former and newly elected AISES
officers, Quana also received the
new AISES ―Most Outstanding
Member of the Year Award‖ to be
offered annually at the ceremony by
OMA.
OMA Feather, Ceremony
Coordinator-Program Assistant-
Abena Songbird presented gifts to
Robert Cook and Harriet
Brings from OMA and
AISES and thanked all
The Office of Multicultural Af-
fairs proudly hosted its second annual
Native Feathering Ceremony on May
8, 2009 for two engineering graduates:
Quana Higgins, Oglala Lakota, B..S.,
civil engineer and Myrna Littlewolf,
Chippewa, B..S., industrial engineer-
ing.
Harriet Brings, Oglala Lakota
Cultural Resource Specialist for the Rapid City School District, conducted
the blessing of the feathers and ex-
plained the Hunkapi ceremony for
the two Win. President Robert
Wharton, Ph.D., introduced by OMA Coordinator—Scott Wiley, offered
words of encouragement for each of
the graduates, summarizing their
various achievements while at the
school and highlighting their future
goals.
Keynote Speaker—Robert
Cook, president of the National
Indian Education Association
(NIEA) and Crazy Horse‘s Cultural
Affairs & Education Outreach Spe-
cialist, shared a story on the signifi-
cance of the eagle and receiving a
feather.
As Ateyapi Drum (John Swift
Bird, Scott Means, Wayne Center,
and Sonny Hayes) played a Hunkapi
song, proud family members, fac-
ulty, staff, and community watched
as the two ate their wasna and re-
ceived their eagle plumes. People
lined up to shake their hands while
an Honor Song played. A traditional
meal of buffalo stew, wojapi, and fry
bread was served. after the cere-
mony. Following a recognition of
Spring Feathering Ceremony honors two Native engineers
Deanna Shoup 2009 recipient of IHS Scholarship
Deanna Shoup, a School
of Mines senior , was re-
cently named a recipient of
the prestigious Indian Health
Services (IHS) Scholarship.
The IHS Scholarship is a
highly competitive scholar-
ship for federally or state
recognized American Indians
and Alaska Natives. On
average 1200 applications for
150 scholarships.
Deanna is a member of
the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
Her parents are Pearl Stone
and Joe Prue. She is a gradu-
ate of T.F. Riggs High
School in Pierre, South
Dakota.
A senior interdisci-
plinary sciences major
(pre-professional health),
(Continued on page 2)
President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D. addresses 2009 Native engineering graduates.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS:
JESSICA CHRETIEN
JACQUELINE DEMENT
CLARITA BEGISHE
DEANNA SHOUP WINS INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES SCHOLARSHIP
1
COAL MINING SUMMITT BY JACQUELINE DEMENT
2
SCOTT WILEY’S MULTICULTURAL DIARY
3
AISES 2009 BOARD OF REGENTS AWARD
9
ADAM DELL DENALI FELLOWSHIP
2
Inside this issue:
Fall 2009
First Nations Students at Mines Newsletter
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology American Indian Science & Engineering Society
A 14-foot tipi ,borrowed and raised with help from Robert Cook and mem-
bers of AISES, decorates Surbeck
Ballroom for the ceremony.
Harriet Brings explains the Hunkapi, one of seven sacred ceremonies.
Lila Waste! Quana receives a warm hug from her grandfather.
NIEA President, Robert Cook shares wisdom from his personal journey.
Friday, August 7, 2009 in
SDSM&T King Christensen
Center communications coordi-
nator, Dr. Alfred Boysen wel-
comed all to a closing cere-
mony for a 10- week Research
Education for Undergraduates
(REU) program sponsored by
the National Science Founda-
tion (NSF).
2009 Coal Mining Summit unique eye-opener by Jacqueline DeMent
Shoup continued...
Adam Dell receives Denali Fellowship
students who demonstrate poten-
tial to give back to the Native
American community, and who
demonstrate excellence in man-
agement of multiple areas—
personal life, work experience,
and college extracurricular activi-
ties.
An element of-giving back-
to ones‘ community/
entrepreneurship is encouraged.
The award is $1,000-$2,500
and allows some recipients the
opportunity to attend an all-
expense paid trip to La Jolla, Cali-
fornia for workshops on personal
finance skills and to gain insight
into how the investment manage-
ment industry functions. They will
also tour Denali offices.
The only other requirement
for Dell is to make a presentation to
a group of at least 20 Native
American students and/or tribal
members on a subject
related to personal finance.
School of Mines AISES Presi-
dent Adam Dell recently received
the prestigious Denali Fellowship.
Based in La Jolla, California,
this Fellowship is granted to five-
10 Native college students nation-
wide. Eligibility for the fellowship
is based on: a high GPA (3.0 or
above), one‘s leadership roles with
a focus on those students who have
participated in extracurricular ac-
tivities with Native communities as
well as Native run organizations;
Page 2
“WHEN COAL MINING
IS MENTIONED, THE
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
ENVISION...
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
AND MEN WITH PICK
AXES...
..MY PERCEPTION OF
COAL MINING WILL
BE FOREVER
CHANGED.”
Deanna is also a non-traditional
student and a member of the Ameri-
can Indian Science & Engineering
Society chapter on campus and an
exemplary student.
