COURTESY OF BRANDON BEGAY STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES FROM ANY POINT ON THE COMPASS. GO ANYWHERE. thought I would find a job somewhere around Shiprock, N.M., and maybe take a few classes at San Juan College, a local community college. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that two Teach for America teachers opened my eyes to my full academic potential. They challenged me in AP Calculus and Honors Chemistry and helped me apply to several colleges and scholarships. These teachers showed me the need for more education. My family has always been supportive of me and the path I choose. I attended K-12 on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock, aises.org graduated from Shiprock High School, and chose to attend Arizona State University. My family provided me with tons of emotional support. Having me be the first to go to college in my family made my grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts very proud - but it was my grandparents who supported me the most. Their words of encouragement were enough to keep me going during challenging moments. As a first-generation college student, I didn't have family members to look to for advice about college. There was so much going through my mind on my ยป STEM degrees ONLINE ecampus.oregonstate.edu/stem 2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 7http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/stem http://www.aises.org