Morongo Indian Reservation Wednesday announced that four Native American students from California have received $10,000 scholarships from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Palm Springs. The awards are part of the tribe’s 19th Annual Rodney T. Mathews Jr. Scholarship Program.
“Morongo’s annual Rodney T. Mathews Jr. Scholarship program is dedicated to reversing the historical underrepresentation of Native Americans in higher education,” said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin in a statement. “This initiative provides vital support to scholarship recipients while fostering the development of future tribal leaders. Empowering Native students to advance their education and skills creates pathways for driving meaningful progress that will enhance our tribal communities for generations to come.”
The Morongo’s Mathews Scholarship Program has provided $630,000 in scholarships to 62 Native American students attending universities across the country. The scholarships are only available to enrolled members of the 109 federally recognized tribes in California.
The 2024 recipients are:
Keseloh McQuillen of the Yurok Tribe is studying for her Master of Arts Degree in the Language Teaching Studies Program at the University of Oregon. She grew up on the Yurok Reservation, near the traditional village of Turip in Klamath, California. Her goal is to return to Humboldt County after receiving her masters.
“Receiving this scholarship from the Morongo Tribe gives me relief,” McQuillen said. “This assistance relieves financial strains and enables me to focus entirely on my academic goals. I am driven to take advantage of this opportunity to succeed and to finish my program in 11 months. I appreciate the Morongo Tribe’s commitment to education.”
Cody Goodwin of the Wailkila Tribe is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Airport Design at San Jose State. His goal is to join the U.S. Air Force to pilot C-17 Globemasters, the largest military transport aircraft developed for Air Force, and become a flight instructor.
“For me, this scholarship is very significant since it allows me to continue with my pilot training and earn my commercial and multi-engine ratings,” Goodwin said. “It’s an important step toward achieving my aviation career goals. It also helps with some of my living expenses, which allows me up to concentrate more on my training and studies. I am incredibly appreciative of this support.”
Kathleen Keller-Manuelito of the Bishop Paiute Tribe is studying for her degree in Nursing at the University of Kansas. She previously graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2016 with a bachelor’s in business administration. She has worked with the American Indian Records Repository, which preserves treaties between the U.S. Government and Native Americans. While obtaining her clinical hours for nursing, she hopes to work with Indian Health Services.
“I want to thank the Morongo Band of Mission Indians for offering the Mathew’s Scholarship to all California Natives,” Keller-Manneulito said. “Being awarded this scholarship relieves a great deal of worry for me as a working mom of a toddler who is getting ready to move across the nation. This scholarship will not only help with living expenses such as daycare costs, but it will also provide me the opportunity to devote all my attention to my studies this fall semester. Once again, I want to thank the scholarship committee, the Morongo tribe, and everyone else who made this opportunity for a life-changing award possible.”
Yamahni Duncan of the Berry Creek Rancheria of Tyme Maidu Indians is in his final year at the University of California, Berkeley, studying Psychology and Philosophy. He intends to pursue a doctorate in philosophy or psychology.
“I applied for this scholarship from Morongo in part because it would be really helpful in paying for my housing costs,” Duncan said. “Despite the fact that my college provided funding for my education, I had to deal with the costs of finding housing on my own. That burden has been greatly reduced as a result of receiving this scholarship, allowing me to concentrate more on my education.”
The Morongo scholarship program honors the late Rodney T. Mathews Jr., a Morongo tribal member and Hastings Law School graduate who passed away in 2004. He worked as an attorney for 20 years before serving as a judge pro tem for more than a decade.