There are three different cate-
gories for this scholarship and
awards vary depending on school
the recipient attends. The total
award amount received is approxi-
mately $25,000 for the year, cover-
ing tuition, fees, books, and allow-
ing a travel award and monthly
stipend.
After writing three essays,
turning in two recommendations,
and furnishing additional documen-
tation, Deanna‘s efforts paid off.
―I just received the notifica-
tion today (August 13),‖ she said.
―I‘ve been applying for this schol-
arship for the past four years!‖
Deanna thanked OMA coordi-
nator, Scott Wiley for his recom-
mendation, support, and encourage-
ment during the past year.
The IHS scholarship is
awarded to students who are plan-
ning on working in the underserved
disciplines in the medical field. For
physicians, it is geared towards
students who plan on going into
Family Practice, obstetrics/
gynecology (OB/GYN), podiatry or
other highly-needed IHS areas.
Deanna wants to specialize in
OB-GYN or family practice and
wants to practice in the Black Hills
area or in the Midwest. She also
recently received word that she is a
recipient of the ―Catching the
Dream Native American Scholar-
ship‖ based in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
A four-year medical school
program is her next step. She will
apply to various schools this year.
―There is a shortage of doctors in
this area,‖ she said, adding that she
would like to work in the IHS sys-
tem, or at least ―where there is a
large concentration of
Native people.‖
This past spring Dr. Carter
Kerk (industrial engineering pro-
fessor) and I (civil engineering
student) had the opportunity to
attend a two-day coal-mining sum-
mit hosted by Peabody Coal in
Gillette, Wyoming. When coal
mining is mentioned, the majority
of people envision the stereotypical
eastern United States, underground
tunnels, confined spaces, claustro-
phobia and men with pick axes
wearing head lamps. This is the
exact opposite of the coal mines in
the Midwest, and Wyoming in
particular. Wide-open prairie, ante-
lope, and massive equipment are a
few things you will see when ven-
turing west.
Peabody Coal geared its first
annual—Coal Mining Summit-
towards minorities and women.
The summit took place at the
Caballo Coal Mine in the Powder
Basin in eastern Wyoming and at
Peabody‘s Headquarters in Gillette,
Wyoming. For two days, our eyes
were opened to the world of open
pit coal mining; the business side,
the environmental side, the opera-
tions side, and sustainability for
future generations.
Many believe that opportuni-
ties for employment are limited to
―mining engineers.‖ Peabody em-
ploys and offers internships to me-
chanical, civil, electrical, geologi-
cal, environmental, and industrial
engineers.
All of the disciplines are vital to
the operations and assist in main-
taining a successful and profitable
mine.
From driving the simulator to
seeing the gigantic bulldozers push
earth, my perception of coal mining
is forever changed.
School of Mines civil engineering stu-dent, Jacqueline DeMent & Industrial Engineering Professor, Dr. Carter Kerk ride the large coal dump truck.
Jacqueline is dwarfed by a big rig tire.
Scott Wiley’s Multicultural Training Diary
Page 3
Volume 1, Issue 2
So I‘m sitting in the commons
and a student says, ―Hey, what‘s
up with these drums?‖
He noticed the Native Ameri-
can traditional drums we have
near the Office of Multicultural
Affairs. His tone of voice told me
he was confused about their pres-
ence on a college campus.
Of course, the incident was an
opportunity to explain that Lakota
culture is very ancient, and many
members want to preserve as
much as possible. This requires
the passing of traditions on to
younger generations and teaching
them the significance of these
traditions
In most Native cultures, the
drum is a centerpiece for any
gathering–from weddings, to hon-
oring ceremonies, to funerals, to
parties.
Note to self: Try to have an
open mind when you run into
someone else‘s context. Before
you decide something is silly,
unnecessary, or disagreeable, try
to find out why it is important to
someone else.
It‘s just basic respect, which
is the first rule of human relation-
ships, whether they be personal,
professional, corporate, athletic,
or whatever.
There is a world of difference
between the mindset that says, ―I
don‘t know what that‘s all about –
I don‘t like it,‖ and, ―I don‘t know
what that‘s all about—tell me
more.‖
―Help me understand‖ is
better than ―Why do you al-
ways…?‖
Be curious. Ask questions
respectfully–not to judge or put
down, but to expand your own
understanding and appreciation for
people who come from a different
background than you.
This is just good advice in
general. It will help you get along
with people who are younger than
you, older than you, speak a differ-
ent first language, or come from a
different part of the city, the coun-
try, or the globe. It will even help
you get along with the opposite
sex!
Remember, you live in the age
of globalization. Get used to it.
Student Spotlight
Clarita Begishe, of Black Mesa
Arizona, is a member of the Diné
tribe (Navajo Nation) and a sen-
ior pursuing a B.S. in mining
engineering at the School of
Mines. Her graduation date will
be in the spring of 2011, and she
maintains a 3.0 grade point aver-
age.
A non-traditional student,
Clarita is a single mother. Her
parents are Shirley and Henry
Begishe, also Diné. The oldest of
six, Clarita has four brothers and
an additional sister. Her oldest
brother attends Oglala Lakota
College.
As the oldest in her family,
she was always self-motivated.
Clarita managed to be in the top
15 percent of her high school
class. She was influenced in her
eventual pursuit of a mining en-
gineering major by both her fa-
ther and her nation.
