At the Department of Labor, we’ve taken the president’s challenge to heart. That is why yesterday I traveled to the Wind River Indian Reservation to meet with young Native Americans at Wyoming Indian High School.

High unemployment persists in Wind River, as it does in many tribal communities across the country. Despite this obstacle, each student I talked to had hopes and dreams for their futures. They all are aiming high and want to become nurses, business owners and IT technicians. One student I met named Victoria has an 11-month-old daughter and is determined to finish high school and pursue a degree in culinary arts.

These kids know how to fight and succeed. The school’s basketball team has won 11 titles since the mid-1970s, and in the last decade, the boys’ cross-country teams have won eight consecutive state championships − including 11 out of the last 12 state titles. Clearly they know a thing or two about coming out ahead.

Yesterday marked the culmination of another investment meant to help increase opportunity for Native American youths. Following my meeting with students at Wyoming Indian High School, I joined Sen. Mike Enzi, Gov. Mike Mead, Riverton Mayor Baker, Eastern Shoshone Chairman Darwin St. Clair and Northern Arapaho Chairman Dean Goggles for the ribbon cutting of the first and only Job Corps center in Wyoming.