2025 AVID Class Celebrates Higher Education Opportunities

Ten students from Sherman Indian High School’s Class of 2025 took part in a national program called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which seeks “to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society.” Eight students have been involved since their sophomore year, while two joined as seniors.

On May 6, they had the privilege of participating in the RIMS AVID Senior Celebration to recognize the completion of the program. As a group, they were accepted into 49 different colleges and universities, received 99 individual acceptances, and were offered over $700,000 in scholarships and grants from various institutions and organizations. All of them have been accepted to multiple universities, colleges, or trade schools. The group included the valedictorian, Raine, and the salutatorian, Lacey.

Lacey is Sherman's first-ever recipient of a RIMS AVID Scholarship. She represents the Pomo, Seminole, and Muscogee Creek peoples and is an enrolled member of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians. In the fall, Lacey will attend her dream school, the University of California, Berkeley, to major in sociology.

The SIHS AVID 12 Class of 2025:

• Raine (Navajo) from Vanderwagen, New Mexico
• Jontae (Kewa Pueblo) from Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico
• Conrad (White Mountain Apache) from Whiteriver, Arizona
• Jordan (San Carlos Apache) from San Carlos Reservation, Arizona
• Harley (Navajo) from Crownpoint, New Mexico
• Allen (Kewa Pueblo) from Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico
• Serena (Dakota) from Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate (Old Agency), South Dakota
• Emoni (Navajo) from Tohatchi, New Mexico
• Lacey (Navajo) from Rough Rock, Arizona
• Lacey (Pomo) from Hopland, California

Sherman also hosted a National College Decision Day event on May 1. The seniors shared advice with our AVID sophomores, provided individual letters of encouragement to our AVID juniors, and showcased their Cardboard Confessionals. They also announced their probable schools for post-secondary education or training and signed mock letters of intent to those institutions, including Haskell Indian Nations University, the University of Arizona, three University of California campuses, the University of New Mexico, the University of Oregon, and the Albuquerque Job Corps.

Congratulations to these seniors and program participants on their achievements!