Black Hawk, SD — Sarah White (Oglala Lakota) wants Rapid City to become the model of a culturally responsive city. To achieve that vision, she knows that Native people, especially youth, must have places of cultural safety where they can learn and heal through full access to the history, culture and language of the Lakota people. She intends to be a change agent who gives voice to a population that has traditionally been silenced. To become the trusted leader her community can turn to for wise counsel, she will earn her doctorate in educational leadership and study programs in Hawaii, where student outcomes have improved dramatically in schools focused on cultural safety. She will also build relationships with key Native leaders at the state and federal levels.
