2021 Students of the Year

G R ADU ATE

SIERRA KAUFMAN

A I G C S C H O L A R S H I N N E C O C K I N D I A N N AT I O N

Sierra V. Kaufman (Shinnecock Nation) is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Brown University. As a recipient of American Indian Graduate Center’s Science Post Graduate Scholarship Fund, she was able to dedicate herself to research with personal cultural significance where she grew traditional heritage crops in Martian soil to show that those of higher clay contents, which naturally occur on Mars, can host hardy, Indigenous versions of crops. She was able to confirm positive results despite the average Martian soil being extremely hazardous to plants.

Sierra Kaufman’s commitment to diversity, community, and equality is shown from her positions as the underrepresented minority representative on the union bargaining committee, union student outreach representative, department steward, Native financial cents ambassador and undergraduate research mentor. Her ultimate goal is to achieve a future academic faculty position will help her continue fullcircle mentorship to diversify the academy and increase the proportion of Natives in STEM.

UNDERGRADUATE

JACOB FLOWERS

A I G C S C H O L A R N A N T I C O K E I N D I A N A S S O C I AT I O N I N C

Jacob Flowers (Nanticoke Indian Association Inc), who was born and raised in North Carolina, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree biology at Wingate University with hopes of becoming a physician assistant. He has plans to become an EMT and volunteer service in an effort to help as many people as possible and obtain direct patient contact hours for the purpose of being a more competitive applicant for PA school.

Jacob Flowers is also a collegiate athlete, playing football at the Division II level at Wingate University. He would like to thank his grandfather Anthony Wright for seving as his cultural guide as a Native American and for giving him the opportunities he has been presented as an undergraduate student.