WIGA Scholarship Program Awards $100,000 to Native American and Alaska Native Students

The WIGA Scholarship Program awarded $100,000 to 43 students for the 2023-24 academic school year. Congratulations to this year’s awardees:

Associates Degree Scholarship Winners
• Kaeden Butterfield, Makah Tribe
Sports Medicine, Peninsula College
• Allie Greene, Makah Tribe
Kinesiology, Bellevue College or Lower Columbia College
• Christina Hoekstra, Makah Tribe
Chemical Dependency, Northwest Indian College
• Mary Johnson, Makah Tribe
Nursing, Peninsula College
• Elissa Jules, Lummi Nation
Nursing, Everett Community College
• Kah-Ty Natrall, Squamish First Nations
Biology, University of Oregon or Washington State University
• Emily Poulin, Skokomish Indian Tribe
Public Health, South Puget Sound Community College
• Kaela Tyler, Makah Tribe
Dental Therapy, Skagit Valley College
• Keesha Vigil-Snook, Squaxin Island Tribe
Transfer Degree, South Puget Sound Community College
• Alexandria Willoughby, Shoalwater Bay Tribe
Business Management, Portland Community College

Undergraduate Program Scholarship Winners
• Madalyn Crane, Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Global Health, University of Washington
• Colby Elvrum, Makah Tribe
Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
• Kessler Fjellman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Business, College of Idaho
• Ayasha Forespring, Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Nursing, Case Western or University of Washington
• Olivia George, Suquamish Tribe
Education, Gonzaga University or University of Washington
• Gina Graham, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Social Work, Salish Kootenai College
• Ruth Greene, Makah Tribe
Psychology, Seattle Pacific University
• Roan Howard, Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Economics, Northwestern University or Stanford University
• Hayley Jimmie, Nooksack Indian Tribe
Marine Biology, University of Hawaii
• Summer Mays, Quinault Indian Nation
Musical Theater, Marymount Manhattan College
• Nizhoni Price, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Psychology, University of Washington
• Kailani Sirois, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
English, Wellesley College
• Jaiden Wick, Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Psychology, UC Santa Barbara or University of Washington
• Cammi Wittwer, Chehalis Tribe
Tribal Governance and Business Management, Northwest Indian College

Undergraduate Scholarship Renewal Winners

• Branndi Bowechop, Makah Tribe
Nursing, Seattle University
• Grace Buzzell, Makah Tribe
Biology, Stanford University
• Lily Rose Day, Samish Tribe
Interaction Design, University of Washington
• Laila Greene, Makah Tribe
Biology, University of Washington
• Krista Marchand, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
English, University of Montana-Western
• Anthony Martinez, Makah Tribe
Business Analytics and Economics, University of Notre Dame
• Javier Ramirez, Quinault Indian Nation
Data Science, University of Oregon
• Amaria Rosado, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
Law, Societies, and Justice, University of Washington

Graduate Program Scholarship Winners

• Cheebo Frazier, Nisqually Tribe
Educational Leadership, University of Washington/Muckleshoot College School of Education
• Tleena Ives, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Educational Leadership, University of Washington
• Nigel Lawrence, Suquamish Tribe
Ph.D. Education, University of Washington
• Betty Pacheco, Nisqually Tribe
Ph.D. Educational Leadership, University of Washington
• Julia Polk, Yakama Nation
MS, Education Policy and Leadership, University of Oregon
• Kevin Simeon, Spokane Tribe of Indians
International Security Studies, Columbia University
• Nizhoni Sutter, Navajo Nation
Medicine, University of Washington

Graduate Program Scholarship Renewal Winners

• Sequoia Dance, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education, Washington State University
• Bunni Peterson-Haitwas, Skokomish Tribe
MPA Tribal Governance, Evergreen State College
• Evan Rhoades, Quinault Indian Nation
Creative Writing, University of Saint Thomas
• Haley Smith, Makah Tribe
MPH Indigenous Health, Johns Hopkins or University of Hawaii

About the WIGA Scholarship Program

Each year, the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) Scholarship Program awards up to $100,000 for Native American and Alaska Native students.
Applicants must be students who are enrolled members of one of Washington’s 29 federally recognized tribes or American Indian/Alaska Native students enrolled in a federally recognized tribe that are attending school in Washington State. The scholarships are awarded to students pursuing degrees at community and technical, bachelor, and graduate colleges and universities.

A selection committee composed of WA Tribal Leaders reviews and selects the award recipients. The scholarships generally range from $900 – $3,000 for each academic year. Since 2006, WIGA has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships.

“We are pleased to contribute to tribal members’ education,” said WIGA Chairman, W. Ron Allen. “We have so many qualified applicants to choose from each year. While it makes our selection process difficult, it also reflects the growing qualifications among tribal members to attend institutions of higher education.”

WIGA educates the Indian gaming community, the public and all levels of government about gaming issues in Indian country. The WIGA Scholarship Program is designed to promote tribal self-sufficiency by providing scholarships for Native American students in Washington seeking to advance their own self-sufficiency and broaden their personal and professional potential through higher education.

If you have any questions please contact Rosina DePoe, Deputy Director at 360-352-3248 or email her at deputy@washingtonindiangaming.org