Alumni Spotlight

Tiffany Menard

(1995 - Associates) Childcare Services
(1996 - Bachelor of Science) Preschool and Family Life Services.

The Northern Lights shine on Native American NMU alumnus Ms. Tiffany Menard.

A tribal citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Tiffany was an active member of hall government, Theta Psi Upsilon, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the Anishinaabe Club during her undergraduate years.  She has fond memories of taking Ojibwe language with Don Chosa and several of her friends. Tiffany recently became a lifetime member of the NMU Alumni Association.

It has been just over 10 years since Tiffany graduated from Northern Michigan University and moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan where she started working for the Inter-Tribal Council (ITC) of Michigan, Inc. Head Start and Early Head Start program as their Education/Disabilities Coordinator.

After a few years working for ITC, Tiffany decided to work for her own tribe as their Early Head Start Coordinator.  During this time she also worked for the Bahweting Anishinaabe Public School Academy (one of NMU’s Charter schools).

Tiffany decided to work towards a Master’s Degree.  Her first attempt was in Public Administration at NMU. However, she soon realized that she had no interest in this area. Her next adventure back to NMU was to pursuit a degree in Guidance Counseling.

Timing was not on her side and she eventually decided that it was time to go back to school full time.  She applied at several other universities in Michigan and even though she was accepted to all she applied to she packed up her Jeep and moved across the country to Montana to work for St. Labre School which serves students from the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations.

After her time at St. Labre, Tiffany moved back to Michigan where she started back to school at U of M-Flint.  Though she loved where she was at an opportunity came knocking that she couldn’t pass up.

Tiffany received a full scholarship along with eight other Native American students to attend the University of Utah’s American Indian Teacher Training Program. Tiffany shares, 

“This program is providing an incredible learning experience and a great opportunity for me to interact with some pretty amazing future Native American Educators. In addition to receiving the AITTP scholarship I also just recently received the Faye and Charlotte Bryner Scholarship for graduate students in the field of education who plan on working within a Native American community.”

Way to go Tiffany!

Tiffany will graduate with a Master’s Degree in Special Education in May of 2008. Tiffany’s ultimate goal is to move back to Michigan and work for one of the tribal schools.  However, the big question remains as to whether she return as Ms. Menard [M.A.] or Dr. Menard [Ph.D.].

“I would really like to continue my education in the field of Special Education with an Early Childhood emphasis but it has been a very challenging experience to be so far away from family and friends.” states Menard.  “Yet since High School I have lived by the motto “It is not enough to have a dream, unless you are willing to pursuit it.””

Great words to live by.

If you know someone who is deserving of a Native American Studies Northern Lights spotlight, please let us know at cnas@nmu.edu or call us at 906-227-1397.