Nevaeh Talkalai, gaze strong, spoke to her peers so that they might get to know her and she them.
“I’m urban Native,” she said. “I took pride in being Navajo after a racism event and created an anti-racism coalition. I was born in Fort Defiance and lived mostly in Window Rock growing up.”
She recently graduated from Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff and plans on attending university in Michigan. Her goal: To be an advocate and a counselor for Native Americans.
Talkalai was among more than 40 students participating Coconino Community College’s inaugural Summer Bridge program, created as part a larger program devoted to “Strengthening Indigenous Student Success.” The purpose of the SISS program is to improve the success of Native American students attending CCC.