For the Reporter
Native students will have a summit to call their own, thanks to a partnership between Highline Public Schools and Highline College.
Designed to inspire and empower high school students from all districts in South King County, the Native Student Success Summit is May 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on Highline College’s main campus.
The summit for American Indian and Alaska Native students is the result of the work of educators throughout South King County, led by Sara Marie Ortiz and Tanya Powers.
Ortiz is a member of Pueblo of Acoma, a tribe in New Mexico, and manages Highline Public Schools’ Native Education Program. Powers is mixed heritage St. Lawrence Island/Siberian Yupik and Irish and is the director of Workforce and Baccalaureate Education at Highline College.
“Last summer, Sara and I brainstormed ways to create community for our youth while honoring their identity and exposing them to college options,” Powers said. “This is what we hope is the first of many such summits.”
According to Powers, the two were inspired by other successful Highline College events for students of color, such as the Black and Brown Male Summit, the YELL Female Summit and the Latino Summit.
Approximately 100 students are expected to attend. The day will include breakout sessions, a college student panel and hands-on activities.
The summit is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Registration materials, agenda and list of speakers are available at highline.edu/native-student-summit-2016.
Highline College is midway between Seattle and Tacoma at South 240th Street and Pacific Highway South (Highway 99); address: 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines.
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