By: Kaley Schwab, Communications Specialist
Bismarck, N.D. – When I met Danielle Peltier, UTTC pre-engineering student, she was sitting in an empty science classroom.
With a stack of paper spread out in front of her, Peltier was typing in the last few numbers of a problem into her calculator.
As a pre-engineering student, Peltier came to UTTC expecting to learn to solve problems. What she didn’t expect was the world of possibility she would find when she got here.
“I have a lot of opportunities that many Native kids don’t have between the AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) program, we travel many places and get connections, and get to know people,” Peltier says.
Peltier says one of her favorite places she has been able to visit through AISES is San Diego inspiring Peltier to work towards being the next UTTC student to take part in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program.
“I know a lot of Natives don’t get off the reservation so [I try to be] a role model and a mentor to try to prove that you can do it,” Peltier says.
As a member of the UTTC Women’s Basketball Team, Peltier is a leader on and off the court.
“I know that a lot of kids aren’t as fortunate as I am to have a strong upbringing in my life so I just want to allow people to have the chance to lean on someone and to make sure they always have someone to listen to and talk to,” Peltier says.
Peltier serves as a mentor for the North Dakota Indian Youth Leadership Academy, a program put on by the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission that seeks to help build leadership skills in Native American youth.
“It’s opened up my eyes to understand more people and how I can actually help people and prove to them they can do whatever they want,” Peltier says.
Leading by example, in the classroom, on the court, and in the UTTC community.
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If you know someone you would like to see featured as one of our Faces of UTTC you can email the name of your nomination along with contact information to media@uttc.edu.