Local students awarded Spirit of Sovereignty scholarship

Jasmin Budreau, a student at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, was awarded the 2019 Spirit of Sovereignty Scholarship, which is given to well-qualified students attending tribal colleges across the country. Scholarship recipients are selected by their college. Funds can be used for any education-related expense, including but not limited to tuition, books, housing, travel and childcare.

Budreau is a 2017 graduate of Cloquet Senior High School and will graduate in May 2019 from FDLTCC with an associate of arts degree. Budreau plans to continue her education by transferring to a four-year college in Washington or Colorado and major in Sociology and Psychology, with a minor in American Indian Studies. Her career goal is to work in youth advocacy.

Budreau has been involved in 4-H, LAX-4-Life youth lacrosse camps, and working with youth at the Brookston Community Center. She credits her internship working with youth on the Fond du Lac Reservation as the inspiration to pursue a career in advocacy and helping young people. She also represented FDLTCC as a member of the delegation participating in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium's 2019 Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.

Spirit of Sovereignty is a National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA)-advised fund at the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF), a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Little Canada, Minn. The Spirit of Sovereignty receives financial support from NIGA member tribes and associate business members, and from individual contributors who want to make higher education a reality for Native American students. For more information, visit http://www.spiritofsov.org.