It's never too late to attain a degree.

By Jack Soto

I did not walk in my high school graduation and did not receive my diploma. It was a rather unfortunate event, which I blamed on the overextension of myself during my sophomore, junior and senior years. I failed English by a faction of a point and as a life lesson I was not awarded a passing grade. Oddly, I had more than enough credits to graduate and a rather high GPA. Yet, English was a required course and my teacher would not budge on the matter.

This story starts at the point when I found out I was not going to graduate with the Yuma Union High School class of 1987.  I was in shock and fairly numb from the information.  I did not fight the decision and I am not sure, at the time, I completely cared about the outcome, as I asked my father if he would mind if I dropped out of high school the previous year.  He, without much emotion or break in conversation said, “sure, but you’ll have to get a job and start paying rent.”  I decided, at that point, high school wasn’t a bad place after all. 

I think back on those days at the beginning of the summer of ’87 and how furious my father was at me.  I think about how my very good friends and even my best friend were slightly disappointed in me.  It was a tough time.  I immediately took the GED test and received my certificate soon after high school diplomas were arrived in hands of expectant budding adults and professionals across Yuma County.  There is a side of this story that I will spare you because this story has to do with what can happen for a person with a GED in hand and a little bit of curiosity about the world around them. 

I have found in my years in higher education that a good many Native people find themselves in a place where the next step in an academic or professional career involves a GED.  It also takes mastery of learning where one would like to place their energy in finding the best life for themselves and those they care about. 

In years following my high school career, I took voice lessons in preparation of becoming an opera singer.  I sang for many years, but found I lacked the commitment needed to work diligently at creating the voice I wanted to hear coming from my body.  Once I believed that I would not reach my proposed goal, I left my singing path.  I was such a tough critic of my performance and still am to some extent. 

I moved on through various other interests until I found cooking.  I loved to cook and did, eventually, make it to culinary school.  Well, I did for a year and then decided that I wanted a more raw experience and training that can only be found in the hassle and grime of a restaurant kitchen.  I, again, worked at it for many years, but when it came to a point of reckoning, I found that I was not committed enough to the profession of serving [dealing] with people.  Food service is a very rough and demanding life; although, I would not trade those years of customer service and human interaction training for anything.  I firmly believe that many who have worked or work in the service industry would strongly agree. 

I finally reached a point where I decided that I wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree and like many life changing decisions, this did not come easy.  It took much coaxing and work from friends to move me into a space where I believed that I could actually or eventually attain a degree from a university.  As you may recall, I am extremely critical of my performance, which often hindered my motivation to try. 

I did have much support from a great many friends.  I even had a friend call in a favor to arrange a special interview with, much to my surprise, all the department chairs of Trinity College in Connecticut.  I failed miserably at that interview, but they were encouraging and helpful in motivating in my new found application to higher education.  It was not that I failed that kept me going, but the support in helping me find clarity in my personal and professional development that kept me engaged in an academic life. 

I eventually found a pathway into the academy through a continuing education program at North Carolina State University.  Through this program, I matriculated into their Political Science degree program and did well enough to receive a decent GPA to transfer into my first and second pick schools in Washington, DC.  At this point in my life, I began to have an urge in understanding how policy was developed for tribal communities and I believed that the best schools for this learning were in the DC area.  I was not sure any university in that area had an American Indian policy program, but I was going to spearhead an effort to ensure that something would be in place once I left my school of choice.  I was younger then and, luckily, found my optimism in the students I eventually began to work with at American University (AU). 

I transferred into the School of Public Affairs at AU and was offered a position as the Director of the Washington Semester American Indian Program – Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS) at the same institution a few months after receiving my undergraduate degree.  I eventually attained a graduate degree in Organization Development at the same university and now work to develop a better understanding of how universities and colleges can improve their systems to support Native students and professionals in higher education. 

We, my friends and colleagues in higher education, recognize that life, in general, is not always easy, but we know that many Native people who enter the halls of academia come with a very unique experience that is not always conveyed through the individual or correctly translated in collected statistic and data.  As we continue to bear down in our work at increasing our perspective and voice in the academy, we know that each time a Native student slowly marches along to that motivation dirge “Pomp and Circumstance,” there is hope in a future.  It may not be immediately bright for everyone, but it increases through the radiant spirit of the Native student who manages through the challenges of attaining a degree in higher education.  It literally brings tears to our eyes to watch students make their way up to that stage, as if they are being handed a baton of sorts to carry on in the next iteration of Native people in America.  We watch and hope that each time they step off that stage into the audience they will remember that in their choices and commitment to their personal future, they invest in a larger picture of success for all Native people. 

Although Native higher education policy is not where I started out as a curious young man, it is where I ended up…for now.  I cannot help but be inspired by all the students and people I come in contact with on a daily basis.  I believe that it is never too late to attain a degree in higher education.  It is a challenging decision and commitment over time, but it often works to be a healthy choice for the individual and American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians across the country.  I did not grow up thinking that I could do anything I wanted, but I did grow up with the ability to push up against that enough to try. 

Jack Soto is Navajo, Black-Streaked-Wood People, and Cocopah, Bird Clan. Jack served as Director of the Washington Semester American Indian Program – Washington Internships for Native Students at American University in Washington, DC.  Additionally, he received his M.S. in Organizational Development and B.A. in Political Science at American University.  Currently, he works to impact higher education institutional support systems of Native students as Co-Chair of the National Coalition for the Advancement of Natives in Higher Education. He lives in Yuma, AZ, preparing for doctoral work while traveling around the country hanging out with friends and colleagues pontificating, plotting, presenting and playing.