Automotive Technician
Fresh out of high school, she
went to Crownpoint Institute of
Technology (CIT) on the reserva-
tion for a year and graduated with
a certificate of completion as an
automotive technician.
Upon completion of the
course, Clarita was given a red
tool box by CIT. She still has it
to this day.
―Nobody touches my tool box,‖
she said.
Working in the Coal Mine
After several dead-end jobs,
she worked at the Peabody mine
site in security and driving the
―Wishy-Washy,‖ a large diesel
truck that had a portable water
heater that churned out high-
pressured water. This was at the
height of the winter season, wet
and cold.
―You had to go wash heavy
equipment in the mines. If you
worked on the conveyor belt or
the silo it was just a lot of work.
You had to carry the hose all the
way up – as petite as I am you
had to work extra hard,‖ she
noted.
While working, she also
attended Diné Tribal College. She sought the help of the col-
lege‘s academic advisor who
encouraged her to finish with a
dual–degree, graduating with a
associate‘s degree in both social
behavior science and business
administration.
While finishing these de-
grees, she found a part-time job
at Peabody Coal Mine as clerical
help. A year after graduation, she
began looking for jobs on the reser-
vation and couldn‘t find any. ―They
would tell me, ‗we need someone
with a Bachelor‘s Degree in Social
Sciences, something higher,‘‖ she
said.
South Dakota School of Mines
Looking around at schools,
Clarita considered Montana Tech,
New Mexico Tech, and Colorado
School of Mines. Then she discov-
ered the South Dakota School of
Mines and Technology.
Long having a fascination
about South Dakota‘s Badlands,
Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse,
Lakota Culture, and the Northern
Plains Tribes, she decided to apply
and was accepted.
In 2006, she flew out to South
Dakota alone with one suitcase.
Keeping her GPA high, she re-
ceived several scholarships, includ-
ing the Navajo Nation‘s prestigious
Chief Manuelito Scholarship, sev-
eral freshman scholarships from the
SDSM&T Mining Department, a
multi-cultural scholarship and a
(Continued on page 6)
Clarita Begishe, B.S. mining engineering, AISES
Secretary
“YOU HAD TO GO
WASH HEAVY
EQUIPMENT IN THE
MINES. IF YOU
WORKED ON THE
CONVEYOR BELT OR
THE SILO IT WAS JUST
A LOT OF WORK.
YOU HAD TO CARRY
THE HOSE ALL THE
WAY UP. AS PETITE
AS I AM, I HAD TO
WORK EXTRA HARD...”
Jessica Chretien, African
American, Oglala Lakota, Rapid
City is a senior industrial engi-
neering major. Her parents are
Geraldine Goes-In-Center,
Oglala Lakota and Roger Chre-
tien, a Cajun (mixed blood Afri-
can, Native, Caucasian, and
French) from Louisiana. De-
scribing herself as a-military brat
-who grew up ―all over,‖ Jessie
was born in Louisiana, and even-
tually moved to her mother‘s
place of birth–the Pine Ridge
Reservation.
She went to high school for
several years at Red Cloud on the
Pine Ridge Reservation, and after
moving to Rapid City finished
the two years at Central High
School, where she graduated.
Being of mixed race from
such diverse cultures was not a
hindrance to Jessie.
―Growing up, I didn‘t even
notice I was different,‖ she said.
―Being in the military, every-
one‘s pretty much the same–
everyone‘s parents make the
same amount of money, live in
the same kind of houses. I didn‘t
even notice the differences in
cultures until my dad retired, and
I lived in Louisiana with him.‖
Jessie lived there for about a
year when she was in seventh
grade, before moving to South
Dakota.
Tri-cultures
The cultures of Louisiana are
as diverse in make-up as the ingre-
dients that go into a good gumbo
stew. African cultures blend with
Creole, Native American, and
French to form amazing mixtures
reflected in the language, food, and
the music.
―At first, it was a culture shock,
because I have lighter skin, every-
one assumed I was white but by the
end of the year, I was hanging out
more with the black kids,‖ she said.
―It was just shocking to me as I had
never before experienced people
wanting to separate themselves
because of their family back-
ground.‖
Jessie started eighth grade at
Red Cloud High School on the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation, which
she described as ―shocking.‖
―Life on the res is different
from everywhere else. It‘s similar
in a way— because there are still a
lot of people separating themselves
because of where they‘re from,‖
she notes. ―I saw that there was
racism here too, not just in Louisi-
ana—down south.‖
Jessie said she didn‘t really
feel too much red-on-red discrimi-
nation because of her lighter skin.
―I don‘t know if I didn‘t no-
tice because I‘m just oblivious to
that.‖
Higher education is important
to her family. She is the third-
oldest of four sisters. Her second
- oldest sister has a degree in
elementary education; her oldest
now attends college and will be
graduating this fall with a degree
in communications broadcasting.
―I‘m the only one in the
technical fields, the STEM
fields,‖ she said. At 26, she
follows in her parents footsteps,
returning as a non-traditional
student. ―My parents didn‘t go to
school until after they had a
family and were much older,‖
she said. Her father has an A.A.
degree in juvenile justice and
works for the District Attorney
in the Louisiana town he resides
in. Jessie‘s mother has an A.A.
degree in social work from
Oglala Lakota College and is a
well-known regional entrepre-
neur, advocate for traditional
indigenous herbs, foods/diet,
author, educator, and presenter.
