student profiles

My name is Madana Cast. My tribe is Ojibwe, which is in Canada. I grew up in Concord. I am the youngest of five. I am an EOP junior transfer from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Now, I live in Santa Cruz. My major is Health Sciences. I am working towards going to medical school and becoming a surgeon. I was inspired to do this because my appendix ruptured when I was younger. Also, I was an Emergency Department volunteer, which was a rewarding experience. I learned about teamwork and how every job is important-even putting pillows in pillowcases. During my free time, I like to draw, paint, sculpt, sew, and do other crafts. I prefer making gifts for people. I was raised vegetarian, so I have never had a hamburger. Growing up, I participated in the American Indian Education Program in Martinez. We had day camp on Mt. Diablo or at Wagner Ranch, Orinda. There we would learn about crafting and our heritage. I am happy to continue my involvement here at the AIRC.

20-year-old Gemma Givens is Mayan and Yaqui from Santiago Sacatepequez Guatemala. She is a junior at the University of California Santa Cruz majoring in American Studies. Gemma, who was raised in El Cerrito California, has ambitions of becoming a singer, conductor, and a human/indigenous peoples rights lawyer.
A former intern for the International Forum on Globalization in San Francisco, Gemma's passion is indigenous peoples’ rights within the international human rights framework. At the 2009 Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change in Anchorage, Alaska she attended as a youth documentarian. Her passion for journalism and multimedia introduced to Reznetnews.org, where she produced her first multimedia and news stories. From her experience with Reznetnews, Gemma earned a place at the American Indian Journalism Institute summer program at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where she graduated in the summer of 2009.

In December 2009, Gemma represented SustainUS: the US Youth Network for Sustainable Development, and the Indigenous Environmental Network at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As a youth delegate Gemma’s primary role was as a journalist via camera (still and film), voice recorder, and pen and notepad. There she followed the advocacy work of her organization within the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change.

Arriving back to UC Santa Cruz, Gemma was offered an internship with the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the county’s local newspaper. Gemma’s tenacity has earned her experience through diverse jobs from still photographer on the set of the movie Life's Blood, to concert and conference photography, and even food photography.

Through journalism Gemma wants to bring about the acknowledgement of the dignified existence of indigenous peoples so as to “celebrate our place within the states’ social, political, and cultural mosaic. Without this understanding among the broader society, our rights and existence as indigenous peoples’ will always be precarious”. Gemma is currently a multimedia journalist and filmmaker for Native American Public Telecommunications specializing in accurate depictions of modern Native American life.

A participant of Disney/ABC Studio's Native American Impact Workshop, Gemma has high hopes of pursuing the arts of singing and conducting with the remainder of her time at UC Santa Cruz.

Currently working as the American Indian Themed Program Advisor for Merrill College.

My name is Michelle Neumann. I grew up in San Diego and I am now a freshman, here at UC Santa Cruz. I live at Oakes College. My proposed major is Sociology, I enjoy learning and am excited for my next four years at the University. During high school I helped create an after school club dedicated to cultural and gender awareness. During my spare time I like to read, because I believe that there is always more to be learned. I also enjoy doing arts and crafts with my grandmother, as well as teach young children how to make crafts. Interning at the American Indian Resource Center has been a great and enlightening experience an I am excited to continue working for the AIRC.

Marisol Ortiz-Melendrez

My age is 22, im from Oakland Ca, I am Community Studies Major with a minor in Education and i am in my last year at UCSC. I am an Oakes affiliate but live off campus. I am a Smith/Renaissance Scholar, have made Deans List and also a recipient of the Students Rising Above Scholarship from KRON 4.