Dear Editor,
At 4 am, most people are still asleep.
For years, that was the time I was getting ready for another day.
I would wake up before the sun, get in my car, and begin the drive to the University of New Mexico. Two hours there. Two hours back. Four hours on the road. Day after day. Week after week. Semester after semester.
There were days when I was tired. Days when money was tight. Days when I wondered if all the driving, studying, and sacrifice would ever amount to anything.
But every morning, I heard my father’s voice.
“Keep going.”
Three simple words.
Keep going.
As a Navajo student from Tsa-ya-toh, New Mexico, those words carried me through some of the hardest moments of my life. They carried me through long nights, difficult classes, financial struggles, and moments when quitting seemed easier than continuing.
Today, those miles have led me somewhere I never imagined.
This year, I was selected as a 10th Anniversary Cobell Scholar.
When I opened the award notification, I sat quietly for a moment. I thought about the thousands of miles driven. I thought about the sacrifices my family made. I thought about my younger self, wondering if college was even possible.
And I thought about my dad.
Because this achievement is not the story of one scholarship.
It is the story of a father who never stopped believing in his son.
It is the story of a small Navajo community that taught me the value of hard work.
It is the story of every Native student who has ever questioned whether they belong in higher education.
My journey has taken me far beyond the classroom. During my time at UNM and CNM, I had the honor of serving in congressional internships with Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. Through those experiences, I saw firsthand how public service can improve lives across New Mexico and Indian Country.
I met community leaders. I listened to the concerns of Native families. I learned how government decisions affect people back home. Most importantly, I learned that Indigenous voices deserve a seat at every table where decisions are made.
Today, I am a senior at the University of New Mexico pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in Philosophy and Management. Soon, I will begin preparing for the next chapter: law school.
My goal has never changed.
I want to fight for Native people.
I want to advocate for our communities.
I want to make sure future generations have opportunities that many of us had to struggle to find.
The Cobell Scholarship carries the name of one of the greatest Native advocates in modern history. Receiving this recognition is both an honor and a responsibility. It reminds me that education is about more than personal success. It is about opening doors for others.
To my professors, mentors, supervisors, and friends: Thank you for believing in me.
To my family: Thank you for standing beside me.
And to my father: Thank you for every conversation, every sacrifice, and every time you told me to keep going when life became difficult.
Those words carried me through four-hour commutes, congressional internships, college exams, and moments of doubt.
They carried me all the way to becoming a Cobell Scholar.
For every Native student reading this, especially those from small communities like mine, I want you to know something:
Your dreams are bigger than the distance between your home and your campus.
Keep going.
One day, the road you’re traveling will become the story that inspires someone else.
Ahe’hee’.
Brandan Shakey
