Impact of Native American Scholarship Program Reflected in Past, Current Recipients

November 3, 2026 - As Native American Heritage Month begins, Freeport is recognizing students who have used our Native American Scholarship Program to pursue educational and professional opportunities in their communities and beyond.

Among them are two recipients at very different points in their careers: one just beginning her education with hopes of serving Native American communities through healthcare, and another now working as a nurse in the UK.

Working with partners like Education Forward Arizona, Freeport helps create educational opportunities in the communities in which the company operates. Through the Native American Scholarship Program, eligible students can receive financial support as they pursue higher education.

“For more than a decade, our Native American Scholarship Programs have opened doors that many of our students once thought were out of reach,” said Ondrea Barber, Manager-Global Indigenous Affairs & Human Rights. “With over $7 million invested and more than 550 scholarships awarded, we’ve helped Native American students become nurses, engineers, teachers and leaders who are giving back to their own communities and making a positive impact on the world.”

Among the more recent recipients is Maureen Ford.

A member of the Navajo Nation, Ford is a junior at Emory University in Atlanta and a recipient of the 2026-2027 Native American scholarship. Pursuing a bachelor's degree in human health, Ford hopes to one day build a career in healthcare leadership through organizations such as the Indian Health Service or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Passionate about improving healthcare access, strengthening public health programs and increasing Native American representation in health data and research, Ford plans to earn a Master of Public Health after completing her undergraduate studies and is considering medical school. She said a strong foundation in public health can create opportunities to improve health outcomes in Native communities and beyond.

And Ford isn't alone when it comes to advancing the health of communities – whether it's those we're born into or the ones we eventually come to call home.

For Shasha Tenijieth, the daughter of a Freeport employee and a member of both the San Carlos Apache and White Mountain Apache tribes, the Native American Scholarship Program helped support an educational journey that stretched far beyond Arizona.

Finding scholarships that would support a student attending university outside the United States wasn’t always easy, Tenijieth said. Through the Native American Scholarship Program, however, she was able to pursue a degree in pediatric nursing and even complete an elective placement in East Africa before graduating from the University of Salford in the United Kingdom. She remains there today, where she now works as a pediatric cardiac nurse.

Looking back, Tenijieth said the scholarship provided more than financial assistance.

“The scholarship opened doors for me,” Tenijieth said. “Programs like Freeport’s relieve a lot of the financial stress and allow students to focus on their studies. Thanks to that, I had the opportunity to follow my passions, study internationally and build a career doing what I love.”

Photos (top to bottom): A junior at Emory University, Maureen Ford hopes to one day have a career with Indian Health Service or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; After attending college in the UK, Shasha Tenijieth now lives and works there as a pediatric cardiac nurse.