Native Student Services faculty leaving USD

USD’s Native Student Services (NSS) maintains relationships with South Dakota’s native communities and 25 other tribal communities represented by students on campus. However, the future of the NSS is uncertain, as all faculty will be leaving the university for a number of reasons. 

Brooke Jackson is the Coordinator of Native Student Services, and her last day in-person at USD will be May 11. Jackson has accepted a position at the University of Nevada, Reno, as a Tribal Academy Program Coordinator.

“This was an opportunity to be back with my family, and especially my mom,” Jackson said. “In this new role, I will mentor/advise Native Students in STEM Fields to graduation to increase economic development opportunities in Nevada’s Rural Tribal communities. I will also get to help make a welcoming environment for students in the new Office of Indigenous Relations Center. I am very excited.”

John Little is the Director of Native Recruitment & Alumni Engagement, and his last day is May 18. May 21 will be the last day for Dr. Megan Red Shirt-Shaw, Director of Native Student Services.  

Together, Little and Red Shirt-Shaw will be co-directors of the Tokahe Institute, a college prep focused organization dedicated to empowering Native youth to dream of, invest in and plan for their futures.

“We plan to stay in Vermillion,” Little said. “We plan to visit tribal and rural schools in the fall to create and build a pathway for Native and rural students to successfully attend college in the future.” 

All of the Native Student Services faculty were honored at the end of the Outreach and Multicultural Affairs/First-Gen graduation celebration by Marcus Destin, Assistant Director of Student Activities & Outreach and Multicultural Affairs at USD. 

“I am going to miss Marcus. We have been good friends and great colleagues for a long time,” Jackson said. “His words were extremely touching and showed you how much staff rely not only on students coming to USD, but each other. We cannot do the work without the support from each other. […] Student Services is not a one-person job; it’s a team job. Marcus is a good guy who needs and deserves support from all of you students now. […] I am going to miss having someone like Marcus who cares and supports students in the same way that I do.” 

“I have met so many wonderful students and staff at USD over the last five years, but I’m especially grateful to have worked with Marcus,” Little said. “I’ve known him for almost 10 years, and his dad Lamont was my mentor when I was a graduate student. It’s been a full circle moment to work alongside him, and I hope USD realizes how lucky they are to have him. He really is the heartbeat of this community.”

While USD is currently in the process of hiring a new Director of Native Student Services, they have chosen to not continue the Director of Native Recruitment & Alumni Engagement position at the university. 

“The NACC (Native American Cultural Center) is one of the best places on campus. The next person in my role will benefit from all of the lessons and beauty it has to give,” Red Shirt-Shaw said. “I grew so much in my time, and I am grateful.”

When asked to choose one thing they’ll miss most about the NSS and NACC, it was hard to pick just one.

“I think it is difficult to say one memory or thing I’ll miss the most, because Native Student Services and the NACC forever changed my life and the path I was on,” Jackson said. “The students here helped me find my passion, gain a deeper understanding of the world around me, and inspire me to be a better community member every day.” 

“I will miss the students the most. They have made going to work every day easy,” Little said. “It’s just amazing to see students, many of whom I worked with as high school seniors or college freshmen, learn, grow and eventually graduate. I’m proud of everything that our Native Student Services team of Brooke Jackson, Megan Red Shirt-Shaw, and many others have been able to accomplish over the last five years.” 

“What I want the students to know? I can’t remember a single class number from any of my undergraduate classes, and I can’t recite back a single grade,” Red Shirt-Shaw said. “I remember every single helper I had along the way. Keep looking for the helpers, all my love.”

Photo Credit: Sydney Kolln