Thanks to the commitment of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), four students have received $2,500 scholarships to pursue their education at the College of Muscogee Nation in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and Sinte Gleska University in Mission, South Dakota, in the 2019-20 academic year.
The scholarships were distributed by the American Indian College Fund (AICF), the nation’s largest and highest-rated nonprofit supporting native student access to higher education.
Elizabeth Russell, AICF manager of corporate partnerships, said the support of organizations like AGEM builds “healthy, vibrant native communities by empowering American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students to achieve their higher education and career goals.”
Every year, the fund empowers more than 4,000 AIAN students to start and stay in school, complete their degrees and launch careers. Since its inception in 1989, the fund has provided more than 131,000 scholarships and $201 million to support AIAN communities.
“Only 14.3 percent of AIANs have a bachelor’s degree, which is less than half the national average,” according to Russell. “Furthermore, 42 percent of AIANs are currently under the age of 24, providing an urgent opportunity to achieve lasting change through education.”
For more information about the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, visit agem.org. To learn more about the American Indian College Fund, visit collegefund.org.
Tevin Phillips. Phillips, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a second-year undergraduate and gaming major. “This scholarship helps me so much!” he says. “Thank you for all that you do.”
Derrick Wandrie. Wandrie, also of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is majoring in hospitality and casino management. He is a second-year undergraduate. “Thank you for your donation,” he says. “It’s really helpful. I live two hours away from college, I have a gas-loving truck, and this helps me get back home to see my son. I’m very grateful to you.”
Anna One Star. One Star, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, is a third-year undergraduate majoring in business management. “Thank you for allowing me to help better myself, my family and community,” she says. “I am a single mother of two, and this helps me get a better job to support my family and better help my people and community.”
Shane Schmitz. Schmitz, also a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, is a third-year undergraduate in the business management program. “Thank you for assisting me,” he says. “I’m employed full-time as well as taking classes full-time, so it feels great to get that extra push of motivation to keep striving. Everything I do is for my daughter, and I truly appreciate everything this scholarship has to offer for students like myself.”
