Navigating the Unknown: Lessons Learned from Sustaining Indigenous Community in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on Native American students in higher education. The loss of loved ones and family members led to heightened stress as well as disengagement and withdrawal for many students. Throughout the pandemic, the co-authors of this chapter were involved in the Mentoring and Encouraging Student Academic Success (MESAS) program for Native students at Utah State University. MESAS launched in 2018 but in 2020 program activities had to pivot to accommodate the challenges presented by COVID-19. Despite these challenges, students persisted, and the team worked collectively to sustain a sense of Indigenous community on campus. The co-authors share their experiences and lessons learned working with Native students in the time of COVID-19. This includes their own stories and perspectives on how the pandemic impacted their work and importantly, how they continued to move forward despite the challenges. They hope that their experiences will bring reflection and motivation to keep moving forward to sustain a sense of Indigenous community in higher education in the face of the unknown.