White River, South Dakota<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When did you graduate from NAU?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please list your major\/program, minor(s), and any certificates.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n MPH – Health Promotion (Indigenous Health Track)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is your current job title and employer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Executive Assistant Sr at Northern Arizona University.<\/p>\n\n\n What are the most challenging and most rewarding parts of your job?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most rewarding part of my work at NAU is continuing to collaborate with Tribal Nations across Arizona and beyond to support Indigenous student success. Seeing students in the CNAIF center work hard toward their degrees reminds me every day of the transformative impact of higher education and why this work matters. My Master of Public Health background has given me a broad perspective that I continue to apply in unexpected ways, bringing a health, research, and community-centered lens to my work. Through my Indigenous Health emphasis, I had the opportunity to learn from Tribal communities across the region, gaining a deeper appreciation for their cultures, languages, and strengths. Those experiences continue to shape how I build relationships and serve Indigenous students, communities, and partners today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did your education at NAU prepare you for your career?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n My experience in NAU’s College of Health and Human Services prepared me for my career by teaching me how to think critically, adapt to challenges, and approach issues through a community-centered lens. I completed my Master of Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite the disruptions and uncertainty, our professors remained committed to providing a high-quality learning experience and supporting student success. Their dedication, flexibility, and investment in students modeled the importance of perseverance and service during difficult times. The program also strengthened my skills in research, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, all of which I continue to use daily in my work. Although my career path led me into higher education rather than a traditional public health setting, the MPH program provided a broad and versatile foundation that continues to shape the way I build partnerships, support Indigenous student success, and engage with communities across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is one piece of advice you wish you had known prior to entering the workforce?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Network, Network, Network. In whatever work you do, bring intentionality to what you do on a daily basis. Always work with purpose or a higher goal, for me I’ve had the goal since Middle School to enter higher education with the intention to build healthier Native and Indigenous communities. Lastly, never forget self care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Throughout the 2026\u20132027 academic year, the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) will spotlight alumni who represent the wide range of academic and professional journeys pursued by its graduates. The alumni spotlight series will highlight their experiences, motivations, accomplishments, and interests, while showcasing how their NAU education continues to influence their careers and contributions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3028,"featured_media":11211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3028"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11209"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11216,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11209\/revisions\/11216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Skyler](\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/316\/2026\/09\/5cdc0111-bed9-4c41-8fe6-a63218470cc1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Selfie](\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/316\/2026\/09\/b88963be-c525-46ec-9318-c038e04ea963.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n