![\"Chamryn](\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2026\/07\/HeadShot_2026-Charmyn-Carl.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nChamryn Carl<\/strong>, a junior in exercise physiology with minors in nutrition and health wellness coaching, was one of 65 students, out of 838 candidates from 181 colleges and universities, selected as a 2026 Udall Scholar<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A member of the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe, Carl is a non-traditional student who transferred to NAU to be close to home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNAU made sense for my studies,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel supported here, see my culture represented and have been encouraged to try research and healthcare opportunities. When I learned about the NAU\u2019s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the support for Native students, it all started to fit. It feels like the right place for me to grow into the person and provider I want to be.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Carl\u2019s research looked at altitude, endurance performance and oxygen use in a Native athlete training for the Olympics. She said she learned to use advanced testing equipment, analyze results and present her findings to university leaders, donors, media and former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. Her long-term goal is to become a physical therapist and set up a mobile physical therapy unit for rural Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy biggest motivation is my community and wanting to give back to those who raised me,\u201d Carl said. \u201cGrowing up on the reservation, I saw how diabetes, heart disease, transportation problems and limited healthcare affected families like mine. Early on, I knew I wanted to help Native people and improve life at home.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n Ke\u2019Andre David<\/strong>, a senior majoring in political science with a minor in critical sustainability studies, was one of 12 undergraduate, graduate and law students from eight tribes selected as 2026 Udall Interns<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n David, a member of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, completed a comprehensive 10-week internship in Washington, D.C. He said the experience was rewarding and allowed him to hear from constituents across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWatching lawmakers work in committees for environmental policy was amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis experience aligns with my long-term goal to work in public service and eventually run for office in Arizona. It allowed me to focus on policies and issues facing rural and Indigenous communities and has given me firsthand exposure to the realities of policymaking, strengthened my professional network and reinforced my commitment to serving my community at a higher level.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n David hopes to increase the presence of Indigenous voices in state and national politics, particularly in water policy and infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe we have to reconnect across the aisles, Republicans, Democrats and independents as Americans, because that is who we are,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel the same way with my tribal nations; there are more than 20 federally recognized tribes in Arizona, and we can all work together and come together in a unified position. That way, we can achieve more things for the entire state. I am looking forward to serving our state.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students interested in applying to programs from the Udall Foundation can reach out via email to Lillie Gordon<\/a>, National and International Scholarship and Fellowships advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n