About 200 Native American students from 14 area high schools and four tribal community and technical colleges danced, held small group discussions and visited classrooms Friday as part of the third Annual American Indian College Awareness Day at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The projected turnout was 10 times larger than the first year the event was planned, and more than three times as large of last years attendance, said Ivy Vainio, Multicultural Student Specialist at UWS and main organizer of the awareness day. We're all first-generation students. Poupart is one of four Ojibwe students at UWS who spoke as panelists during an introductory session aimed at answering visitors questions Friday. In order to keep our soveriengty we need people who are educated.
People are friendlier here.
Others said that UWS staff are understanding, encouraging, and recognize people's names and faces. To many prospective students, however, attending college hinges on money for tuition, books, room and board. A lot of families don't have dollars. But the money's here if you look for it. Boulley advises students to complete their own financial aid applications rather than letting a parent do it.