Tribal Students Program in Agricultural Sciences

The Tribal Students Program is a private and federally funded program within the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. The purpose of the program is to recruit, retain and graduate American Indian/Alaska Native students in the agricultural sciences. The program provides a variety of different services and resources to students beginning their collegiate journey.

Undergraduate students

Undergraduate students who participate in the Tribal Students program are eligible to receive support services such as:

First Cohort of Tribal College Prep Camp Students Enroll at University

The University of Nevada, Reno proudly announces the enrollment of its first cohort of students from the Tribal College Prep Camp, a program aimed at preparing Native American high school students for higher education. This initiative, held at Lake Tahoe, provides participants with essential skills for navigating the college application process, exploring career options, and building confidence.

Among the inaugural group are four remarkable students: Soleil Burke, Kendal Navajo, Serenity Phelps, and Isabella Smokey. These young women represent diverse backgrounds from various reservations across Nevada and neighboring states. Their experiences at the camp not only equipped them with valuable knowledge but also fostered a sense of community and belonging.

Previous camp attendees Kendal Navajo, Isabella Smokey, Soleil Burke and Serenity Phelps

The program is supported by the Native American Fee Waiver and various scholarships, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder their educational pursuits. Additionally, the Tribal Students Program offers mentoring, tutoring, internships, and networking opportunities to help these students thrive in their college journey.

Since its inception, the Tribal College Prep Camp has seen a significant increase in applications, growing from 17 students in 2022 to over 110 in 2024. This surge reflects the program's positive impact and its ability to attract students from outside Nevada, including those from Oklahoma, California, and Arizona.

With ongoing support from various University departments, state agencies, and private donors, the Tribal College Prep Camp aims to bridge the gap in college preparedness for Tribal students, empowering them to succeed in their academic endeavors and beyond.

Graduate Fellowships

Antoinette Cavanaugh

Antoinette Harney Cavanaugh is a Native Nevadan, born in Owyhee, Nevada and is a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. She spent most of her youth growing up in Owyhee, NV. She graduated from Boise State University in 1983, BA, and from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1989 receiving her MA in Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Antoinette began her career as an educator in 1983 where she taught English, literature and math at Owyhee Combined School and later became a vice principal. In 1993 she helped to establish the Spring Creek Junior High/High School as a vice-principal. As a new principal in 1997, Mrs. Cavanaugh was selected to plan, design and open the first middle school in Elko County School District at the Spring Creek Middle School. In 2002, Antoinette became the Director of Federal and Special Programs for Elko County School District, and in 2003, she was selected as the Superintendent of Schools for Elko County. She remained the superintendent until 2010 when she retired.

According to the Nevada Indian Commission, Antoinette was the first Native American in the history of Nevada to become a public school district superintendent. She has many educational awards reflecting service to public education at the state and national level. She earned recognition from the National Association of Secondary School Principals as Nevada’s Assistant Principal of the Year. In 2001 she was named Nevada’s “Best of Education Principal” by the Reno Gazette Journal. In 2007, Antoinette was named, “Nevada’s Superintendent of the Year,” by the Nevada State School Board Association. In January 2010, Antoinette’s educational journey was a featured profile article entitled, “An Enormous Leap from the Reservation,” in the national American Association of School Administrators’ publication, The Administrator. At the 2014 Nevada Department of Education American Indian/Alaska Native Education Summit, Antoinette received the “Pesa Namanedu” Award which means, in the Paiute language, “Something that has been done well.”

Antoinette, from 2013-2019 served eight Western Shoshone Tribes of Nevada as an educational consultant through Barrick Gold Mines. She provided professional education services to partner tribes and worked with Shoshone children/tribal members to improve their academic performance and planned and scheduled higher education visitations and provided career training opportunities. In a 2015 special edition of Beyond Borders, a Barrick publication, her history and educational work with Western Shoshone youth was featured in an article entitled, “The Life Changer: Antoinette Cavanaugh inspiring Western Shoshone youth to Dream Big.”

In 2020, Antoinette, served as the Interim CEO for the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and currently is pursuing her Ph.D. from the University of Nevada Reno in Education Leadership with a focus on higher education and she has been named a Dean’s Graduate Fellow under the Tribal Student Program for the 2023-24 academic year.

NSHE Native American Fee Waiver

The Nevada Board of Regents provides a waiver of certain fees related to registration to a Native American student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or nation, all or part of which is located within the boundaries of Nevada, or who is certified by the enrollment department of such tribe or nation or by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as being a descendant of an enrolled member of such tribe or nation, all or part of which is located within the boundaries of Nevada, regardless of member status.

An NSHE institution shall waive registration, laboratory and other mandatory fees for eligible students. To determine if you are eligible, complete this form and provide the required documentation to your institution’s designated office. The institution may request additional information or documentation to verify eligibility.

 

Program Contacts

CABNR WEB: Tribal Program
Kari Emm
Kari Emm
Tribal Student Specialist
FA 201
6725
CABNR WEB: Tribal Program
Daniel Coen
Daniel Coen
American Indian Student Coordinator
6725