In 2001, Chretien was on
the path to art school and casu-
ally shopping a school in Colo-
rado for commercial design.
She then received a full-
ridescholarship to a liberal arts
school in Wisconsin.
―You don‘t turn something
like that down,‖ she said. She
also ran on the cross country
team there and made many
friends but decided the degree
wasn‘t for her and left.
Page 4
Student Spotlight
―I KNOW THAT MATH,
ENGINEERING AND
THE SCIENCES ARE
SERIOUSLY
UNDERREPRESENTED
BY WOMEN AND
MINORITIES, SO I
KINDA KNEW
COMING IN THAT I
WOULD BE UNIQUE IN
THE CLASSROOM.”
Jessica Chretien, B.S industrial engineering- Jessie
gives “ thumbs up” before riding the-Tower of
Terror-at Disney World during the national AISES
conference in Anaheim, California.
Activities—Announcements
Jacqueline DeMent, Oglala, La-
kota, Rapid City, a BS. civil engi-
neering junior was born in Pine
Ridge, South Dakota, and grew up
on a ranch just south of Oglala.
Her mother is Deborah Rooks, an
Oglala Lakota also part of the
Rooks clan, (her maternal grand-
father was from Rosebud–the St.
Francis area), and her father is
Henry Franklin DeMent, of
French heritage.
―My dad was a navy brat, the
only son of a naval commander,‖
she noted. Jacqueline‘s grandfa-
ther was a Navy pilot.
―My parents met in the Ma-
rine Corps in San Diego,‖ she
said. She is the youngest of three
sisters–one is her twin (who is a
minute older than she), and a half
-brother from her Dad‘s second
marriage to her step-mother of 24
years, Jinger.
High school
Jacqueline‘s mother remar-
ried to Louie Cook, a Mohawk
from Akwesasne, so the family
relocated to Canton, New York
15 miles from the Canadian bor-
der, when she was in seventh
grade. She lived there until she
was a freshman in high school.
Her step-father had a jazz
radio show, at nearby St. Law-
rence University.
Next, she moved with her
twin to Florida to stay with their
biological father-while her mother
and step-father moved back to
South Dakota.
(Continued on page 7)
Student Spotlight
Chretien continued…
few years at the School of
Mines, Jessie also had a mentor
in the WISE program (Women
In Science and Engineering,
directed by Royia Decker). She
found the campus climate a good
fit, making friends easily. She
joined the cross country team on
campus and ―spent her time
well.‖
―I didn‘t really struggle
academically,‖ she said. ―It was
definitely something to get used
to—the difference—but I was
always really good in school.‖
Through her years at the School
of Mines she said that it was
being a female student that stood
out on campus rather than a mi-
nority.
―I know that math, engi-
neering, and the sciences are
seriously underrepresented by
women and minorities, so I
kinda knew coming in that I
would be unique in the class-
room,‖ she added. ―I think it‘s
been good for everybody
around.‖
Graduating May 2010,
with a B.S in industrial engineer-
ing. Jessie said she‘s not sure
what‘s on the horizon, but is
open and looking ―for all oppor-
tunities.‖
She has taken the GRE in
anticipation of graduate school,
though she hasn‘t picked out a
school or specific program.
She is currently investigating
schools and various jobs she could
get. ―I‘m pretty much open to
living anywhere where the oppor-
tunities are. Leroy is open too,
though he doesn‘t know it yet,‖
she laughs.
Her message to incoming
Native, female, and minority
freshmen is: ―Don‘t be shy. I
think a lot of Natives, especially
coming off the res, have a ten-
dency to seem shier or are shy
because they don‘t make direct
eye-contact usually. Also find
study mates and don‘t give up.‖
Jessie says often times it can
be intimidating in those first few
classes where academically it
might be a lot harder than a stu-
dent anticipates and they might
end up falling behind. ―Stick with
it. Talk to the professors, they‘ll
help you,‖ she said.
The Office of Multicultural
Affairs, she says, has also helped
her somewhat by giving a ―safe-
haven‖ to come to do studying as
well as helping socially.
―I met a lot of people here
I‘ve become good friends with and
have things in common with,‖
she said.
―It‘s been great for networking
and friendships.‖
(Continued on page 6)
Returning to Rapid City
Chretien says her real inter-
est in math, and sciences devel-
oped while at liberal arts college.
From there she came back to
Rapid City, met her future hus-
band and had a child, Leroy, who
is now 5. The marriage didn‘t last
and she has been the sole provider
of Leroy since he was two weeks
old.
―I‘ve just been juggling
whatever works,‘ she said. When
Leroy was older, she began taking
classes part-time both at Oglala
Lakota College and at the School
of Mines, studying accounting.
―I realized I loved the School
of Mines as soon as I came to
campus—the professors, the at-
mosphere, and knew I had to stay
but never realized I would pursue
engineering,‖ she said. Then she
met Dr. Carter Kerk, professor of
industrial engineering, who
helped persuade her toward Indus-
trial Engineering.
