My name is Josh LaFontaine. I'm a Two-Spirited individual trying to make a difference in my homelands and community. I am a transfer student who is currently enrolled at Fort Lewis College. I am a bright individual determined to get my bachelor's degree in Psychology. I'm the first generation of my family. I have been multiple times that school is a significant key to achieving extraordinary goals in life. I always believe it is true. There are some reasons why I want to keep educating myself and helping people. Throughout my life, I have seen a lot of Indigenous people either struggling or achieving in their lives. It saddens me to see it all. A family relative told me that being kind and humble would help me out all the way. It is like a mantra. I never thought it would be possible for me to go beyond my ancestral lands and make my family and deities proud. The main thing for me as a college student is to be well-educated and learn more about myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I visualize myself in the dream future. I see myself being an FBI agent, psychologist, college professor, and journalist. I had faced a lot of hardships to get my high school and Associate's degree. Deep in my tuition, I wanted to educate myself more and share the knowledge with the young generations. I thought it was enough to achieve the long-term goals. My hardships as a Two-Spirited student: I experienced discrimination, homophobia, and criticism. People had told me that I was limited and that being who I am would bring shame, fear, and strife. Nevertheless, overcoming the challenges with a solid support system would be best. Knowing the achievements set on my path, I can stand for hope, compassion, and knowledge.

My family raised me on the Navajo Reservation, and I always knew I was different from everyone around me. I occasionally was aware of what I was through from adolescence to adulthood; I did not want to acknowledge the hidden part of me, being attracted to guys and learning the topic within my heritage, traditions, and culture. From the Native American perspective, a term for homosexuality or gay is defined as "Two-Spirited." It describes as the bridge between masculinity and femininity. I was taught by many people who were afraid of change and knew homosexuality was a sin. I had seen many LGBTQ+ individuals being loved or feared from high school to college. I had seen imbalance and hatred from people who need to know the world has evolved. It is quite a struggle for numerous people to go through it by themselves. It made me realize that I'm not the only one fighting for equality and acceptance from friends, families, and society. The type of change I wish to see is accepting others for who they are, and people would assist people in dealing with discrimination, homophobia, racism, and sexism.