{"id":25367,"date":"2024-10-26T14:34:38","date_gmt":"2024-10-26T08:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/?p=25367"},"modified":"2024-10-26T14:38:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-26T08:53:28","slug":"for-these-siblings-uws-new-tribal-initiative-is-a-financial-boost-hopeful-sign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/for-these-siblings-uws-new-tribal-initiative-is-a-financial-boost-hopeful-sign\/","title":{"rendered":"For these siblings, UW\u2019s new tribal initiative is a financial boost, hopeful sign"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"675\" height=\"450\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-675x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25368\" style=\"width:791px;height:auto\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-675x450.jpg 675w, https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-601x400.jpg 601w, https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg 1024w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Brothers Gavin (right) and Mason White Eagle, undergraduate recipients of the UW\u2013Madison\u2019s new Tribal Educational Promise Program, walk from their apartment to a campus event. <strong>Photo:<\/strong> Bryce Richter<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">By Doug Erickson<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockspare-blockspare-empty-section blockspare-04f951c4-e107-4 blockspare-blocks blockspare-empty-section-wrapper\" blockspare-animation=\"\"><style>.blockspare-04f951c4-e107-4 .blockspare-emptysection{height:10px;width:100%;background-color:#f9f9f9}<\/style><div class=\"blockspare-emptysection blockspare-hover-item\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>MADISON \u2014 In middle school, people often mistook Gavin and Mason White Eagle for twins \u2014 teachers sometimes had a hard time telling them apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These days, it\u2019s a little easier. Mason, younger by 14 months, outgrew his brother in high school and is now a couple inches taller. In other ways, though, they are still very much alike. Both attend UW\u2013Madison, and they share an off-campus apartment. They often can be found together \u2014 playing pick-up basketball at the Nick or attending events at the Indigenous Student Center on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also are both beneficiaries of UW\u2013Madison\u2019s new Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program. The initiative, which Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin announced in December 2023, offers financial support to cover the full cost of pursuing an undergraduate degree for state residents who are enrolled members of federally recognized Wisconsin Indian tribes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The commitment covers not only tuition and fees but also housing, meals, books and other educational expenses. It was offered to current students as well as incoming freshmen and transfer students. In this inaugural year, the White Eagle brothers are two of 73 undergraduates who are part of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Tribal Promise is our commitment to ensuring that Indigenous students have the opportunity to receive a top-notch education here at UW\u2013Madison,\u201d says Carla Vigue, the university\u2019s director of tribal relations. \u201cBut it\u2019s also a way to get Indigenous students to bring their talent, their voice, and their unique perspective to campus. UW\u2013Madison is a better place because of it. I am so proud of our commitment to support these exceptional students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The program is not based on financial need; it is awarded regardless of family income. It is funded by private donations and other institutional resources, not taxpayer money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018The biggest and best school\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The White Eagle brothers grew up in Auburndale, Wisconsin, and are enrolled members of the Ho-Chunk Nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEver since middle school, my thought process was, I\u2019m only going to pick the biggest and best school in Wisconsin, and that meant UW\u2013Madison,\u201d Gavin says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He researched the university\u2019s academic requirements and worked hard on his GPA. He applied only to UW\u2013Madison, figuring he\u2019d join the Air Force if he didn\u2019t get in. He\u2019s now a junior majoring in legal studies and communication arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was basically the trailblazer for my little brother,\u201d Gavin says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStop saying little brother,\u201d Mason interjects. \u201cI\u2019m taller. Say younger brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Gavin moved into his residence hall his freshman year, Mason helped, exchanging free labor for free food. Whenever Gavin needed something from home, Mason would ride along with his parents to drop it off. Throughout his freshman year, Gavin showed Mason around the campus and the city. It planted a seed in Mason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought, hey, this is my big chance to show him that I can do this, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason applied to UW\u2013Madison but also one other university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI needed a backup plan because I\u2019m not as smart as Gavin,\u201d says the modest Mason, a sophomore kinesiology major. \u201cHe got the brains; I got the athletic ability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Fact check: Both are plenty smart, and both went to state in track and cross-country. They both also played trumpet in high school, and each served as president of the school\u2019s band, among other school leadership positions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason initially was waitlisted at UW\u2013Madison, then admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI remember running over to my mom and saying, \u2018Your boy got accepted!\u2019\u201d Mason says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur dad was ecstatic to have two boys at Madison,\u201d Gavin says. \u201cIt\u2019s something he brags about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both parents work for the Ho-Chunk Nation: Their mom is a supervisor at a casino while their dad is a Ho-Chunk language instructor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018We want to be good role models\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The brothers have an easy rapport and a penchant for ribbing each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is the part where we pretend to like each other,\u201d Mason says in jest as the two sit down to be interviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Truth is, they\u2019ve been almost inseparable since birth. Being roommates \u201cgives us even more time to hang out together,\u201d Gavin says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo have Gavin go through everything first has been great for me,\u201d Mason says. \u201cHe sort of helps me create a plan for what I need to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two are first-generation college students. They turn more serious when talking about the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo go to a big school like this can be overwhelming,\u201d says Gavin, who aspires to attend law school and possibly work for the Ho-Chunk Nation one day. \u201cTo know there\u2019s financial help like this is great, especially when it is part of the university\u2019s broader effort to show respect for Native people and their history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He sees the initiative as a big step forward for UW\u2013Madison in turning its aspirational words into real actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe university is always talking about how it is located on Ho-Chunk land,\u201d he says. \u201cWell, this is them actually doing something about it. It\u2019s a hopeful sign for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason, who is interested in being an athletic trainer, says the financial aid has been a huge relief, as both brothers expect to graduate debt-free. Beyond that, he thinks the new initiative will inspire other Indigenous students to set a goal of attending UW\u2013Madison. To that end, the two brothers say they feel a bit of weight on their shoulders, in a good way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe realize that we\u2019re very lucky and that we\u2019re in a very fortunate position,\u201d Gavin says. \u201cWe want to be good role models and good representatives of this new initiative so that it is here for other Native students when they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In middle school, people often mistook Gavin and Mason White Eagle for twins \u2014 teachers sometimes had a hard time telling them apart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",1024,682,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-601x400.jpg",601,400,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-768x512.jpg",750,500,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-675x450.jpg",675,450,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",1024,682,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",1024,682,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",1024,682,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-870x570.jpg",870,570,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-600x682.jpg",600,682,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"newspaper-x-single-post":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-760x490.jpg",760,490,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-big":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-550x360.jpg",550,360,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-list-image":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative-95x65.jpg",95,65,true],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",640,426,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",96,64,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UW-Tribal-Initiative.jpg",150,100,false]},"author_info":{"info":["By Doug Erickson"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/category\/news\/education\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Education<\/a>","tag_info":"Education","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25367"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25370,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25367\/revisions\/25370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}