Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet facts for kids

Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet (born May 14, 1954) is an American leader in education. She made history as the first Native American woman to become president of a university that was not part of the Tribal College and University System. She led Antioch University Seattle from 2007 to 2013. Before that, she was the president of Diné College from 2000 to 2003.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Wyoming

Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet was born on May 14, 1954, in Laramie, Wyoming. Her family is from the Navajo Nation, specifically from Tohatchi and Naschitti, New Mexico. She has three sisters and one brother. Her parents moved to Wyoming because of a program called the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. This program encouraged Native American families to move from reservations to cities for jobs, and her parents worked for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Family Heritage and Clans

Cassandra is part of the Towering House clan, and she was born for the Salt clan. Her grandfathers were from the Mud and Weaver clans. This is how Navajo people describe their family connections. She is also the great-great granddaughter of a very important Navajo leader, Chief Manuelito.

School Days and Challenges

Growing up in the 1960s, Cassandra lived in a community that was mostly white. She sometimes faced unfair treatment because she was Native American. She earned her first degree in social work in 1976 from the University of Wyoming. Later, in 1988, she got a master's degree in counselor education from the same university. She continued her studies and earned a Ph.D. in educational policy and management from the University of Oregon in 2005. Her big research project for her Ph.D. was about how Native American women leaders in tribal colleges learned and grew.

Career in Education

Helping Students and Leaders

Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet is very interested in helping women from minority groups succeed in higher education. She also focuses on education for American Indians and on developing strong leaders.

She worked in student support and counseling at several universities, including the University of Oregon and the University of Wyoming. From 1990 to 1995, she led the Indian Education Office at Oregon State University (OSU). This office helped Native American students. She worked for 16 years helping Native American students at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.

Leading Colleges

On August 1, 2000, Cassandra became the president of Diné College. This college serves the Navajo Nation. While there, she met with leaders in Washington, D.C. to support tribal colleges. In 2003, she left Diné College.

In 2006, she was chosen to be the president of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), but she decided not to take that job. In July 2007, she became the president of Antioch University Seattle. She was the first Native American woman to lead a university that was not a tribal college. She finished her time at Antioch University Seattle on June 30, 2013.

Personal Life

Family and Hobbies

Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet is married and has three sons. She loves being outdoors and enjoys activities like backpacking, camping, fly fishing, and whitewater rafting. She also likes to knit and is part of book clubs. As of 2020, she lives in Corvallis, Oregon.

Helping During the Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cassandra started a program called Nizhoni. This Navajo word means "beautiful" or "a balanced life." Through this program, she sewed about 5,000 face masks to help her community.