How my goals have developed throughout my educational journey, inspired by a desire to give back to their community, the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians. How my goals transitioned from improving my teaching to pursuing advanced degrees in education, with a focus on improving graduation rates for Native American students through research and leadership.
From Undergraduate to PhD
For me, pursuing an education has always been fueled by my desire to give back to my community of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They provided me with the financial means to seek higher education. During my undergraduate studies, I could choose my classes based on my focus areas. I took a range of classes on sociology, education, and Native American and Indigenous studies. I knew that there had to be a reason why I was one of maybe 50 Indigenous students at Michigan State and why so many of my high school classmates chose to enter the workforce instead of attending higher education. I wanted to understand why there was a disconnect between higher education and Indigenous students. While I was researching, I came across a startling statistic that Indigenous students had one of the lowest high school graduation rates across the nation. This shifted my focus to K-12 education and away from higher education.
I entered the workforce after my undergraduate as an uncertified teacher at a private school for the 2021-2022 school year. After my first year, I realized that I needed to go back to school and learn how to become a more effective teacher; this was also one of my main goals for my Master's program. While I fumbled my way through the first year of teaching, there was still so much I was missing, and I felt like I was not prepared enough to give my students what they deserved. In January of 2023, I started the Masters of Education (MAED) program at Michigan State University, concentrating on P-12 School and Postsecondary Leadership.
During the program, I found that I was leaning more into research and educational pedagogy than I had initially anticipated. While I was still developing my skills in the classroom to become a more effective and well-informed teacher, my interests led me to research more than practice. During the program, I honed my research skills, became a better writer, and improved my APA formatting. I realized that my heart was not in the classroom while I was an influential teacher and ensured my students received the best education I could provide them. I knew it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. This is where I leaned heavily into research, teacher education, and pedagogy. I took a leap of faith and again applied to Michigan State University for a Doctorate in K-12 Educational Administration. I want to improve graduation rates for Native American students across the country, to give back to my community, and to repay them for all they have given me. I hope to do this through the research I will do and have done while receiving my Master's degree and PhD.