A Success Story in the Making

Jodi Montague is on her way to becoming a pediatrician!

Meet future pediatician Jodi Montague, a freshman at prestigious UCSD from the Quechan Reservation on the California/Arizona border near Yuma. Thanks to the support of her tribe, her high school, her family, the EAOP and BRIDGE programs - and most of all to Jodi's longtime desire to be a doctor - she is thriving in her demanding new environment. Taking a breather from her daunting schedule of chemistry, calculus, humanities and gospel choir, Jodi exudes determinination mixed with exuberance. "The work sometimes seems overwhelming and the pace can be stressful," she confides, 'but you just have to keep up and even get a little ahead. Everything is a process. As long as you don't slack off, you will be fine."

The phrase "slack off" is not in Jodi's dictionary, says her proud mom, Brenda Harvier. "I never had to tell her to do her homework," she recalls. "It's all in her to succeed."

Jodi says she has had to adjust to many things - including the lack of many Native Americans on campus - but that working at the UCSD medical research lab and living on campus the summer before her freshman year was a huge benefit. "It forced me to get used to being away from home and being on my own," she reports. Now she is focused on school and also having a good time with her new campus friends. She says she is looking forward to returning to her home with a medical degree and working at Fort Yuma Indian Hospital.

Jodi hopes that other young Native Americans make the choice to go to college. She advises, "You have to start thinking about it early on, so you'll be prepared when the opportunity comes along."