Elijah Allan teaches middle grade students on the Navajo Nation in an effort to build community and an indigenous nation. “The charter school where I teach, DEAP (Dzil Dit ooi School of Empowerment, Action and Perseverance), is trying to start a movement among our youth to create a system more reflective of the Native community and culture, a more sovereign nation less dependent on the state and federal government,” he says. Elijah is a Teach for America Corp member but his story began as a freshman at ASU when he was accepted into the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars Passport Program.

“Beyond the financial assistance,” he says, “my coordinators were always there for me to offer moral support, sound advice and assistance in research.”Elijah has degenerative disc disease that makes sitting difficult. “Simply having the option of resting and studying in the coordinators’ offices or the Nina Scholars’ lounge was of immense benefit. I was able to focus on my studies instead of my pain.” He earned a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology with a minor in American Indian Studies in 2016. “Nina Mason Pulliam is helping me help the families of the Navajo Nation. I am proud to have been a Nina Scholar and am very grateful for the support I received which ultimately brought me to where I am today.”