This December we are highlighting Native Bruin David Montoya (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo), Class of 2009 – Juris Doctorate, Masters American Indian Studies. David Montoya is an enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and has been serving Indian Country as an attorney and consultant for over 10 years. David graduated from UCLA School of Law’s … Read more
This November we are highlighting Native Bruin, Angelo Isaac Sandoval (Apache/Dine) Class of 2009. Angelo Isaac Sandoval is a staff attorney and clinical supervisor with the Clean Slate Practice at the East Bay Community Law Center through UC Berkeley’s School of Law. He leads the work to end the criminalization of poverty, advocates for the … Read more
This October we are highlighting Native Bruin Matthew de Lira Class of 2007 and Class of 2011. Matt started college at Chapman University in Orange, California. There he took American Indian history, anthropology, film, and sociology classes under Professor Paul Apodaca (a Native Bruin, UCLA Ph.D.) Matt then transferred to UCLA and graduated with the … Read more
This September we are highlighting Native Bruin Jennifer R. Leal from the Washoe and Paiute tribal community, Class of 2005. Jennifer R. Leal is a descendant of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and Mono Lake Paiute tribal communities. She graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a bachelor of arts degree in American Indian … Read more
This August we are highlighting Native Bruin Christie Michelle Poitra, Class of 2010. Dr. Christie Michelle Poitra graduated from UCLA in 2010 with a Master of Arts degree in American Indian Studies. As a first-generation college graduate, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in Educational Policy from Michigan … Read more
This July we are highlighting Native Bruin Shayna Powless from the Oneida Nation, Class of 2016. Shayna Powless is a professional cyclist for DNA Pro Cycling and a member of the USA Track National Team. She is also a USA Cycling Certified Coach and Dream Catcher Foundation co-founder, a non-profit dedicated to empowering Native youth … Read more
This May we are highlighting Native Bruin, Nina Stanton (Tule River Indian Reservation) class of 1997. Nina Stanton is Yokuts from the Wukchumni and Chukchansi tribelets of the Tule River Indian Reservation. She is a 1997 UCLA graduate who earned a BA in history, and a minor in American Indian Studies. Nina began her studies at … Read more
This APRIL 2023 we are highlighting Native Bruin Lorenzo Begay Navajo/Mexican class of 2010 Lorenzo Begay is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at California State University, Chico where he teaches nursing foundational concepts of pharmacology, clinical judgment, patient-centered care, and clinical practice. He graduated from UCLA in 2010 with a B.A. in Anthropology and a … Read more
This January 2023 we are highlighting Native Bruin Maya Rose Dittloff (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Blackfeet) class of 2019. Maya Rose Dittloff (ǔkkayǔ”kwīyinnimǎakii/Many Pipes Woman) is a queer Mandan, Hidatsa, and Blackfeet writer, director, and producer. A graduate of the School of Theater, Film, and Television with a concentration in screenwriting and cinematography in 2019. Maya … Read more
On Friday the entire AIS community—students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends and family—gathered to celebrate the Native and AIS students graduating in 2022. This was our first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019, and emotions ranged from elation to tears to trepidation to relief to gratefulness. Student Services Advisor Tim Topper emceed magnificently, students were blanketed, and … Read more