American Indian Education Fund

Greetings, donors.My name is Royce Perez. I’m half Navajo, half Hispanic and a former ASU engineering student. Ever since I took on my first internship during the pandemic, it has been my dream to finish my studies within the usual four years, and I’m grateful to say that I did! I graduated in the Spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s in civil engineering focused on water resources.I’m proud to say I graduated with Cum Laude honors and was inducted into the National Civil Engineering Honor Society – this required being among the top 30% of the class and/or maintaining a GPA of 3.4 or higher.After graduation, I started working for an engineering firm in Phoenix, Arizona. I plan to stay with them for the next few years until I earn my professional engineering license and certifications. After that, my goal is to work for the Navajo Nation as the director of water resources and establish sustainable practices for bringing clean water to the Navajo Nation.All this would not have been possible without your generous contribution to the AIEF program and their support throughout the school year.I will close by expressing a heartfelt Ahéheé (thank you) and wish you all many blessings this year. These scholarships have an enormous impact on Native students like me who dream of who they want to be someday. I take you, the donor, as family who helped me along my path to ensure I obtained my longtime goal of earning a bachelor’s in civil engineering. Warmest regards,Royce Perez