Cheryl Ongtowasruk, a current EhD student, is the granddaughter of the late SNC Shareholder, Patrick Ongtowasruk.

She values berry picking as her favorite subsistence activity and misses the berries and fishing in Nome the most.

Cheryl is a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and currently works at APU. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in December 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in K-12 Teaching and earned a Master of Arts in Education focusing on Teacher Leadership in May 2021, boasting a 3.93 GPA.

Originally, Cheryl aspired to become an art teacher because the art room at her high school was a safe space for expression during a time of significant hardships.

She wanted to recreate that same supportive environment for future generations. While living in Colorado, her experience teaching at a tribal elementary school reinforced her decision to pursue a master’s degree to better advocate for and serve students. In January 2020, during her second semester of the master’s program, she unexpectedly lost her father. The urge to return home was strong, and she decided to move back to Alaska the following summer. In 2021, she relocated to Anchorage and stepped away from teaching, taking a position as an admissions counselor to help other rural and Indigenous students access higher education. Through this role and conversations with students and peers, Cheryl became acutely aware of the persistent deficit thinking regarding the capabilities of students from rural communities. This realization motivated her to seek positive change in education.

Cheryl expressed that qualifying for financial assistance through the SNC Trust greatly eased her worries about pursuing her doctorate. Minimizing student loans has made it easier for her to be one of the first people in her family to attend college.

She recognizes the importance of sharing her perspective with future leaders and young Shareholders, particularly regarding how higher education institutions were not designed with Indigenous people in mind. Cheryl emphasizes that imposter syndrome is a very real challenge. She shared, “You may have times (like me) when you question if you belong in higher education spaces, but if you earn your spot then you do belong. Find a strong support system through your friends, classmates, and professors who you can talk or vent to when you begin to feel out of place or question why you should keep going.”

As a final piece of advice, Cheryl encourages everyone to be open to improvement, regardless of whether they choose college or vocational training. We can all learn better ways of doing things and handling different situations.

Quyana for sharing your story and advice, Cheryl! You are an inspiration and a testament to our values, Analataasran (responsibility) and Saġiknatuak Sauaq (hard work).