Shawnewa, pictured third from left in this family photo, has been adopted by the Pathak family since graduating from HIS in 2020.
Where Are They Now? Shawnewa
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28 Pacific Union Recorder
hawnewa is a Navajo and Hopi native about to begin her freshman year in college at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She graduated from Holbrook Indian School (HIS) as a member of the Class of 2020. For the past few months, she has been living in Orlando, Florida, with Elena Pathak (KTH Architects), a Senior Project Designer and HIS partner, while preparing for her undergraduate studies. Due to the Florida state school requirement mandating students have two years of a foreign language for admission, Shawnewa pushed to complete Navajo Language I and II virtually at Dine College. She started these prerequisite classes while still in Arizona, living with her grandmother, which presented a series of unfortunate obstacles. Moving to live beyond state or even reservation borders is not common among our students and alumni, much less attending college. Elena, who has partnered with HIS on campus building projects, decided to do her part in curbing this reality. This eventually led to Elena’s now close mentor relationship with Shawnewa, helping her move beyond the horizon. Recently, I had a Zoom call with Shawnewa and Elena. It was wonderful to connect with both of them and learn more about this special connection. “It’s been going pretty good so far,” Shawnewa said. “I have been getting a lot of help from loved ones in the transition process.” Shawnewa plans to become a doctor, though she is not sure exactly which path she will take in her undergrad studies. “One of the things Shawnewa didn’t mention were the obstacles she
Holbrook Indian School
