Future Forward: Transforming Education at Red Lake Nation College

In this episode of Community Health Conversations, we delve into
a captivating conversation with three distinguished individuals
from the Red Lake Nation College. Our guests share insights into
how the college is creating supportive and culturally relevant
learning environments for students, intertwining cultural
relevancy into programs and courses.


 


We explore the unique challenges and opportunities that the Red
Lake Nation College faces in the post-COVID landscape, shedding
light on student-focused initiatives and the power of
partnerships and collaborations. Our guests eloquently discuss
the pivotal role education plays in improving and transforming
health outcomes for American Indian Communities. 


 


Nadine Bill, B.S.


Director of Assessment and Institutional
Effectiveness


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Nadine Bill is a higher education professional with over twenty
years’ experience in leadership positions.


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Nadine has extensive experience in admissions and student
services at the University of Washington.  She has served as
a development and community outreach director at Green River
Community College. In 2005 Nadine was honored with a prestigious
fellowship in Higher Education at Harvard University. 
During her time at Harvard, Nadine focused on student services
research and worked on an inter-faculty initiative at the Kennedy
School of Government.


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Nadine is a published author who led the primary research in 2009
funded by the Gates Foundation on “Native Pathways: A Study of
Colleges and Universities Best Practices for Native American
Students in Washington State”.  For the last 10 years she
has served in the Tribal College system as a Dean of Students and
Institutional Research.


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Nadine Bill, is a member of the Upper Skagit Tribe of Washington
State and descendent of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.  She
holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from
Central Washington University, graduate work in higher education,
and graduate fellowship from Harvard University.


Rachel King-Siert, M. Ed.


Director of Student Services
 


Rachel King-Siert is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation.
As a first-generation student, she attended the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in
Speech, Hearing, and Language Sciences. She continued on to earn
a Master’s in Education with a focus on learning through
community and experiential learning, also from the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities.
  
 Over the past 18 years, Rachel has dedicated her work to
helping students and families navigate through educational
systems. She has had the opportunity to work in most areas for
student support, from admission and financial aid, to academic
advising. She has also worked with a diverse array of college
students at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
Community and Technical College, Concordia College, and Dartmouth
College.


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Her role at RLNC will include working in outreach to the Native
community in Minneapolis and online, and assisting students with
registration, enrollment, and financial aid. She will also focus
on student success and retention.


Kayla Duane
Communications Director
 Kayla Duane is an enrolled member of the
Leech Lake Band of the Ojibwe, raised in Minneapolis. As a first
generation student, she attended the University of Minnesota -
Twin Cities, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
Marketing Education. During Kayla’s time at the University of
Minnesota - Twin Cities, she served as the President of the
American Indian Student Cultural Center, and the External
Relations Officer for the American Indian Science and Engineering
Society. Kayla’s experience as a President of the American Indian
Student Cultural Center and an External Relations Officer for the
American Indian Science & Engineering Society has given her a
deep understanding of business operations, marketing trends, and
data analysis while also advocating for Indigenous perspectives
in the Marketing and STEM field.


Most recently, Kayla Duane worked at SPS Commerce as an Associate
Consultant for a little over a year. In previous roles, she has
worked as IT Support, a Sales Analyst, and Marketing intern at
various companies across the Twin Cities. 


At RLNC, Kayla will be working as the Communications Director
where she is focusing on marketing and fundraising for the future
of the Minneapolis Site in order to help RLNC grow and expand
their resources to help all our students thrive.


https://www.rlnc.edu/