Alumni Profile: Shane Star Excelling Beyond Red Cloud

Shane. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brave Heart '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Alumni Profile: Shane Star Excelling Beyond Red Cloud

By: Jen Brave Heart ‘14

The day finally came for him to leave his nest. Star is shooting for the stars!

This past May we celebrated the class of 2013’s graduation. Amongst them are numerous bright and talented students. We definitely miss them this year, but are very delighted to see them becoming young adults and going after their dreams. Out of 36 students, one student has been experiencing becoming an adult, learning leadership skills, and taking initiative quite quickly. Shane Star.

Shane Star isn’t your average teen. Star is a freshman at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and plans to major in Civil Engineering. He spends most of his time studying, playing basketball, attending Gates Leadership conferences, and is also apart of the SDSM&T AISES chapter. Since he graduated, Star has been moving forward and improving his life- for starters, going to one of the top ranked engineering colleges in the state. Occasionally, Star will come back to the reservation to visit his family on the weekends, which is one of the reasons why he chose to go to SDSM&T.

“I'm involved in one program, Tiospaye Program. I go to a meeting with some advisors every other week and they help me stay on track and find more opportunities for me. I'm also in the AISES chapter up here. I go to meetings and we plan events and raise money to go to conferences. We are also trying to do something with Red Cloud next semester if things work out,” said Star.

“Some advice I would say is apply to as many scholarships as you can. All they can do is help you in college! Another thing would be just keep your grades up and always try your best! You just might be earning a reputation at your college and that could lead to many opportunities!”

Although Star is very busy, he still manages to make time for his friends, family, studies, and tries to be the best role model he can possibly be for the youth on the reservation. He wishes to be a good example of what you can become if you stay focused on school.