Buck Beneschott Native American Scholarship

Following centuries of societal and economic discrimination, many Native Americans in the US continue to face significant adversity today.

In fact, just 17% of Native Americans continue education beyond high school--a quarter the rate of the rest of the population. The median income of a Native American household is less than 70% that of the nation as a whole. Some tribes report unemployment as high as 85%. Rates of alcoholism, depression, and other diseases are much higher in Native American tribes, while access to quality healthcare services is much lower.

And yet, Native Americans beat the odds and break through these barriers every day, becoming vibrant, successful leaders, like Ojibwe Native David Anderson, the accomplished author and founder of Famous Dave’s, and Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids, the first two Native American women elected to congress.

My father, Buck Beneschott, is a retired school psychologist who spent much of the later part of his career working with the Paiute Indian Reservation. Growing up, I saw him get up at the crack of dawn each day, driving hours to the reservation to work with people struggling with depression, substance abuse, and more.

He fell in love with the Paiute culture. He even took Paiute language lessons and would bring incredible stories back to us at home, teaching us Paiute words over the dinner table. These are some of my fondest childhood memories.

I’m creating this scholarship as a gift to my father and celebration of the work he did, but more importantly, as a recognition of the plight of Native Americans in the US today.

I hope this scholarship helps in some small way to support a young Native American who is determined to overcome the odds stacked against her as she sets her sights high and achieves her dreams.