Karlene Pacheco never imagined she would find a career in education.

After graduating from college, however, she became drawn to jobs that gave her the opportunity to work with students.

Nine years ago, she returned to the Churchill County School District where she graduated from high school in 1997 and decided to work with Native American high school students as part of the federally funded Title VI American Indian Education Program. I was. The unique academic and cultural needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students. She brings her experience as one of about 1,600 registered members of the Fallon Paiute Shoshone tribe to her work.

As a paraprofessional and Title VI liaison, Pacheco is on a mission to transform the school district, based in Fallon, about an hour east of Reno, into a welcoming and supportive environment for nearly 180 Native American students. and This population makes up her 5% of the district’s students and he is one of the top four highest percentages of any school district in the state. Most of the students Pacheco instructs are also members or descendants of the Fallon Paiute Shoshone tribe, but also other tribes within Nevada, such as the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and the Nevada Nation, such as the Navajo Nation that straddles Arizona. There are also members or descendants of tribes outside the state. , Utah, New Mexico, Colorado.

“I want them to have a better experience than what I did in school,” Pacheco said. “No one was like me who could say, ‘Hey, why aren’t you coming to school today?'” or “Why don’t you turn in your work?” I want them to feel good about coming to school. “

Pacheco received the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) award last month, which recognizes full-time or part-time school employees who have provided exemplary service to preschool students for their commitment to Native American students. has been named a 2023 National Winner. -From kindergarten to high school. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona praised Pacheco’s efforts, saying it “strengthened the foundations” of the community.

The school surprised her with the news that she had won an award. April 25th All-School Assemblywas being held in her honor without Pacheco’s knowledge.

“I’ve worked so hard to put this program together and I’m really impressed,” she said. “It’s hard to get recognition for indigenous activity, especially in Indian country, because, as I’ve said to others, we have to work twice as hard, jump more and Because we have to fight seriously for what we want.”

give students a chance to fight

nationally And statewide, Native American students tend to have lower math and reading scores, lower graduation rates, and higher dropout rates.

Last year, the statewide graduation rate was American Indian/Alaskan Native students was about 69 percent, about 3 percentage points lower than the 2021 graduation rate and the second lowest graduation rate compared to other racial and ethnic student groups.

Pacheco is working closely with Native American students on the Title VI program to turn those statistics around. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving students tutoring opportunities and ensuring that they attend classes.

But Pacheco said other students she works with have tough family lives and personal challenges that can interfere with their education. So did Kobe Abe, one of the first students she worked with.

A single parent, Abe’s father was relatively uninvolved in his life from an early age. His older sisters struggled with drug use, and his older brothers eventually dropped out of high school. Abe has deliberately started lowering his grades, considering following the same path.

But Pacheco said he didn’t have to repeat that cycle and could carve another path for the future, he said.

“She even actually sat in my class to make sure I was really there, really studying, really working,” he said. “I felt like she actually cared about what I was doing. And once I figured it out, I felt like someone was actually there for me, so I was able to get back on my feet.” started to put in a little more effort.”

In the end, Abe’s grades improved and he graduated in 2017, which he credits to Pacheco’s perseverance. He enlisted in the Navy and is currently stationed in Connecticut as a cook.

“It meant a lot. It was like someone was always there, knowing that I could do better. And now I can finally see it with my own eyes. I did,” Abe said.

As a young man who grew up on and still lives on the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Reservation, Pacheco understands what students like Abe are going through and the ill effects around them. Said I could. She’s trying to play a stable adult role in their lives.

I also work with other colleagues, such as high school physical education teacher Dean Schultz, to ensure my students get the attention and support they need. Schultz said he recently worked with Pacheco to help students deal with problems at home.

“Carlene came over and explained everything and said, ‘We’re going to do everything we can,'” he said. “She’s doing great things to give kids a chance to fight.”

Pacheco’s dedication has resulted in countless stories of Native American students who have excelled in school and made it through to graduation despite hardships at home. The district’s graduation rate for American Indian and Alaska Native students has increased from 50% in 2015 to 75% in 2021, according to state data.

“I found it very easy because I knew what gaps my students needed to be successful,” she said.

build a bridge

During her past nine years in Churchill County School District, Pacheco has increased awareness and education about Native American culture to make the district more welcoming and inclusive of Native American student bodies than when she was a student. We have also focused on 80’s and 90’s.

At the time, Pacheco said, native students were being called racially slurs and shoved as they walked down the halls.

“There would have been fights between non-indigenous people and indigenous people on a daily basis,” Pacheco said. “It wasn’t a good time.”

Pacheco believes things have improved since then, but one way she hopes to continue to improve the relationship and trust between the school district and its students, families, and Native American communities is through an annual program held each November. Expanding programs in school districts in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

Last year, Pacheco said all but two of the district’s six schools were able to organize events. His one of those events, An Evening with Native American Veterans, was organized with the help of tribal elders and other local residents. The elders brought pictures of tribal veterans and sang and danced together around the library.

“It was really cool to see our community come together,” she said. “I am very happy to know that I can help build a bridge between the school district and the tribe.”

Pacheco has also received positive feedback about the event from colleagues, including James Christensen, a special education teacher at Churchill County High School. Mr. Chrisensen said the education and cultural knowledge Pacheco brought to high school opened his eyes to the racism against Native Americans that persists in his community to this day.

“Because I’m white, I never knew anything like that. I didn’t know about those things, I didn’t know they existed, so she wanted me to know where they were coming from and It helps me understand how to work better with those students,” he said.

Pacheco said the support and positive feedback show how much things have changed since she was a student.

Pacheco never intended to be an educator, but said making a difference in the lives of students in her district and community was a rewarding experience.

“I didn’t know at first that this business could be so successful, so big, so thriving,” she said. “It was definitely an adventure.”