<i>The American Indian and Alaska Native Student’s Guide to College Success</i> (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The American Indian and Alaska Native Student’s Guide to College Success Jeanne Lacourt CHiXapkaid (D. Michael Pavel) and Ella Inglebret. The American Indian and Alaska Native Student’s Guide to College Success. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007. 264 pp. Cloth, $55.00. The American Indian and Alaska Native Student’s Guide to College Success “is for any and every American Indian or Alaska Native person who wants to successfully get a college degree” (xv). Authors Pavel (Skokomish) and Inglebret bring together a mix of student voices, current literature, facts, strategies, and resources when exploring how to select, apply to, and succeed in institutions of higher learning. They cover crucial topics such as financial aid, academic preparedness, working while going to college, socializing, single-parenthood, and how spiritual, mental, and physical well-being all contribute to a Native student’s college achievement. Profiles of successful college graduates fill the pages as they describe the challenges they faced, the obstacles they overcame, and the personal growth they experienced while attending and graduating from institutions of higher education. Prospective Native students reading this guide will discover there are over 4,500 accredited institutions of higher education in the United States to choose from as they consider applying to college. When determining which institution best fits their needs, readers are encouraged to give careful consideration to location, cost, programs of study offered, and whether institutions have Native support services, Native faculty, and Native student organizations. Whether considering a public or private institution or a tribal college, cost will vary considerably, and since financial support is cited as one of the major barriers to college success, Pavel and Inglebret give significant attention to financial resources, debt management, and budget development. Included are checklists, charts, tips, and steps to follow to help both the student and the student’s family with the often confusing process of applying for financial aid. One of the most important elements for Native student success in college is support from family and community. Sample student excerpts reflect the difficulties and struggles they endure when being away from their families, communities, and tribes for an extended length of time. Socially, they may be challenged to overindulge in alcohol and drugs; emotionally, they can be faced with feelings of homesickness, isolation, and cultural assimilation. In such instances Pavel and Inglebret suggest that cultivating resilience will help students address these adverse situations and overcome these trying times. Likewise, being academically prepared will also aid in a student’s sense of competence. Study strategies in reading, writing, research, math, science, and technology as well as preparing for and taking tests are offered to help students gain a better sense of competence so they may experience success in their classes. [End Page 408] An entire chapter is devoted solely to cultivating two intellectual skills: problem solving and critical thinking. Mastery of these skills is identified as a key contributing factor to college success. Definitions, explanations, examples, and tables guide the reader to a greater understanding of these skills. The reader comes to see that problem solving involves a host of subskills that require a step-by-step process of defining a problem, searching for information, testing hypotheses, and understanding the constraints and limitations to possible solutions. Similarly, to think critically involves analysis, interpretation, inference, reflection, assessment, and evaluation. Students who develop these skills will find they are applicable beyond the classroom and useful in both the students’ personal and professional lives. Pavel and Inglebret have gone to great lengths to provide valuable up-to-date resources dedicated to promoting postsecondary access and achievement. A chapter focused on Internet resources includes only those Web sites that are helpful and easy to navigate and that contain critical information to ensure success in college. Of particular interest are those Web sites and links specific to Native students, families, and communities. These sites often focus on increasing the representation of Native people in the field, providing scholarships for Native students, and preserving cultural knowledge. To help students focus their search for an institution that best fits their lifestyle and interests, thirteen exemplary colleges and universities are described. They range from four-year private and public research institutions...