FDLTCC STUDENT AWARDED SPIRIT OF SOVEREIGNTY SCHOLARSHIP

CLOQUET, MN - Valerie Ross Zhaawendaagozikwe, a current student at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, was awarded the 2020 Spirit of Sovereignty Scholarship which is given to well-qualified students attending tribal colleges across the country. Scholarship recipients are selected by their college, and funds can be used for any education-related expense, including but not limited to tuition, books, housing, travel and childcare.

Valerie Ross Zhaawendaagozikwe is a 2011 graduate of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School in Cloquet, Minnesota, and is a first-year student at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Valerie is working toward earning an associate of science degree in Environmental Science, an associate of arts degree in American Indian Studies, plus a Certificate in Anishinaabe Language. Valerie, a current Duluth resident, is interested in a career in Ethnobotany and plans to transfer to a four-year college to pursue a bachelor's degree after graduation from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.

Valerie currently works fulltime as a doula for the Fond du Lac Band Human Services Division community health program. Valerie enjoys helping others through teaching traditional practices, especially with children and infants. Valerie plans to live and work in northeastern Minnesota after completing her college education.

Spirit of Sovereignty is a National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA)-advised fund at the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF), a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Little Canada, Minn. The Spirit of Sovereignty receives financial support from NIGA member tribes and associate business members, and from individual contributors who want to make higher education a reality for Native American students. For more information, visit http://www.spiritofsov.org.