"Graduation time in Santa Barbara County is upon us. One of my interests as tribal vice-chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has been promoting increased educational opportunities for our tribal families.

This time of year is always a special one for us at the tribe, as we see more and more of our family members obtain degrees and certificates or pass another milestone in their educational careers.

Our tribal government’s education director, Dr. Niki Sandoval, explains that our sustained investment in education is yielding measurable results. “In partnership with local public and independent schools, we have witnessed profound change in our educational outcomes,” she notes. “We are able to leverage existing tribal resources with the talent of our local parents, administrators and educators to help students realize their potential.”

Dr. Sandoval knows first-hand about the value of realizing one’s educational potential. She was the first of our Chumash family members to obtain a doctorate degree, in education at UCSB, where she continues to be active in promoting educational opportunities for Native American students."

Get the Story:
Richard Gomez: Education leads to bright future (The Solvang Valley News 6/21)