student profiles

C'amai (helloooooo). I am Allison Brown, a third year Porter student. I am an enrolled member of Naknek Village in Alaska, making me an Aleut Alaska Native. I am also Lakota and Cherokee. I grew up in the SF Bay Area and love its rich diversity. I have four grey cats and 5 half siblings. I love cooking, especially making vegan versions of non-vegan meals. I am interested in politics, tattoos, magazine journalism, peace, equality, vegetables, the SF Giants, the GS Warriors, bad reality TV, and herbal teas. College is hard, but these things make it easier. Part of the reason I am still in college is because I decided to dedicate my life to ending racism and reversing the impact it has had on marginalized communities. I am majoring in American Studies and dabbling in the area of education. Essentially, I believe that students, especially the young ones, are the future and hope lies in them. Opportunities for education that challenge the master narrative of American history can do a lot for ALL marginalized groups. I want to live to see something resembling a true equality, so that's why I'm doing what I do. The more perspectives, the more wholesome a worldview, the more tolerance, the more peace! I would really love to see a greater Native presence on campus and hope to work out some events/programs to make that possible. PEACE.

My name is Lance Cameron Woodson and I am Western Shoshone from northeastern Nevada. I'm in my second year at UCSC and I plan to declare Community Studies major by the end of the quarter but my focus will be documentaries. I lived on campus last year in the Merrill dorms but now I share a house on the East Side of Santa Cruz. I have been a SANAI (Student Alliance for North American Indians) member since my first quarter freshman year and now I'm a co-signer for the organization. I also sit on the Student Union Assembly and the Committee for Ethnic Programming, where I represent SANAI. On my free time I like to go to the beach, take walks through the forest, and explore Santa Cruz County.

My name is Kirsten Concha-Moore and I am from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. I was raised primarily in Taos and later moved to Point Reyes Station, California. I have always wanted to go into medicine since I could remember and am presently declared as an undergraduate Health Science major. My other interests are racing mountain bikes, running, backpacking, swimming, snowboarding/skiing, reading, writing, traveling, friends,  kappa gamma delta sorority, painting, guitar, piano, and enjoying life each day. I hope to someday go back to my tribe and work towards better health care.

Irene Vasquez is a Miwok/Pauite from Mariposa, CA. She is a majoring in environmental studies and economics. Irene is currently abroad in New Zealand. Irene has been honored by representing her family and community at different powwows by being a powwow princess for Mariposa and Precious Sunset Powwows. She hopes to work for the National Park Service and travel to beautiful places.

Kia ora,
I've finally settled down and have started my studies at Lincoln University in the Canterbury plains of New Zealand. I'm taking some awesome classes which include Maori Cultural studies, Natural Heritage and Interpretation, Cultural Landscape Architecture, and a Global Tourism environmental class. I've been having an amazing time traveling and staying at hostels. I've seen so many interesting and beautiful places and have already learnt so much about myself and my travel mates. Driving on the left hand side of the road is no longer strange but I still look both ways when crossing the street just to make sure. It's very fun being the new kid at a university again. The class sizes are very small and for me it makes a better learning environment. I went on a field trip with our entire class today to the Artic center where we learned about Antarctica and got a chance to feel what a blizzard might feel like as well as watch hurt penguins feed. I've been to three major museums and have loved learning about the people and lifestyles here as well in Costa Rica.