She recently transferred to Arizona from Tohono O’odham Community College, or TOCC, and is eager to pursue her bachelor’s degree in the College of Education and go on to teach children from her tribe.

Spotted Wolf’s input helped shape “A Student’s Journey,” a new donor-funded program intended to increase the number of transfer students from TOCC and ensure their success. Over three years, project leaders from both schools plan to increase successful transfers from TOCC to four-year universities from 21% to 40%. They’re also resolved to make the university more welcoming to TOCC transfer students and to prepare more to take on tribal leadership positions.

An Enduring Legacy

The Agnese Nelms Haury Program is celebrating five years of supporting work at the intersection of environment and social justice.

The program was established with a $50 million endowed gift from the estate of the philanthropist, who was passionate about investing in innovative scholarship at Arizona.

A donor-advised fund board chooses which grants and faculty fellowships to fund, using the values that defined Haury’s life as a guide.

One reason the grant review panel chose this project is that it is in alignment with the university’s goals to better support native students as part of the strategic plan, says Haury Program Director Anna Spitz.

Transferring between the schools can be difficult. Many TOCC students don’t know how to pursue financial aid at Arizona, are unsure how credits transfer, and lack dedicated staff to help them navigate these challenges. Compounding that, native students and their customs are often misunderstood, making it harder for them to fully engage and participate in campus life. “A Student’s Journey” is designed to remove these educational barriers and begins by building participants’ familiarity with the university when students are still at TOCC. They’ll also be helped by dedicated coordinators at both schools and peer mentors.

“A Student’s Journey” won the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice annual challenge grant competition and $600,000 in total funding. This award supports projects that unite the university and the community in addressing persistent social justice and environmental problems. Arizona leadership hopes that the effects of this grant go beyond its original scope of impacting 60 students over three years. In addition to seeking other external funds, plans include using the project to inform the university community about how to be more respectful and helpful to native transfer students.

Spotted Wolf says she wants to get involved in native student groups and encourage more Tohono O’odham students to attend Arizona, which, she points out, is situated on the tribe’s ancestral lands.

“I want to be a positive role model and give them the sense that they belong here and they can achieve higher education.”