On the straight and Airo

On the straight and

McGillis launches non-profit to serve Native American students.

By Michael Savaloja

An electrified ambition aimed at charging higher education opportunities for Native Americans has Kyler McGillis ’22 bursting with infectious enthusiasm.

But the natural leader, who University of Jamestown’s Dr. Mort Sarabakhsh says, “means business,” understands that visionaries like himself must first force themselves to simply place one foot in front of the other.

“I don’t want to walk. I just want to sprint,” laughed McGillis, who, after being showered with academic awards, received his undergraduate degree in business administration from UJ in May and will be off to Johns Hopkins Carey Business School this fall. “I always want to shoot big, but I gotta keep it realistic as well.”

Supporting family and serving his American Indian community are what’s realistic for Kyler. So, it came as no surprise that he was found helping his father, DJ McGillis, direct a youth basketball camp on the Turtle Mountain Reservation on the day of this interview. The camp served as a “break” between juggling a summer consulting job at his aunt’s behavioral health clinic in Belcourt, North Dakota, and continuing work on AIRO, the non-profit organization he’s founded to help insure Indigenous students a successful path to post-secondary education through a devised platform of practical Native American mentorship and support.

Using data provided by both the United States Census Bureau and the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, Kyler appeared before UJ’s Board of Trustees in the spring and reported that only 19% of Native Americans aged 18-24 are currently enrolled in college, while

just 14.5% of American Indian and Alaska Native populations earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Kyler believes the complex issues surrounding those numbers can in some form be traced to cultural breakdowns in communication that hinder Native American students from accessing the resources and tools needed to succeed. Kyler’s high school principal Charles “Chip” Anderson agrees.

“In Indian Country, students don’t know what is out there and what’s available,” said Anderson, who also instructed Kyler at St. John High School, north of Belcourt. “Sometimes they don’t come from educated families, so if you’re not coming from an educated family, they can’t help you with your education.”

Anderson explained processes such as applying for financial aid, registering for classes, and seeking advisement can be daunting for first-generation Native American students who may not know where to begin to seek answers. But beyond that, Kyler’s vision for AIRO, which is an acronym for “All Indigenous Recruiting Organization,” is to provide a network of support for Indigenous students from year one all the way to graduation day.

Kyler’s goal will largely be accomplished by connecting students with Native American mentors free of charge via an online application.

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“How many times have coaches said, ‘That Native kid’s good, but we don’t know if he’ll stay (in school). That’s what needs to change and that’s where I’m hoping AIRO can be able to help those kids get there and stay there.” —Kyler McGillis

“I think this has a really good chance anywhere, but we’re talking Indian Country and it’s definitely needed in Indian Country,” said principal Anderson. “The impact that Kyler potentially has the opportunity to make is huge.”

Currently, Kyler’s AIRO team has started small by mentoring 10 students through the Spaces by Wix app. Spaces is an online application that is free to download and connects individuals with online businesses and communities, like AIRO.

As soon as a perspective college student, or a student already enrolled, is connected, answers to all inquiries will receive a response from one of the organization’s mentors. From something as simple as finding directions to study areas or locating a tutor, to connecting a budding high school athlete or artist with a coach or professor at a certain university, it’s the more simple, everyday type of support that Kyler hopes will instill confidence and motivate students to succeed.

“We’re honing in on the students’ needs ... to kind of be that big brother, or big sister, and to be able to say, ‘Hey, you can get past this first year, second year, third year,’” Kyler said. “We also want to have a voice for students. If an Indigenous student is struggling at school, we want to help be that voice for them.”

“It’s the support,” Anderson added. “Our culture is so family oriented. So, when they’re leaving to go to college what supports are in place for those kids to be comfortable? Or else they’re going to come home.”

Kyler’s perspective on the Native American college student-athlete process is firsthand. A former North Dakota Mr. Basketball finalist in high school, as well as being a tribal citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians who possessed an above average GPA, only a pair of in-state junior colleges looked in his direction as a recruit.

Kyler eventually landed at Bismarck State College for two years before connecting with the University Jamestown and the Jimmies. Kyler feels some of his struggles to get noticed, both athletically and academically, stemmed from stereotypical perception.

“There’s a lot of good Native American athletes, but sometimes they’re underrepresented,” Kyler explained. “How many times have coaches said, ‘That Native kid’s good, but we don’t know if he’ll stay (in school). That’s what needs to change and that’s where I’m hoping AIRO can be able to help those kids get there and stay there.”

That’s also what will set AIRO apart: what it

AIYANA TROTTIER,

AIRO’s Research & Student Success Coordinator

plans on delivering after it guides Native American students toward potential financial aid and a home away from home.

“When I got to college … I just wish I would’ve had more direction and more knowledge,” Kyler said. “I had a high GPA in high school, but I never thought I’d fall in love with something in education and it was business I fell in love with at Jamestown. And a lot of that had to do with the professors believing in me … then it came natural.”

Business professors such as Dr. Sarabakhsh, Karen Crane and Teddi Jo Paulson, who helped guide Kyler after he first envisioned AIRO in October 2020. Kyler worked intensely with Sarabakhsh and his UJ Community Alliance for Management Consulting (CAMC) classmates, defining AIRO’s mission statement and logo while exploring research.

Kyler’s passion didn’t go unnoticed on campus. He was presented with the Knight Award from President Dr. Polly Peterson during Opening Convocation last fall, and in April he was presented with the business department’s William J. Klaudt Award.

“Kyler’s one of a kind and there’s no question in my mind that he’s going to carve his name somewhere,” Sarabakhsh said. “He can understand both cultures – outside the reservation and inside the reservation – and he can blend them together without any threatening situation. That’s strong social skill.”

Sarabakhsh said research concluded that Native American populations need college-educated expertise to serve in roles such as computer security, counseling, and financial planning, which AIRO could ultimately help to provide.

“He’s not going to be able to solve all the problems,” Sarabakhsh said, “but he wants to be a solution to some of the problems.”

Having just recently achieved 501(c)(3) status, Kyler’s current objective for AIRO is to hit the road and build private-sector partnerships to help promote his organization and secure funding to propel AIRO into the future. Along with himself as executive director, AIRO’s initial management team includes President Shane Martin ‘97, Vice President Chad Dahlen, Secretary/Treasurer Jen Parisien, Research & Student Success Coordinator Aiyana Trottier and Ambassador SaNoah Larocque.

“Getting the word out on what we’re doing and also reaching out to tribes to make sure we’re supporting them in North Dakota right away,” Kyler said, explaining current progress. “We’ve been developing the website and working on our app. I have yet to really do a lot of marketing because we can’t rush this out.”

Kyler said AIRO needs to build into a position to manage a potentially large volume of students in the coming years, hence the current 10-student pilot project. Relationship building with colleges and universities is also in the works, with one-to-one scholarships once AIRO secures funding being the hopeful outcome.

Kyler also envisions AIRO eventually connecting graduates to employers as well.

“I want to be able to have partnerships or support from all the colleges and universities in North Dakota,” Kyler said. “It all depends on the number of mentors that wish to volunteer, too. But, I’d say, 25 staff would be good in the next few years.”

And, oh yes, there’s graduate school to attend.

Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Leadership Development Program awaits Kyler this August in Baltimore, Maryland. Who knows what keys will further unlock his steady mind on the East Coast?

“I was lucky enough to receive the Hunter Family Fellowship that offers a full scholarship for me to attend the program,” Kyler said. “I also wanted to choose this route because it dives deeper into the underrepresented diversities that are trying to advance their leadership skills.”

More information on AIRO