My name is Jamy Malone and I am of the Deer Water clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Sleepy Rock clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Red Beard clan. I am a proud member of the Diné (Navajo) tribe. I am the youngest out of five children and am the first of my siblings to go to college. I was “homeschooled” from the age of seven to thirteen. However, I use the word “homeschool” very loosely because, in reality, I was the forgotten child. I sat at home alone every single day waiting for my parent to return home from work. Because I did not go to school, I did not learn all the things children learn throughout elementary, mid-school, and junior high. This has been my biggest challenge to overcome but I believe my grades show how hard I work to keep up with my courses and maintain a 4.0+ GPA.
I am currently working towards an Associates of Arts in Business Administration and would like to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management. I know this does not sound as exciting as tackling environmental issues or social injustices, but I believe that a background in business will open more doors and opportunities for me to return to the Navajo Nation and to serve my people across a variety of settings. After many years of dedicated service, the older generation is starting to retire and there is now a need for people with a business education to help tackle these jobs and ensure the Navajo Nation has a successful transition to the next generation of workers.
I do not only wish to serve my people, the Diné, but also wish to be an example for my children. Due to financial and social restraints, I was not able to attend college when I first graduated high school, but I want my children to see firsthand that it is never too late to set our sights high and to achieve our goals. I want them to look at me and see my motivation and to be inspired. I want them to dream big and to realize there is nothing that can stop them from achieving their goals and to know that I will always be a support to them. I cannot fully express how much I want to enable my children to succeed and to empower them to change the world.
A scholarship will greatly assist me on my path to receiving an education and will ultimately allow me to achieve my dreams of serving my people across the Navajo Nation and to inspire my children to also serve their people. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful professors during my first semester at UNMG and am grateful for the time they have devoted to ensuring I am successful in my classes. I am confident that I will be a great representative for your organization.
We are proud to announce Jamy Malone is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘heart’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.