A member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona has signed to play basketball for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Ruben Silvas, 20, is the first tribal member to be recruited for collegiate sports. He has received a full-ride scholarship to UAF.

“Without this scholarship, this would not have been possible for me and my family,” Silvas, who is the oldest of 11 children and the first in his family to go to a four-year university, said in a press release. “This is important to me because I want to be an example to my siblings and other Pascua Yaqui kids.”

The tribe is hosting a celebration for Silvas tomorrow morning at the Casino Del Sol Resort.

“Preparing our students with the abilities and education they need to have successful and independent lives is essential to the social and economic wellbeing of our tribe,” Chairman Peter Yucupicio said. “We are dedicated to investing in our youth through educational programs and services that further our community for future generations.”