By Noheya Begay, Honorable Mention Research Story, UROC 2026
I was raised with the teaching, “your ancestors prayed for your success long ago, you just need to work hard to meet those prayers halfway”. My childhood was spent in university classrooms as I watched my mother work hard and meet those prayers halfway for her PhD in Psychology. I saw my mom do it with grit and determination as the only Native woman in her PhD program. Growing up in that academic space prepared me for when I started my time at the University of New Mexico (UNM). One of the reasons I chose UNM was because it was one of the few universities that displayed what I considered, good Native representation. Reflecting on my own college decision, I wondered “is it the same for other Native American students?” As I developed relationships and gained experiences, I began to observe a common reason for Native students choosing UNM. There was a visible presence, representation and support for Native people. This led me to ask the question How does Native identity and Native visibility in post-secondary education institutions influence Native students’ choice of school? I decided to investigate this question because I heard from other student affairs professionals about the difficulties of creating support and inclusiveness for Native students on college campuses.
To ensure that my research was done ethically and respectfully, I pursued Native focused research opportunities. The summer of 2025 I interned for an eight week Indigenous Summer Research Program in the RISE laboratory at Northwestern University. Under the supervision of Dr. Stephanie Fryberg and mentorship of PhD student Kimy Peterson, my research focused on the impact Native visibility has on perceptions of racism through contemporary attunement. This experience was important because it gave me valuable research knowledge, and perspective. Working alongside a Native research team for eight weeks made me appreciate the work of Native scholars who are endeavoring to realize the hopes of our ancestors by fostering Indigenous educational spaces where Native students can learn how to help their communities. I was reminded that I would not be here, were it not for the Native scholars before me, who paved new paths by meeting their ancestors prayers halfway. It was during this internship I realized my research was important because it helps create pathways for more Native students to pursue higher education.
When I returned to New Mexico at the start of the fall semester I began my research work with supervision by Dr. Paquin and guidance through the El Puente Research Fellowship. Dr. Paquin is my biggest supporter and influence in research, she encouraged me to utilize my perspective as a Native student, as well as my creative skills as an artist and photographer to communicate my research. During the literature review I began to realize that Native student research that is conducted by Native researchers only goes as far back as 20 years. It was at this moment that I truly comprehended how little we have progressed in improving higher education equity for Native students despite all the work that has been done. I realized that Native education is still in its infancy of development, we are still healing from the impacts of boarding school and assimilation within Native education. The impact of my research on the broader Native education
research, is important because it starts to pave the path to understanding Native student college choice, higher education needs and representation.
After the literature review I came to the hypothesis that, Native students who have a strong connection to their Native identity are more likely influenced by Native visibility when choosing college. A pilot study I conducted for my statistics class demonstrated a strong positive correlation between Native identity, Native visibility, and college choice. Additionally, participant short-answer responses allude to how Native representation was a contributing factor in their decision. The results of the pilot study and literature review imply that there is a strong relationship between Native identity and college choice, as well as Native visibility and college choice. The implications of the pilot study only tell me that there is a relationship to research, based on the pilot study I have made some changes to the research design.
I plan to do a mixed method by having a conversation with participants and doing a multiple choice survey. I plan to survey a minimum of 30 Native students using a multiple choice curvy that asks about Native identity, Native visibility and college choice. I will then schedule peer-to-peer conversations with participants rather than interviews to increase comfort and deepen my understanding of their experiences. With these changes I hope to get more accurate results and find actionable ways to meet Native students’ needs within higher education. After I complete my study I plan to share it with other Native scholars and educators through publication with Native journals and presenting at the American Indian Studies Association Conference. I plan to distribute the research with Indigenous people first to give back to those who have supported my research such as Native graduate students, Native American Studies Faculty, and American Indian Student Support. By giving back to those who supported my research, I hope that we can work to build new paths towards Native student success using the data from my research.
20 years of education research on Native students conducted by Native researchers serves as the foundation for my research. Illuminating the path, are the prayers of generations of women who came before me. As said before, I was taught “your ancestors prayed for your success long ago, you just need to work hard to meet those prayers halfway.” My research journey from start to finish has taught me that the path to Native student success is a long road still under construction. It took roughly fifty years enacting social change within education to get where we are today at the University of New Mexico. It is a reminder that the fight for Native equity and justice within education is a marathon not a sprint, results will take time. However, the fight is well worth it because my research will continue to pave pathways for Native students to succeed. One day my work will meet those prayers halfway, the path will be built and I will pray for those who come after me. It is up to them to work hard and meet me half way.