Winds of Change - College 2017 - 13

COURTESY OF MEGHAN "SIGVANNA" TOPKOK

everyday support of my family, quickly lost
its novelty. It took a while to make friends
and find my place. Many of the students at
Dartmouth were wealthy, and as a poor
Native kid I just didn't come from the same
type of background. I was constantly
worried that I wasn't smart enough to keep
up, and during the first few months I felt like
the admissions department had made a
mistake letting me in.
I was fortunate that the Native community
at Dartmouth is inclusive and welcoming, and
they became my support network. Once I
found my footing socially, my academics
started to come together. During my first
semester at Dartmouth I took a class called
Indian Country Today. We discussed
contemporary issues in indigenous communities, including legal jurisdiction quandaries.
This class helped pique my interest in law. I
decided to major in Native American studies
and minor in linguistics because it allowed me
to build an interdisciplinary course of study in
the context of indigenous peoples.
During the summers, I worked in a
variety of jobs and internships, which helped
me better understand my path in life. In
Alaska, I worked for the nonprofit organizations Cook Inlet Tribal Council and
Kawerak. These experiences inspired me to
aises.org

During the summers,
I worked in a variety
of jobs and internships,
which helped me
better understand
my path in life.
see what kind of changes we can effect in
our communities through hard work and
dedication. That was part of why I went into
law - I want to make a positive difference
in my community.
Law school at the University of Oregon
was the next logical step. While there, I
worked hard both academically and in my
extracurriculars. It was frustrating at first,
because I was the only Native law student,
and I struggled personally because again I
didn't feel like I fit in - like a box for the
school to check to say that it is diverse.
Fortunately, there is a strong support
network for Native students at the university,
and I made sure to become involved with
groups that supported my Native identity. I
worked hard to keep our Native American
Law Student Association going so we could
form a broad support network with other
groups across the Pacific Northwest, and was

elected president of the National Native
American Law Students Association during
my third year of law school.
Without help and support from my
family, high school professors, and the Native
networks I became involved in, I never would
have flourished at Dartmouth and the
University of Oregon. I frequently asked for
help from people I trusted, which isn't a sign
of weakness - it's a sign of strength and
wanting to succeed.
In September I started work as a law clerk
at the Native-owned Southeast Alaska
Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). I
took the bar exam this summer and recently
found out that I passed, so now I'm a staff
attorney at SEARHC focusing on law related
to health care.
I know that a major factor in my success
has been my grit and determination. The
college application process and college itself
can be difficult, but don't give up! Ask for
help and reach out to people you look up to
and to potential colleges for advice and
support. It may look overwhelming - the
essays, applications, scholarships, and
finances - but you can get there. After years
of hard work, I've finally managed to get my
JD, and I know that I made the right choice.
- As told to Alexa D'Agostino

2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 13
http://www.aises.org
Winds of Change - College 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winds of Change - College 2017
