Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship

American Indigenous Tourism Association

At the American Indigenous Tourism Association, education is the very heartbeat of our work. That includes developing a sustainable hospitality industry by helping educate future tourism leaders. We strongly encourage Indigenous students to sustain and strengthen their cultural legacy, while also building their careers in the tourism industry.

We are proud to offer the Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship, which provides U.S. Indigenous students with financial assistance towards a degree or certificate in hospitality, tourism, recreation, culinary arts or related fields.

Each year, we award five individuals who have met all scholarship application criteria.

Award Amount: Students are awarded $1,000 per semester (fall and spring semester only). Each student can earn a maximum award of $2,000 per academic school year.

Scholarship Awards: Checks are made payable to the college/university and distributed/mailed to the financial aid/cashiers department of the institution the student attends. TO Payment will be made by ACH to the University/College the first week in August. Award will be deposited into your student account.

The deadline to apply has past. Check back in 2027.

Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship Awardees (left to right): Tyler Bell, Mikayla Herrera, Daniella James, Kuʻuipo Reiko Paora, and Cassandra Tsalate.

Meet the 2026 Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship Awardees

The American Indigenous Tourism Association is proud to recognize the 2026 Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship awardees. These students are pursuing degrees in hospitality, tourism, museum studies, business, and related fields while carrying forward a shared commitment to cultural preservation, community leadership, and Indigenous tourism.

Tyler Bell

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Hospitality Management
Returning scholarship recipient

Tyler Bell is a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he is pursuing a degree in hospitality management. A proud member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Tyler is passionate about building a career in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a focus on creating exceptional guest experiences in tribal destinations.

Tyler is also a previous American Indigenous Tourism Association scholar. His long-term goal is to become a hospitality director or executive at a tribal property. To support that goal, he is pursuing his degree, gaining hands-on experience through full-time work, and building relationships with industry professionals and Native American tribal gaming entities.

Mikayla Herrera

Citizen of the Chickasaw Nation
Oklahoma State University
Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management
Returning scholarship recipient
Expected Graduation: December 2026

Mikayla Herrera is a first-generation student from Oklahoma City and a full-time graduate student at Oklahoma State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in May 2025 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management. Mikayla is also a previous American Indigenous Tourism Association scholar.

Mikayla is passionate about hospitality marketing and helping communities and businesses in the industry thrive. She is interested in working with tribes, casinos, resorts, and other hospitality and tourism organizations.

Daniella James

San Carlos Apache Tribe and Navajo
University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium
Business Administration
Returning scholarship recipient

Daniella James is a first-year student in the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium. A proud member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Daniella is continuing to build on a strong academic foundation in business and leadership.

She is a 2025 graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned Dean’s List honors in spring 2024 and received the Isenberg Global Citizens Award for demonstrating exemplary character, leadership, and service to the Isenberg community and beyond.

Daniella is also a previous American Indigenous Tourism Association scholar. In 2023, she earned two associate degrees in business from Tohono O’odham Community College and was selected as the student commencement speaker before continuing her bachelor’s degree through the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Her career goal is to grow into a leadership role within the Indigenous tourism industry. She plans to begin by gaining professional experience with an established Indigenous tourism organization or business. Over time, she hopes to advance into a tourism director role where she can apply the strategic, financial, and cultural competencies she is developing through her MBA.

Kuʻuipo Reiko Paora

Native Hawaiian
The George Washington University
Master of Arts in Museum Studies

Kuʻuipo Reiko Paora is a Native Hawaiian institution builder, governance strategist, and cultural advocate with more than 25 years of experience advancing Indigenous education, cultural preservation, and community-centered systems.

As the founder and former board chair of Kamalani Academy, a Native Hawaiian public charter school, Kuʻuipo has led transformative initiatives across nonprofit, government, and educational sectors throughout Hawaiʻi. Her work centers on integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into public education, cultural programming, and organizational development.

Kuʻuipo is also developing the Institute for Lineage, Heritage and Legacy, a cultural and genealogical archive dedicated to preserving, protecting, and sharing Indigenous histories and stories with authenticity and integrity.

Through the Master of Arts in museum studies program at The George Washington University, Kuʻuipo plans to further explore the intersection of heritage preservation, tourism, public engagement, and Indigenous representation. Her long-term vision is to create sustainable, culturally grounded tourism and heritage models that strengthen Indigenous communities while ensuring their stories are shared accurately and respectfully for future generations.

