Page 18 - 2022 November Report

November Report 2022
Entrepreneurship Scholarship representatives’ annual meeting report (4)
INTERNSHIPS
Sherry stated that need for internships was a recurring theme of the 2 JSF Indigenous Peoples Convenings as well as a recent survey. She introduced Christina Daugherty, People and Culture Director for the Fors Marsh Group, a consulting firm based in Virginia. Over the summer Sherry participated in a training session for 10 new Fors Marsh interns at the invitation of the organization’s Chief of Staff, Rhyannon Curry.
Christina explained the firm is a certified B Corporation, meaning it aims to use its business as a force for good. The Indigenous Internship Program (IIP) is a fully paid 24-week internship for Indigenous students in one of several tracks. This year was the pilot year. Because the company is entirely remote, it allows for a greater geographic reach for student candidates. The students were all members of federally recognized tribes who attended a TCU, provided a letter of recommendation and met other requirements. The 10 interns were chosen from a fairly small pool of applicants. Christina would like to see the number of applicants grow in the future. Each week, students received training on work- related skills and life in a corporate environment. Coaches met weekly with the students and provided feedback.
A question was asked about whether students from state recognized tribes would be included in the future. Christina said that is very likely. Another question was asked about lessons learned. She said lack of broadband access was an unanticipated issue that will be taken into account going forward. Because Fors Marsh has a fair chance hiring program, it does not disqualify candidates with criminal backgrounds. One intern fell into this category. The company has contracts with federal agencies, so interns with criminal backgrounds are assigned to work on internal projects. Christina encouraged everyone to help get the word out about the program, which will start accepting new applicants at the end of October.
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL SHARING
Aaniiih Nakoda College
There are 150 students in the college, and 10 to 15 qualify for the Johnson Scholarship. Day-to-day management of the scholarship is now being done by Lori Owens so that Kristi can focus on other responsibilities. At the beginning of the pandemic, ANC lost about 30% of its students because they didn’t have internet access. The school responded by distributing hotspots. Classes are back in person and enrollment is getting back to normal. Between 11 and 13 scholarships will be awarded to students in the 2-year program, and 3 to 4 will be moving on to 4-year institutions.
Alaska Pacific University
APU is in its 2nd year as part of this program. Enrollment has been increasing steadily and is up 20% over the past 7 years. The school serves 12 Alaska Native Corporations. APU would like to move to one application for multiple scholarships and is seeking suggestions. SKC, Native Forward and NAU use Blackbaud, but NAU and Native Forward are looking to move to different platforms. NAU is moving to a company called ScholarshipUniverse. The College Fund uses WizeHive. All appear to be fairly costly.
Diné College
With more than 1,500 students, Diné is experiencing its highest enrollment since 2018. The college awarded scholarships to 95% of the business students who applied.
16