New OHSU Program Honors Rich American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage
Freshman, sophomore college students receive academic training while staying connected to their cultural identity.
For college students in the new Tilikum Summer Health Experience program, the message from Shandee Dixon, M.S., Ph.D., (Apache) is clear: “Once you are part of this program, you become part of the NNACoE community — you have a place at Oregon Health & Science University.”
Dixon, assistant professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and director of didactic learning with the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence, or NNACoE, serves as faculty lead of the five-week summer enrichment program designed for American Indian and Alaska Native, or AI/AN, first- and second-year college students who are interested in pursuing careers in health professions.
The new program, launched this year, fosters tight-knit connections and a support system that provides a sense of belonging. The inaugural cohort of 15 students from tribal nations across the country completed the Tilikum program in August.