―I made it work—applied for
scholarships and got them,‖ she
said. This year, her senior year,
Jessie is the recipient of the Tio-
spaye Engineering Scholarship,
which pays much of her tuition,
provides tutoring, and assists in
providing appropriate career
placement or continued schooling
following graduation. In her first Page 5
Volume 1, Issue 2
“I REALIZED I LOVED
THE SCHOOL OF MINES
AS SOON AS I CAME
TO CAMPUS – THE
PROFESSORS, THE
ATMOSPHERE…AND
KNEW I HAD TO STAY
BUT NEVER REALIZED I
WOULD PURSUE
ENGINEERING,” SHE
SAID. ”
Jacqueline DeMent , B.S. civil engineer
AISES Vice President
Since last summer, Jessie
has been involved in an intern-
ship with the City of Rapid in the
Solid Waste Division under Jerry
Wright. ―He‘s been keeping me
on ever since‖ using her indus-
trial engineering skills. She
completed a physical audit of
their collection system ―spending
a lot of hours outside in a truck,
checking numbers.‘ This year,
he asked her to assist with the
company‘s solid waste manage-
ment plan, and she‘s been get-
ting to consult with city council
members.
―Everything that my boss
gets to do I get to sit in on and
experience so it‘s been really
great,‖ she noted.
As a member of and former
AISES officer (vice president)
and current Institute of Industrial
Engineers officer (president),
Jessie has traveled to the national
conventions, including last year‘s
AISES Convention in Anaheim,
California. ― It was a lot of fun
and I got to meet a lot of people,‖
she said.
As this year‘s recipient of the
prestigious UPS scholarship for
female students, Jessica traveled to
an IIE Conference in Miami, Flor-
ida. She was also featured in the
August 2009 IIE national maga-
zine. She is part of the Industrial
Engineering Honor Society, Alpha
Pi Mu and also has participated in
Drama Club, track and cross
county.
of Rocks, Wyoming, 50 miles
from Rock Springs.
From August to December
2008, she worked for the Canadian
-owned, locally-based Wharf Re-
sources Gold Mining Company.
―As I get more and more
involved in mining, I don‘t know
if I want to do surface or deep
underground mining,‖ she noted,
adding that she hopes to get in-
volved in opportunities at the
Deep Underground Science and
Engineering Lab (DUSEL) in
Lead, South Dakota. ―It‘s some-
thing I want to try—see if I can do
it. I‘m also thinking about going
to get my masters in mining,‖
Clarita said.
Culture shock on campus
“When I received the School
of Mines brochure, I read it, and it
said there was Native American
culture here, and I thought, ‗Wow,
there must be a lot of Lakota peo-
ple here,‘ she said. ―When I got
here and looked around, there was
hardly anybody here, but there
were a few Native American jun-
iors and seniors, and they really
helped me out.‖
It has improved
Caterpillar Scholarship. She is
also a recipient of the prestigious
Rocky Mountain College Schol-
arship. Clarita won the Coal SME
(Society of Mining Engineers)
Scholarship, a scholarship from
Shiprock/Farmington Under-
ground Mining, and the Interna-
tional Order of the King‘s
Daughters and Sons North
American Indian Scholarship,
This year Clarita is part of
the Tiospaye in Engineering
Scholarship program, but decided
to veer away from applying for
more scholarships.
―I decided I am more of a
private person, a family person,
so I decided to pursue loans in-
stead,‖ she noted.
Work opportunities
Clarita had the opportunity
to work with numerous mining
companies while here at the
School of Mines.
As a freshman, she first
worked a summer internship with
Kiewit Mining Group at their site
based in Decker, Montana.
Montana Kiewit asked her
to come back again, but this last
summer, she decided to work at
Black Butte Coal Mine in Point
Clarita noted increasing
improvements in the last few
years on campus in the visibility
of Native students, and women.
―It‘s grown so much. I see
the support that‘s here,‖ she said,
indicating the Office of Multi-
cultural Affairs. ―But being Na-
tive, I don‘t think you should
always protect yourself from
others. Be open-minded.‖
Clarita, references her work
in the coal mine, where she says
she was never treated differently
for being a woman or for being
Native.
She said that social network-
ing is key at the School of Mines
and wants to encourage Native
freshmen to take full advantage
of the Career Fairs, the tips given
by, the South of Mines Career
Center to be sociable and connect
with people—Internships, getting
your name out to get a job, the
Office of Multicultural Affairs,
AISES, and other clubs on cam-
pus.
―There were just so many
barriers I had to cross, but I kept
an open mind,‖ she said. ―Don‘t
let the color of your skin hold
you back.‖
Jessica Chretien continued...
Clarita Begishe continued...
Page 6
Student Spotlight
Jessica (right) assists in the AISES Truss Bridge competition at the Rapid City
Club for Boys last semester.
“THERE WERE
JUST SO MANY
BARRIERS I HAD
TO CROSS BUT
I KEPT AN OPEN
MIND…”
“DON’T LET THE
COLOR OF YOUR
SKIN HOLD YOU
BACK.”
Another successful
AISES
Indian Taco Sale!
October 2009
She attended high school there
for a year and a half, then moved to
Hot Springs, South Dakota, and
finished her high school years. Her
sister, Rachel, stayed in New York,
and attended Rochester Institute of
Technology and is now an M.D.
