultural Diversity. Emm, a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe who was raised on the Walker River Reservation in Schurz, tells American Indian students that they can succeed but must take the tougher courses to prepare themselves.

They must learn what financial resources are available.

"I tell them, 'You can make this happen. It can happen for you, and here's how you can do it,' " Emm told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Across the state, the percentage of American Indian students attending Nevada colleges and universities has trailed far behind other minorities for the past decade.

From 1996 to 2006, American Indian/Alaskan college students increased by 20 percent compared to 63 percent for blacks, 138 percent for Hispanics and 148 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders, according to statistics from the Nevada Higher Education System.

Brittney Santos, a UNR freshman and member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, said having someone like Emm to talk to has helped her.

"College is definitely a stressful environment at times, and to have someone who knows what you're going through and who has gone through it, too, really helps," said Santos, 18, who hopes to become a pharmacist.

Chelsea O'Daye, a member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony who lives on the Hungry Valley Reservation, said Emm checks on her and other students to make sure they're on track to earn their diplomas.

"Kari is someone we can connect with," said O'Daye, a UNR freshman who wants to become a pediatrician and work at the colony's Reno clinic.

UNR offers a course in American Indian studies. The Native American Student Organization was formed in the fall, and Santos and O'Daye led effort to get the word out.

"So the club has become more known around campus, and other students are beginning to understand our culture," Santos said.