Wa:ǫšpépioį : Indigenous Student Summer Outreach Program
SAVE THE DATES: July 15-20, 2024!
Virginia Tech would like to welcome Native and Indigenous prospective high school students to a FREE One-Week On-Campus higher education summer experience - Wa:ǫšpépioį : Indigenous Student Summer Outreach Program
Wa:ǫšpépioį means "student" or "one who wishes to know" in Yesa:sahį, the Tutelo-Saponi Language, which is spoken by the Yesah / Monacan /Tutelo-Saponi peoples on whose ancestral homelands Virginia Tech occupies.
The program offers Native youth the opportunity to engage in the university campus experience and with the many possibilities for postsecondary studies, campus programs, events and networks.
During the program, participants stay in one of the Virginia Tech's dormatories and have meals together in one of the campus dining halls.
Current Virginia Tech students serve as peer leaders and mentors and engage program participants with the campus facilities and programs.
Some of the experiences include...
- Exploring Regenerative Agriculture
- Field Trips to research farms and the campus Indigenous Community Garden
- Cooking Demonstrations
- Campus Tours
- Cultural Workshops
- Speaker Series from Indigenous Scientists, Historians and Transdisciplinary researchers
- College Application and Preparation workshops
- A Visit and Session to Virginia Tech's Hip Hop recording Studio
Dr. Edward Polanco
Yek Tunal! (Good day) My name is Dr. Polanco and I was born in Los Angeles, CA though my family and ancestors are from Kuskatan (Western and Central El Salvador). Both of my parents walked to what is now called the United States in the 70's and I grew up speaking Spanish in a community that had immigrants from various parts of Mesoamerica. I am a student of Nawat (my ancestral language), and a scholar of Nahua peoples in what is today called Mexico and Central America. I am a first-generation college graduate, and I am presently an assistant professor in the Department of History at Virginia Tech. I am deeply committed to empowering Indigenous students and communities in all of Turtle Island and Abya Yala (also known as "the Americas") and I look forward to helping you all make your way to college
Dr. Melissa Faircloth
Melissa Faircloth began directing the Indigenous Community Center in November of 2018. Along with supporting the Indigenous student community, she plans and coordinates Native and Indigenous Heritage month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day programs, and powwow. Originally from North Carolina, she is an enrolled member of the Coharie tribal community. She earned a Bachelors in Business and a Masters in Sociology from East Carolina University. She completed her doctoral degree in sociology at Virginia Tech. Her research examines the intersections of campus climate and institutional support for Native students.
Dr. Donna Westfall-Rudd
Hello, I'm Dr. Donna Westfall-Rudd, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education where my work focuses on teaching and mentoring future agriculture and food system educators. My passion is work with others to ensure all are welcome and feel included in educational programs.
I grew up on a small family livestock farm in rural New York where I raised sheep. I enjoyed being a part of 4-H and being a member of our school band.
Prior to coming to Virginia Tech, I was a secondary agricultural education teacher in a rural community in upstate New York, about an hour south of Canada. I also served as the state coordinator for agricultural education in New York for ten years.
I am very excited to help with our new summer program and look forward to getting to know all of you. As a faculty member I have the unique opportunity to live in O'Shaughnessy Hall, where the participants in this program will be staying during the week on campus. I can't wait to share the campus community with all of you!
Camp Counselors
Bryce Burrell
Halito, Sv hohchifo yvt Bryce Alexander Burrell. Mississippi Chahta sia hoke. (Hello, My name is Bryce Alexander Burrell. I am a proud member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and a descendant of the African Diaspora.) What I call home is Fauquier County in the northwestern region of Virginia. I am a current Agricultural Leadership and Community Education Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech. I have a Bachelor's in Individualized Studies in Engineering Technologies at Virginia State University (2020) and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Technologies at Virginia Tech (2022). I am the current president of Native@VT and the current Student Representative for The Indigenous Alliance at Virginia Tech. I have been a proud member of AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) since 2021.
Working under the Garden Caretaker, I work to help manage the Indigenous Community Garden alongside coordinating research. My research on the further development of community gardens for marginalized communities and revolving programming around Indigenous foodways with the incorporation of digital technologies like LiDar scanning, mixed reality (Augmented and Virtual Reality), and 3d printing. In my free time, I like doing other outdoor activities like running, foraging, and fishing with my family. I love cooking and baking, especially using foods that I grew and foraged. I also love to do a lot of woodworking crafts like making bowls, sculptures, and Kapucha (stickball sticks). Yakoke Fehna Hoke! (Thank you so much!)
Rugiyatu Kane
Rugiyatu Kane is a doctoral student in the department of Agricultural Leadership and Community Education at Virginia Tech. Her current research interests include positive youth development, international education and urban agriculture. With a professional background in K-12 education, Rugi has taught critical thinking and research to high school students at the Senegalese American Bilingual School in Dakar, Senegal. She holds a Masters in Sustainable Development Practice from the University of Florida, and a Bachelors in Environmental Studies from Spelman College. Apart from academics, Rugi is passionate about yoga, and enjoys traveling, art, and cooking.