Education important to the family
―Growing up we were in pri-
vate schools in California,‖ she said,
adding that she was very young
when her parents divorced. ―We
moved back and forth a lot. I‘ve
lived in California, Nebraska, South
Dakota, Florida, and New York. I
went to nine schools in 12 years.‖
Jacqueline credits her early
experience at an academically-tough
private school in California for pro-
viding an important strong educa-
tional foundation in her formative
years.
―My dad always pushed us,‖
she said, ―‗Get A‘s, A-s, A-s and be
good in school.‘ My mom was the
same way , ‗be good in school, get a
scholarship, get your degree.‘ It was
just always ingrained since I was in
kindergarten,‖ she laughs, ‗You‘re
going to college!‘ because neither
of them ever finished college.‖ Her
mother worked for the tribe in vari-
ous jobs in law enforcement, and her
father was a self-taught business-
man.
―Being a twin, making friends,
and moving around that much was
easy because we were unique,‖ De-
Ment noted. ―We had become very
adaptable, outgoing, and friendly
entering a new school, plus we were
always very active in sports, which
also gave us an automatic in to make
more friends through athletics.‖
Jackie excelled in track, basket-
ball, and volleyball in high school
and this continued on into her col-
lege years.
―I was very decorated for high
school track in Hot Springs, South
Dakota. In the two years I was
there, I won five state champion-
ships and two team championships,‖
she said, adding that during her high
school time in New York, she was
chosen as the only freshman to go to
Jackie DeMent Spotlight cont...
Volume 1, Issue 2
state to compete in the 400 hurdles
event.
Being of mixed heritage, De-
Ment said she never experienced the
racism in New York as she has in
the Midwest.
―I don‘t know if it‘s because of
the whole history of the United
States— the clash between the Army
and the Natives out here in the
West— Wounded Knee, Custer—
all those different battles experi-
enced when the early settlers came
out. I found it was difficult when I
was younger and went to school on
the reservation because I looked
white,‖ she said, adding that when
she would travel to border towns of
Chadron, Nebraska or Scottsbluff
they knew she was from the reserva-
tion. ―Then I got it from both sides.‖
The journey to the School of
Mines
Graduating high school from
Hot Springs, DeMent had scholar-
ships to attend the University of
South Dakota for pre-med.
―I had academic and athletic
scholarships and scored pretty high
on my ACT-s so I could go any-
where I wanted,‖ she said. She ini-
tially chose USD for its indoor track
and medical school.
―I went there for a year and
didn‘t like it. I‘m from a small
town, a country girl raised in West
River. East River was really differ-
ent, really preppy,‖ she said. ―I did-
n‘t really fit in.‖ Transferring her
second year to play basketball at a
Wyoming junior college, she blos-
somed.
―I did really well there, was
sent to nationals that year and was
really successful,‖ she said. Her
third year, she transferred to
Chadron State College, with her
sights set on being a sports medicine
doctor.
―I was in the athletics program
at Chadron, taping all the football
player‘s hands,‖ she said. ―Kinda the
grunt job my first year in the pro-
gram.‖ She withdrew in October of
that year, tried to go back her second
semester but it didn‘t work out. She
then met a friend of the family that
she used to ride horses for, a 35-year
retiree from AT&T who would com-
pile crews to work with him.
―At that time, the big pull was
fiber optics,‖ she said. ―It was big.‖
He used his engineering firm con-
tacts to do fiber optic routes and he
needed stakers. DeMent then 21,
with three years of college behind
her, got the job with an engineering
firm in Denver, Colorado.
―But I was pre-med so the years
didn‘t matter,‖ she said. Jackie
moved by herself to Denver to be-
come a field representative. ―I
moved with everything I had in my
car and lived in a hotel for the first
two weeks,‖ she said, adding that
she never went in the field once.
―They got me in the office using the
computers in the Auto-CAD pro-
grams and I caught on quickly,‖ she
said. ―I was pretty computer savvy
anyhow so they made me a drafter.‖
DeMent worked for the firm full-
time making $14 an hour.
―From this, I started finding a
really big interest in engineering,‖
she said. I thought, ‗Wow, this draft-
ing is really cool because it adds
creativity along with my scientific
mind.‘ After a year in Denver, her
father encouraged her to again move
to Florida, as many of his clients
were engineers. As a single girl, she
was ready. In May of 2001, DeMent
moved to Florida. For eight
months in 2001 she worked a Flor-
ida surveying firm and eventually
took a job at a civil engineering
firm.
Here she met Dennis (her ex-
fiancé), the father of her son, Ca-
dence, now 6. After giving birth,
DeMent decided to try to stay home
and go back to school. Resigning
from the firm, she attended classes at
a junior community college in draft-
ing technology.
In December 2003, she de-
cided to move back to South Dakota
with her five month-old baby. She
worked with her uncle in the funeral
business, then with Indian Health
Service.
(Continued on page 8)
Page 7
“BEING A
TWIN, MAK-
ING FRIENDS
AND MOVING
AROUND THAT
MUCH WAS
EASY BECAUSE
WE WERE
UNIQUE,”
DEMENT
NOTED.
Charles Bush and Jacqueline DeMent repre-
senting on the AISES float for M-Week
Parade.
Volume 1, Issue 2
DeMent Spotlight cont...
In the fall of 2005, DeMent
decided to return to school to get her
engineering degree. She moved to
Rapid City, bought a house, but was
still commuting back and forth from
IHS in Martin (a four- hour drive)
for 18 months.
