Student Scholars
2024 Student Scholars
The American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian (AIANNH) Caucus of the American Public Health Association (APHA) encourages Indigenous students from across the country of varying backgrounds to apply for the Margo Kerrigan Scholarship, an award named after the AIANNH Caucus founder who was the first Native professional to serve on the APHA Governing Board and was an activist in Native Public Health matters (https://www.aiannhcaucus.com/in-memoriam). The award allows scholars full participation in the APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition.
This year, 6 students were selected to receive the 2024 Margo Kerrigan Scholarship: Hailey Capitan (American Indian), Shasta Hampton (American Indian), Mars Kashevarof (Alaska Native), Zachary Larry (American Indian), Brooke Davis (American Indian), and Caleb Rivera (Native Hawaiian). Unfortunately, Caleb was unable to attend at the last minute. Students represented the University of Arizona, University of Alaska, Fort Lewis College, University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University, and University of Hawai'i. Two are current undergraduate students, one is a Master’s student, two are recent graduates of an undergraduate and graduate degree, and one is a PhD candidate. The students came from various tribal backgrounds including Navajo, White Mountain Apache, Unangax̂ and Native Hawai'ian.
The Margo Kerrigan scholarship provides students roundtrip airfare, lodging, APHA registration and membership, AIANNH Caucus membership, and a stipend for baggage, meals, and ground transportation – at a cost of approximately $2000 per student. As part of their scholarship agreement, students are required to participate in the AIANNH Caucus Executive Board Meeting, the General Caucus Membership Meeting, the Caucus Social, and the Wisdom of the Elders session. They are also afforded the opportunity to attend other APHA events and sessions that pique their interest, browse and network at the Expo, and meet with other Public Health professionals throughout the meeting. The Margo Kerrigan scholarship provides an enriching and powerful opportunity for aspiring Indigenous Public Health Professionals to seek new opportunities and build a foundation for their education and career. The following are Reflections shared by the 2024 Margo Kerrigan Scholars.
