Student Success Stories

Elizabeth “Liz” Barrett always loved learning and reading – a passion instilled by her mother, Rose, who regularly read to her as a baby and toddler. As a child and student, Liz did everything at an advanced level. She skipped the eighth grade and began taking college classes at RLNC and Bemidji State as a PSEO student at the age of 15. As a result, she graduated from Red Lake High School a year early with a 4.04 GPA and as Valedictorian. She applied and was accepted to Dartmouth College, one of the world’s great academic institutions and a member of the distinguished Ivy League, along with Harvard and Yale.

According to Liz, she relied heavily on the college algebra she learned at RLNC while taking Calculus I at Dartmouth. Liz’s mother even credited Liz with helping her through the college algebra course that they took together at RLNC, which made her mother very proud.

Liz graduated from Dartmouth in 2021 with a BA in English, with a Creative Writing concentration and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is one of RLNC’s greatest success stories. Her story demonstrates that if our Red Lake Reservation students are given educational opportunities, they can achieve amazing things and compete in the top academic fields anywhere.

Alycia Infante entered RLNC as an exceptional 15-year-old Red Lake High School student taking advantage of the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program at Red Lake Nation College. The program allows high school students to take college classes to earn both high school and college credits.

Becuase she began PSEO so early, Alycia could potentially earn her Associate’s degree before graduating from high school! Although her achievements are noteworthy, Alycia remains humble.

“I’m proud of how much I’ve accomplished here at RLNC, but I don’t feel the need to boast. Anyone can do what I’m doing. All it takes hard work and humility. That’s why I am where I am today.”

Alycia hopes to continue her education and one day become a criminal investigator.

Her advice to other students: “Don’t be afraid — take it seriously! You have to take initiative.”

Alyssa (Awaan Ikwe) Webster was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in Tucson, Arizona.

When she was fifteen, she moved to New York to live with her mom and there, she graduated during her junior year in high school. After graduation, Alyssa came back to her homeland, the Red Lake Nation, to be around family. However, she soon ended up in foster care.

“I went from foster care to tribal college, and I saw first-hand how easy it was for a Native American family to be torn and assimilated,” Alyssa recalled. “The Student Success staff helped me so much during my time at Red Lake Nation College. They guided me throughout the process of getting my own apartment and my first car.”

Alyssa will graduate with RLNC’s Class of 2022 and is transferring to a four-year institution to work on her Bachelor’s degree.

Michael Iceman is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation and is a veteran of both the US Marine Corp and the US Army. He served three tours in Iraq and was awarded two bronze stars.

At 43, he was a leader on campus, serving as the 2019-20 Student Government President.

He graduated from RLNC in 2021 and transfered to Bemidji State to pursue a BS in Wildlife Biology.

But, it wasn’t always easy. “Living with PTSD is one obstacle that I faced, and still today it is something I deal with,” said Iceman. Once I began college, it gave me a new-found purpose. And that, by itself, helped me get stronger as a person, both physically and mentally.”

When asked if he had any words for current or potential students, Iceman replied, “One day we will be considered ancestors; we must ask ourselves what we want our legacy to be. What will the history books say about us?”

Salena Leigh Beasley (Ozaawaa Benais Ikwe/Yellow Thunderbird Woman) is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. She graduated from RLNC in 2021 and then transferred to Bemidji State University to follow in her mother’s footsteps, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

During her first semester as RLNC, Salena was faced with the heart-wrenching knowledge that her mother – her inspiration and biggest supporter, was dying of pancreatic cancer. Salena spent as much time as she could with her mother, taking turns with her siblings to accompany her to chemotherapy and radiation sessions.

Her mother kept encouraging her to finish school like she had. So when she passed away a short time later, Salena was more determined than ever to make her mother proud. Not only did Salena finish that semester, her grades earned her a spot on the President’s list and she went on to graduate as a co-Valedictorian.

Jasmine Gonzalez is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. She graduated from RLNC in 2017, then transferred to Augsburg University in Minneapolis, where she earned her B.A. in English and American Indian Studies in 2019. According to Jasmine, “Besides learning about my culture and community, RLNC gave me the confidence to further my education and career goals.”

After college, Jasmine returned to Red Lake. In 2020, she became the Assistant Grant Writer at RLNC and has been instrumental in obtaining grant funding for the college, Medweganoonind Library, and the Tribal archives. Jasmine’s future plans include continuing her education to earn a Master’s degree, and continuing to live and work on the Reservation.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Jamie King always had a desire to attend college. However, plans changed at age 17 with the birth of her daughter and her move to Red Lake to become the main caretaker for her grandmother. Although circumstances caused Jamie to delay her education plans, they did not stop her from accomplishing the goals she had set. At the age of 27, Jamie earned her GED and began pursuing her associate’s degree at Red Lake Nation College.

Jamie continued to face many obstacles while pursing her degree. During her second semester of college, circumstances required that she juggle school work with a number of challenging family situations. During tough times, Jamie often thought to herself, “If I quit, what kind of example will that set for my kids? I know they’re capable of doing the same [attending college], and I didn’t want them to see me quit.” Jamie went on to be an extremely successful student, receiving honors for academic performance, as well as serving as a member of the Student Government.

Jamie reminds other students, “Don’t doubt yourself. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.”

Jordan May was born and raised in North Dakota. He moved to Red Lake in order to meet family he had never known and to learn more about Red Lake history. Because he had experiences homelessness first-hand, Jordan started working for the Red Lake Homeless Shelter as an on-call advocate.

Around the same time, he enrolled at Red Lake Nation College. He was both a full-time employee and full-time student, so he had to start work early and leave late in order to complete all his work. It paid off — Jordan graduated in 2011.

In 2014, Jordan became the Executive Director of the Red Lake Homeless Shelter, having worked his way to the top of the organization in just five years. He quickly learned how to run the homeless shelter and managed to rescue the entire program’s grant funding, which ensured that the shelter remained open.

Jordan plans to continue his education online through the University of Minnesota – Duluth, to earn his BA in Tribal Administration & Governance. Jordan believes attending Red Lake Nation College was one of the best decisions he ever made because it lead to many bigger and better things in his life.

Lucy Barrett “Minise-Giniw” [Soaring Golden Eagle] inspired hundreds of others by her actions. A longtime Indian Health Services administrator, Lucy retired at age 66 and then did something remarkable — she decided to go to college. Known as the, “grandma student,” she inspired the entire community with her positive outlook and dedication to learning.

In May 2007, Lucy graduated from RLNC with honors and an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Education. She received a scholarship to attend Bemidji State University and just two years later, at the age of 72, she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Indian Studies. Lucy didn’t stop there. Next, she earned her Tribal Eminence Credentials from Red Lake Nation Tribe as a certifi expert in Indian Studies—a distinguished and rare honor based on lifelong knowledge of a tribe’s culture and ways. She used those credentials to teach Anishinaabe Studies as an adjunct instructor at RLNC.

Her classes were favorites on campus. Lucy conducted them like a traditional Ojibwe storyteller – through stories, asking questions, and encouraging her students to ask questions. To many, she was more than an instructor, she was like a grandmother or favorite auntie. She had a way of making everyone feel special.

Lucy died July 23,2018, at the age of 81. She left a legacy of love and life-long learning, not only to her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but to the many students, classmates, co-workers, and community members she inspired. She was a leader in our community,leading by example and showing others what was possible. To honor Lucy’s memory, her former RLNC Indian Studies classroom (#203) has been dedicated in her honor and contains a photo of Lucy with a memorial plaque and a nameplate is mounted outside of the classroom in remembrance.