Aaron Vaughn has grown up in South Dakota, and has spent nearly all his life on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation. At the age of 12, Aaron found his life calling and began mentoring and developing the next generation of men and women who will lead our community towards a better and brighter future. After volunteering over 10,000 hours at a local non-profit called Diamond Willow Ministries, Aaron decided to stay in his local hometown and became the Director of a newly formed year round after school program called the Tokata Youth Center in 2015. Their staff employs 4 strategic priorities to guide their programming: Be like Jesus, Be a Friend, Be a Mentor, and Be Healthy. Aaron has a burning passion to give back and serve his community, while rallying others to do the same.

Alexander Richardson II, a Memphis, TN native, has worked in elementary education for over 13 years. With a Master of Arts in Education degree combined with over a decade of professional experiences in teaching and school leadership roles, Alexander excels in utilizing technological arts training to empower communities. Through his leadership, Alexander strives to create safe learning spaces to empower youth and members of the community because everyone is a star! Regardless of background, nationality, or location his passion for empowering the next generation is exemplified through his efforts to educate and create opportunities for stakeholders in his local community. Richardson is excited about acquiring new skills that the Rise Fellowship will provide.

Amanda Carlow resides in Pine Ridge, South Dakota as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. She has an Associate of Arts from Northeast Community College, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from University of Texas Pan America, Master of Science in School Counseling from Creighton University, and is currently a PhD student at University of Hawai’i-Hilo finishing her dissertation. She is the Director of the Lakota Language Resource Othi at Maȟpíya Lúta Owáyawa where she is able to engage in the language everyday as she works to promote language revitalization. She is passionate about teaching students and adult learners, increasing those who can speak and understand. She is excited for the Rise Fellowship as she is passionate about making a difference in her community and working with and learning from others.

Ya’at’eeh Celeste here, a New Mexican Dine Native, has worked in education for 20 years. She brings a unique perspective to her role as a Lead Experiential Educator and classroom teacher. Through her leadership, Celeste strives to create a local culture responsive environment where every child can connect to the Indigenous cultures, nature, and thrive, to develop self confidence and develop positive empowerment. Her passion to be of service for our next generation of youth shines through in efforts to provide opportunities for growth and development in connecting with nature and culture within her local community. Celeste is intrigued to learn through the opportunity of professional development that the Rise Fellowship will provide.

Kellsie Judge, a resident of South Dakota, has dedicated 10 years of her professional career to supporting students in their educational journeys. With a Masters in Family & Community Services, she brings a families-first approach to her position as the 21st Century Project Director for Black Hills Special Services Cooperative. Kellsie aspires to be a hands-on leader, serving as a positive example for team members and students. She prioritizes empowering our youth by actively listening and creating an open platform where she can ensure student and family voices are heard and valued. Kellsie is eager to expand her knowledge and capacity throughout her participation in the Rise Fellowship, so that she and her sites may continue to grow in enrichment, security, skills, and positive relationships.

Oscar works as a Regional Education Coordinator for the Migrant Education Program in Indiana. As a child of former migrant workers, he is truly thankful and honored to serve the migrant families. He uses his experience as an educator to help develop teachers in his program and his shared experiences to connect with incoming families. Prior to his current role, Oscar worked as a math teacher and head wrestling coach. He earned his MAT and Certificate of Teaching ELLs to better serve his students. He has since earned his Building Administrator License, Cognitive Coaching certificate, and Career Coaching certificate to better serve his staff and families. He’s looking forward to using a systematic approach to improving his program and learning from other community-minded professionals.

Sheila Betz is a dedicated educator with 29 years of experience in public education. Her journey began as a high school business teacher before transitioning to roles as a middle school language arts and computer teacher. Later as a CTE director and teacher, she empowered her students with skills to excel as certified computer technicians, programmers, and web design specialists. For the past two decades, Sheila has been a leader at Chinle Unified School District, serving first as a computer teacher and for 16 years as the Federal Programs Director. In this role, she has been instrumental in writing grants, supporting strategic planning and program implementation. Sheila’s passion for education is reflected in her commitment to inspiring children and families by shining light on life’s opportunities and the pathways to access them.

Shawn was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan. He has worked in secondary education for 16 years in Arizona. Shawn has served in multiple roles including teacher, coach, instructional coach, building administrator and now serves as the Assistant Superintendent in the San Carlos Unified School District located on the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Shawn has a strong belief that all students and children can succeed regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status or ethnicity. Shawn enjoys the education field because with the right guidance youth and adults can greatly impact the quality of life for future generations. Shawn is excited to develop his leadership skills in order to provide a safe and equitable learning environment to the community he serves and beyond.

Thomas Cloud Horse is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He has worked with Project Venture for nine years as a Senior Experiential Educator. Growing up in Pine Ridge, he often felt that opportunities were not available to him. Now, he has the ability to share his knowledge and new opportunities with the youth that Project Venture serves. Project Venture brings together youth from multiple reservations to come together to learn and grow through adventure-based learning. Thomas truly believes that our children are our future and he takes every chance to work with the youth in his community. He is excited to take advantage of the benefits of the Rise Fellowship and learn how to utilize new skills to build a stronger foundation within his organization.