Anahí Sanchez-Moya
Hello everyone! My name is Anahí Sanchez-Moya, I was born and raised in the Northern Virginia area (shoutout to the DMV). I'm Hispanic/Latina, a daughter of immigrants with Indigenous roots, specifically Quechua from Bolivia (the Andes).
At Virginia Tech, I'm a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Political Science with a minor in Spanish. I’m a proud member of Native@VT and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). During this past semester, I served as a Peer-Mentor at the Ati: Wa:Oki Indigenous Community Center (one of my favorite places on campus). Outside of academics you will most likely find me watching movies (romance or thriller), going to Virginia Tech events with friends, exploring Blacksburg, VA, and helping the Indigenous Community Garden.
This summer, I’m most excited about getting the privilege to know each and every one of you. I cannot wait to get started! Please feel free to reach out to me or others if you have any questions or concerns. But for now, get pumped, get loud, and get excited. This will be a great summer (I can already tell)!
Bio:
I'm an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) and the Mohawks of Kahnawake (Quebec, Canada). I grew up in College Park, Maryland and attended the University of Maryland for both my B.S. and M.S. degrees, additionally, I have a Ph.D. in equine science from Virginia Tech. In my current position, I am primarily an academic advisor for the School of Animal Sciences. I also teach courses in equine science and a First Year Experience course. I love working with students and helping them achieve their career goals!
Contact: jksuagee@vt.edu
Bio:
Dr. Brendan David-John is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. David-John was the first Native male to graduate with a doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Florida in 2022, and received his BS and MS from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2017. He is from Salamanca NY, which is located on the Allegany reservation of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
His personal goals include increasing the representation of Native Americans in STEM and higher education, specifically in computing. He is a proud member of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society and has been a Sequoyah Fellow since 2013. His research interests include virtual reality and eye tracking, with a primary focus on privacy and security for the future of virtual and mixed reality.
Contact: bmdj@vt.edu
Bio:
Victoria Ferguson is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation of Virginia. She is a graduate of Marshall University and has a background in researching science methodologies to support historical information. Victoria has spent 25 years seeking first-person documentation and archaeological information to help explain and support theories on the daily living habits of the Yesáh (Eastern Siouan) populations up through the early European colonization period. She has written and presented work at Virginia Tech, Washington and Lee University, Sweet Briar College, James Madison University, and several archaeological conferences. Victoria has coordinated lectures ranging from Dietary Health, Textiles/craftmanship, Indigenous Matriarchy, Enslaved Communities of Color in Virginia, to even Soil Health and Environmental Justice. Miss Vicky was one of two founding elders who cultivated the establishment of Virginia Tech Indigenous Community Garden in 2014 and was responsible for seed-saving many of the Yesáh heirlooms. She works to share and pass her knowledge when it comes to seed-keeping and tending rare heirlooms to the Indigenous community at Virginia Tech alongside sharing her knowledge of craftsmanship.
Contact: victoriaperfer76@vt.edu
Bio:
Dr. Polanco is an art historian of material and visual culture of Abya Yala. Born and raised in Southern California, she is proud to be a descendant of the Purépecha people of Michoacán, México.
Contact: depolanco@vt.edu
Bio:
Adam Taylor has a BA in Environmental Studies from Emory & Henry College as well as Maters of Agriculture from Oklahoma State University. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia and worked for various agriculture based non-profits in West Virginia. He has been the Manager of Virginia Tech's Catawba Sustainability Center for the past 8 years.
Contact: adamht@vt.edu
Bio:
Jessica Taylor teaches history at Virginia Tech, but also does "oral history"--which is just talking to people about their lives and recording it--with all kinds of people. She and her students travel around Virginia and North Carolina interviewing people and consulting on history projects with people who like to bring history to the public.
Contact: jessicataylor@vt.edu
Bio:
Dr. Katie Trozzo is a Food Systems Network and Outreach Specialist in the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education and serves as an Associate with the Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation. In these roles, she leads and/or supports several partnership projects that contribute to farm viability, land and water stewardship, and resilient food systems. She draws upon her skillsets in cultural and participatory development, facilitation, network weaving, evaluation, event coordination, and curriculum and training development to help drive these changes. Over the last 14 years, Katie’s research, extension, and teaching has also made contributions to advancing agroforestry, a suite of land management practices that merge conservation and production, in Virginia. In her free time, Katie sings with multiple improv ensembles and co-leads Star City Circlesinging. She also serves as an Artist in Residence in Roanoke supporting artists and arts organization through facilitation.
Contact: ketrozzo@vt.edu
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Welcome Dinner – O'Shag kitchen
Monday, July 15, 2024
Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed-Reality. What is it and What Can it Do?
Indigenous History in What is Now Called Virginia
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
How to Use Drones in Your Community - Virginia Tech Drone Park
Turtle Island and Abya Yala History and Culture
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
From the Indigenous Garden to Your Plate: Indigenous Community Garden at VT
3D Printing
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Catawba Sustainability Center Farm Tour
Hike on the Appalachian Trail
Friday, July 19, 2024
Horsemanship - Working and Living With Horses
Scratching, Rhyming, Recording and History – Hip Hop Studies at Virginia Tech
Saturday, July 20, 2024
How to Get Into College, and How to Pay For It