American Indian College Fund Names 20 Scholars for Embrey Family Foundation Women's Leadership Project

DENVER, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Dallas, Texas-based Embrey Family Foundation has awarded the American Indian College Fund a $1 million grant over a four-year period for a Native women's leadership program.

The project provides 20 scholarships and leadership training for American Indian women pursuing their bachelor's degrees. As part of the leadership training, participants will attend annual retreats to develop skills and gain networking opportunities. Participants will also attend culturally relevant programs to help formulate their personal leadership development plans, which will take root in their Native communities, and evolve as they progress toward employment opportunities, and advanced degree programs.

Twenty women were chosen from six tribal colleges to participate in the program, including: Cankdeska Cikana Community College (North Dakota); College of Menominee Nation (Wisconsin); Fort Belknap College (Montana); Northwest Indian College (Washington); Sitting Bull College (North Dakota); and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (New Mexico). These colleges were identified because of the strength of their women leaders, for the diversity of the academic programs they offer, and for the regions they represent.

Scholars chosen for the program include:

Debra Bob, Tulalip, undecided major, Northwest Indian College

Melinda Cook, Menominee, elementary education major, College of Menominee Nation

Jalisa Marie Cruz, Standing Rock Sioux, human services major, Sitting Bull College

Dacia Dauphinais, Blackfeet, Indian studies major, Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Deanna Diaz, Seneca, liberal arts/natural resources major, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Christina Flansburg, Gros-Ventre, allied health major, Ft. Belknap College

Lorissa Garcia, Acoma Pueblo, business major, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Shallee Graff, Port Gamble S'Klallam tribe, education major, Northwest Indian College

Charlene Lee Healy, Assiniboine, allied health major, Ft. Belknap College

Kourtenay Iron Cloud, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, business administration major, Sitting Bull College

Jennifer Cordova-James, Tlingit, business administration/art major, Northwest Indian College

Vera Anne Julius, Lummi, business major, Northwest Indian College

Brandi King, Assiniboine, psychology major, Ft. Belknap College

Jessica Longknife, San Carlos Apache, allied health major, Ft. Belknap College

Janet Ladd, Navajo, elementary education major, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Lois Leben, Spirit Lake Dakota, elementary education major, Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Audra Stonefish, Oneida, environmental science major, Sitting Bull College

Lindsay Walking Eagle, Spirit Lake Dakota, nursing major, Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Melissa Wilber, Menominee, human services major, College of Menominee Nation

Terri Ann Zhuckkahosee, Menominee, business major, College of Menominee Nation

Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, "We congratulate these strong Native women. This investment on the part of the Embrey Family Foundation will give these women the education and skills they need to lead their communities in their chosen professions and as members of their communities. Through this gift of education and personal development, the Embrey Family Foundation is growing the next generation of leaders who will walk in the footsteps of those who came before them, while leading their people and their descendants to a more hopeful and exciting future."

About the Embrey Foundation

The Embrey Family Foundation was established by J. Lindsay Embrey, who focused strongly on the importance of education. Embrey's belief was that education helps people increase their ability to be economically self-sufficient and prosperous.

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," The American Indian College Fund is the premier scholarship organization for American Indian college students. The Fund was created in 1989 to raise funds for scholarships and support America's 33 tribal colleges. The Fund provides more than 6,000 scholarships annually. For more information, visit www.collegefund.org.

SOURCE American Indian College Fund