―That was a hard year. I was still
working for IHS, doing a lot of envi-
ronmental engineering,‖ Jackie said.
―I was still going to class on Mon-
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays.‖
In January of 2006, she had
applied at a civil engineering firm,
Dream Design International, based
in Rapid City and also attended the
School of Mines part-time. Her boss
and several engineers she worked
with were School of Mines alumni.
―To me that was God Sent, as it
was right here in town,‖ DeMent
noted.
―I plugged away the best I could
the first three years I was in Rapid
City,‖ she said. ―It wasn‘t until three
years in going to school part-time
and working part-time for the firm,
that I made a breakthrough.‖ An
internship at Montana Dakota Utili-
ties opened up in April 2008 right
across the street from the School of
Mines, and she took it.
―It was geared toward a student
engineer not a drafter working part-
time and going to school part-time,‖
she said.
Currently, DeMent works full-
time at MDU in the summer months
and 10 – 15 hours during the school
year or whatever her schedule al-
lows.
Scholarships
Jackie received the coveted
School of Mines Tiospaye Engineer-
ing Scholarship this fall which com-
bined Pell grants and five other
scholarships, to cover most of her
tuition. She has been a past recipient
of the American Indian Education
Scholarship, several civil engineer-
ing scholarships from the School of
Mines, including the AISES Dr. Jack
Weyland Scholarship. She is also the
recipient of her Oglala Sioux Tribe‘s
Higher Education grant.
―This helped me get through
summer school this summer,‖ she
Page 8
AISES members Jackie DeMent &
Charles Bush demonstrate the
Vinegar Volcano at BHCH American
Indian Science & Engineering
Science Fair.
adding that she wouldn‘t have been
able to go otherwise. Her financial
need is high, she said and because of
this she receives a lot of scholarships.
Campus climate as a Native student
This year, she is focusing her
efforts on AISES where, she said, ―I
can do more and make more of an
impact.‖
―When I first came to campus in
‘05, I was really excited, really, ‗gung
-ho.‘ The environment, however, was
different at that time, and it seemed
difficult to be included.
Last year, she was AISES sec-
retary, and this year, she was voted in
as vice president.
―I make a huge effort to make
everyone feel welcome,‖ she said.
―I‘m very active, spearheading a lot
of different things.‖ She has been at
the helm of establishing a mentor
program for incoming Native fresh-
man, working with OMA coordinator,
Scott Wiley and program assistant,
Abena Songbird this past summer to
implement this, pairing with Native
upperclassmen to help them navigate
through the Mines experience and
aide in their retention.
―Because I‘m a non-trad and
have been in the real world on my
own a few years no one said, ‗do this,
do that,‘ the 30-year-old civil engi-
neering student added. ―I know I‘ve
fumbled through things a lot and
wished I‘d had someone to mentor
me, so I hope that this mentorship
thing we‘re starting will help incom-
ing Native freshmen not feel so alone,
because I felt that way as a non-trad.
Didn‘t go to parties, didn‘t go to Tri-
angle Club those kinds of things. I
was just a single mother trying to go
to school.‖
The professors at this university
make a -―huge effort‖- for single
parents, she says. She has brought
Cadence into her classes before.
―My industrial engineering pro-
fessor used to work for a toy manu-
facturing company, and one day, he
brought one of his toy models in for
my son as a present while he was in
class with me,‖ she said. ―I thought
that was just great. They‘d rather have
me come to class with my son than
that was just great.‖
―I have received tremendous
support and from several people on
campus: Dr. Kenner (my advisor), Dr.
Kate Alley, David Martin, Jolie
McCoy, and Scott and Abena. They
believed in me and helped me through
some really tough times. I am eter-
nally grateful for their understanding
and encouragement.‖
Though sports have taken a back
seat for Jackie to focus on her studies,
this year, she is also coaching her
son‘s soccer team, the Rapid City
Mustangs.
Bright future
Jackie will graduate in May 2011
with her B.S. in civil engineering. She
has yet to choose her emphasis, and is
looking at both environmental and
geotechnical engineering. She was
offered an internship last summer in
Alaska with American Native Tribal
Health Consortium (ANTHC) but as a
single parent depending on her son‘s
father, who was working overseas, to
take Cadence, she missed the oppor-
tunity. ―He didn‘t get back in time,‖
she said, adding that she harbors no
hard feelings. ―When that door
closed, the internship for MDU
opened up which is a year-round gig.‖
She says she also has IHS con-
tacts now in Alaska. ―My old boss
still wants me to come back,‖ she
said. I have opportunities, the Coal
Mining Summit… there‘s a lot, but I
can‘t even begin to speculate where
I‘ll go.‖
She is currently in a steady rela-
tionship with Patrick Van Loan, a
master carpenter who has a daughter
her son‘s age.
―She goes to the same school as
my son. They are in the same grade
and that‘s how Patrick and I met,‖ she
said. ―Another single parent.‖ De-
Ment says the partnership is good
they really balance out and comple-
ment each other.
Recently, Van Loan, 31, spent six
hours constructing a plywood tipi for
the first AISES M-Week float. ―I was
so happy and proud that he offered to
help out. He is really supportive of
(Continued on page 9)
“OBVIOUSLY I
WASN’T GOING
TO STAY IN THE
FUNERAL HOME – I
WANTED TO GO
BACK TO ENGI-
NEERING,” SHE
SAID.
