The Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Hydrological Society (AHS) 2020 AHS Undergraduate Mentor Scholarship was awarded to Arizona State University student, Nadene Hubbard
As part of the student responsibilities of the mentor scholarships, award winners must submit a short article to the AHS monthly newsletter describing their school experience in 2020, including how COVID-19 influenced their experience. Please take the time to read Nadene’s engaging report.
School Experience of 2020
Submitted by Nadene Hubbard
Being selected as the Herman Bouwer Mentorship Scholarship Recipient was a huge blessing in my life this year, especially amidst the pandemic. There’s a saying in the Navajo language, “T’áá hwó’aji t’éego,” meaning “it is up to you.” I repeated this phrase multiple times since I started attending Arizona State University, but it meant so much more to me during this past school year in 2020. My school experience in 2020 was a rollercoaster of ups and downs due to the personal struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At times I struggled more than others, but it was the resiliency in the phrase that allowed me to push through the semester, and the support from the amazing professionals I had the pleasure of meeting through this program.
As part of this program, I was able to conduct meetings with Arizona water professionals and gain a more insightful view in the different aspects of Arizona water, such as Water resources at both the state and tribal level, the history of Arizona Water resources, Tribal Water Rights and water settlements, and Arizona Tribal water systems. A common theme among my different experiences in the program was tribal water in Arizona. Before I began the program, I did not think I would learn so much about tribal water within Arizona. I initially went in thinking I’d learn about Arizona water as a whole, but like all environmental resources, when we discuss Mother Earth (Nahazsdaan Nihima) we must include indigenous peoples in these conversations, as they should always have a seat at the table. I am thankful for those involved in making this program successful, especially my mentor Christopher Brooks, and the AHS Phoenix Chapter. My mentors were able to open up doors to different resources that led me to learn more about what I am most passionate about, tribal water issues & rights.
This past semester my most challenging adjustment was having classes entirely online, especially when it came to time management and focus. I struggled to keep my focus on projects because I worked from the comfort of my home which made it harder to distinguish the line between school, work, and comfort. This gave me the opportunity to work on my time management skills and to improve by finding better ways to study. I tried multiple ways of planning and when I finally found a new routine, my work began to flow smoother. I work full time in a bakery. Since COVID started, I had to work 40+ hours due to my financial needs, so finding a new routine that allowed me to work my full-time job, while taking 18 credit hours, being a part of research group, and participating in this mentorship was crucial. I found it most helpful to write everything in a planner and to find ways to relax such as reading poetry as a way to cope with the increased stress from this past semester. I have learned a lot from this semester, including finding improved methods of studying, managing work and school, and I am still finding new ways to effectively manage my time.
Although this past school year was full of challenging obstacles, I managed to find new ways to improve and work towards taking better care of myself as part of the saying, “T’áá hwó’aji t’éego.” Additionally, I was always taught in my Navajo teachings to do things with a positive mindset and never work while angry, or in a rush as it could hurt my work and bring bad energy onto me. This year I took extra care of my mental health and repeated “T’áá hwó’aji t’éego”, to myself to keep pushing through the adversities I faced and always tried to remain positive. In the end, I ended the semester with good grades thanks to the support from the amazing mentors from this program and outside this program, and from the positive thinking I tried to sustain through it all. I am so grateful to have been a part of this program; the lessons I learned during this mentorship and this semester will stay with me into my future career.