Her dedication to cultural preservation is deeply rooted in her family history. Her father, an Indigenous Māori from New Zealand, played a key role in the construction of the Polynesian Cultural Center between 1959 and 1962. Both of her parents, her father and her mother, a Native Hawaiian and Japanese woman born and raised in Hawaiʻi, were among the inaugural dancers when the Polynesian Cultural Center opened in 1963 in Lāʻie. Kuʻuipo’s Native Hawaiian ancestors also trace their roots to Lāʻie, where she was raised and later graduated from high school.

“I am deeply grateful to the American Indigenous Tourism Association for selecting me as a recipient of the Hospitality & Tourism Scholarship. Receiving this award is both humbling and encouraging as I begin my journey in museum studies. To be recognized by an organization whose mission is rooted in preserving, celebrating, and strengthening Indigenous cultures means more to me than I can adequately express.”

Cassandra Tsalate

Pueblo of Zuni
Institute of American Indian Arts
Museum Studies
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cassandra Tsalate is a potter from Zuni Pueblo with a strong passion for preserving and revitalizing cultural traditions through her artwork. Since 2021, she has served as an intern at the tribal museum in Zuni while pursuing studies in museum studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Through her work at the museum, Cassandra developed a deep interest in pottery and has continued expanding her skills in creating pottery styles used for gardening, seed cultivation, ceremonial purposes, and everyday use. Her work reflects a blend of prehistoric Ancestral Puebloan pottery traditions, historical Zuni pottery styles from the 17th through 20th centuries, and contemporary artistic innovation.

Deeply committed to the Zuni language, agriculture, history, and art, Cassandra embraces her role as a cultural bearer and strives to serve as a valuable resource to her Zuni community through her creative work.

Application Requirements

Must be of American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian descent (student must show documentation).
Must be a high school senior or a student accepted into an accredited higher education institution at the time of application.
Must submit a letter of acceptance from a college/university or technical/vocational institution.
Must be enrolled as a part-time or full-time student.
A minimum GPA of 2.5 is recommended, although all current or future undergraduate and graduate college students are encouraged to apply. Scholarship recipients must maintain a 2.5 GPA.
Scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate students only; online colleges are acceptable.
Scholarships must be used for books and/or tuition.
Applicants must fill out the scholarship application completely to be considered.
Awardee agrees to authorize American Indigenous Tourism Association to use their photograph and any information provided in advertising, promotion, fundraising and publicity efforts.
Awardee agrees to return twelve (12) volunteer hours with American Indigenous Tourism Association, a Tribe, national park or public lands institution within the awarded year to be eligible for the following year. A letter of completion on company letterhead must be submitted to the American Indigenous Tourism Association office.

Essay Guidelines

Please attach an essay with your scholarship application. Your essay is the primary component of your application and will help the award committee evaluate your scholarship request. Use this opportunity to share your story, demonstrate your writing skills, and explain how this scholarship will support your future hospitality and tourism career.

Your essay must be at least 500 words, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and formatted in 12-point Times New Roman font.

Your essay should include the following:

Introduction

Introduce yourself using your full name and tribal affiliation. Share information about your home, family, and where you are from.

Unique Circumstances

Describe any special circumstances or obstacles you have overcome to pursue your education. Share what is unique about you and what you believe will help you succeed in your educational journey.

Academics

Describe yourself as a student, including your academic achievements, work ethic, and what or who inspired you to pursue tourism as a career path. Explain why you selected the hospitality and tourism field.

Include any leadership positions you have held, how those experiences shaped you, and any support systems you have or will have while pursuing your degree or certificate. Describe any community activities you are involved in.

Career Plans

Describe your ultimate career goal and the steps you are taking to reach it. Explain the qualities, strengths, and weaknesses you see in yourself that will shape your journey and future career.

Service to Native Nations and Communities

Share what your Indigenous heritage means to you. Describe your career plan, the positive changes you hope to make in Indigenous communities, and how your education will help you make those changes.

Describe what you hope to do if you return to work in your community.

Leadership and Community Service

Describe your community involvement and how it affects your future. If you do not have traditional community involvement experience, explain how you have helped your tribe, family, or community.

Financial Need

Describe your financial need and how you plan to fund your educational goals.

More Information

For more information, contact Sherrie Bowman by email or calling (505) 724-3592.

Email Sherrie