Me. We all congregated at my
house and worked together as a
cohesive unit. AISES members,
Patrick, and Abena, it was great!‖
she said, smiling.
Message to up and coming Na-
tive freshmen
―Use your resources: Scott
and Abena. Take advantage of
everything, every resource tool
that you have,‖ she said. ―Utilize
upper classmen; this mentor/
mentee program that we have
now.‖
―I grew up on the reservation
and know the circumstances,
situations you can encounter.
Even though I don‘t look Native
American I can relate to a lot of
the students,‖ DeMent said. ―I
know they can be discouraged
because of the low minority popu-
lation on campus especially if
you‘re a woman and Native
American but know you are not
alone. We are trying to build a
really good foundation for AISES
and all the Native American stu-
dents. This school and Dr. Carter
Kerk are doing a good job,‖ she
added. ―Just take advantage of
the upperclassmen while you can.
Adam Dell [AISES president,
B.S. IS-Health] is also doing a
great job. I can‘t even say
enough about him as far as what
he‘s done for AISES and to rep-
resent our school and all the offi-
cers. Last year as a group, we had
a huge turn around, and I think
there‘s nothing but good things to
come.‖
―Stay positive, everyone
struggles,‖ she reminded. ―It‘s a
matter of getting back up and
keep going. Don‘t settle for less.
There are so many opportunities
for Native Americans as far as
financial assistance. The sky‘s
the limit with us. I honestly be-
lieve that, especially at the
School of Mines. Once you get
that Mines degree there‘s nothing
that can stop you.‖
Student Spotlight—DeMent continued...
Page 9
Student Spotlight
AISES recipient of 2009 SD Board of Regents Award
was President, Adam Dell and
Vice President, Jessica Chre-
tien. AISES member Deanna
Shoup also received a Board
of Regents Award in recogni-
tion as Outstanding Non-
Traditional Student Organiza-
tion Member.
On April 7, 2009, the School
of Mines Chapter of AISES
received the distinguished
Certificate of Social Recogni-
tion for Community Service
at a special banquet in the
Surbeck Ball Room.
Accepting the S.D. Board
of Regents Award for AISES
“THE SKY’S THE
LIMIT WITH US. I
HONESTLY BELIEVE
THAT ESPECIALLY
AT THE SCHOOL
OF MINES. ONCE
YOU GET THAT
MINES DEGREE –
THERE’S NOTHING
THAT CAN STOP
YOU.”
AISES Recipients of 2009 Board of Regents Award,
from left: Lukasz Dubaj, Student Association Presi-
dent; President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D.; SDSM&T
AISES President Adam Dell, SD Board of Regents
President, Terry Baloun; Dr. Robb Winter; Scott
Wiley, AISES Advisors. Front Row left: Abena
Songbird, Program Assistant; Clarita Begishe, AISES
Secretary; Jacqueline DeMent, AISES Vice President;
and Dakota Young, AISES member.
Jacqueline puts the finishing touches on a
banner for AISES M-Week float.
Premier AISES Float
“rockin” the
M-Week Parade
501 E. Saint Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: (605) 394-1828
Fax: (605) 394-2444
E-mail: [email protected]
AISES
Delegates for the October
AISES National Conference
in Portland, Oregon:
Adam Dell
Jacqueline DeMent
Clarita Begishe
Aarika Begay
Derek Bankston
Katy Buchy
Dakota Young
Jessica Tsingine
AISES 2009 Officers:
Adam Dell, president
Jacqueline DeMent, vice
president
Clarita Begishe, treasurer
Wee Conroy, secretary
The School of Mines AISES Chapter meets weekly in
the lower Surbeck OMA area and is always
recruiting new members and further involvement
from its current members. Elections for the four
AISES Officers positions are held each spring.
Nominations are open to national AISES student
members.
AISES Sponsored Events:
Indian Taco Sales
October 13
AISES National Conference
Portland, Oregon
Oct. 29 -31
United Blood Services AISES
Blood Drive
Nov. 17
Thanksgiving Cultural Feast
with Children‘s Home Society
Nov. 8th
PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE
American Indian Science & Engineering Society chapter
We‘re on the Web!
multicultural.sdsmt.edu/aises
Welcome New SDSM&T AISES Chapter Members!
2009-2010 AISES Members:
Derek Bankston, new member
Aarika Begay, new member Clarita Begishe, renewal
Katherine Buchy, renewal
Charles Bush, renewal Kimberlynn Cameron, new member
Jessica Chretien, renewal
Weewashte Conroy, renewal Daun Davids, new member
Adam Dell, renewal Jacqueline DeMent, renewal
William Ealy, new member
Tom Fryslie, renewal Dawn Henderson, new member
Liesl Knecht, new member
Nathan Koch, new member Theresa LaRoche, new member
Ryan Mclaughlin, new member
Vern Pino, new member Shawndai Prue, renewal
Jon Ramsey, new member
Dan Reynolds, renewal Vanessa Sevier, new member
Jessica Tsingine, renewal
Tada Vargas-Black Bear, new member John Watters, new member
Beau White, new member
Deidre Wolf, new member Dakota Young, new member
Kevyn Zephier, new member
Daun Davids, new member