Colette Polite

First and foremost, I am a very strong Native American woman. I pride myself on being a loyal and fearless leader in our wonderful community. I must give respect due to all that have helped me grow into the person I am today. Without my life experiences I would be stuck in the past somewhere. Professionally, I am an Academic Counselor and Instructor for the Student Support Services Program (TRIO). I teach two courses which I really enjoy. I work with low-income, first-generation and/or disabled students at the University of NE-Lincoln. Recently, I finished my PhD in Educational Studies from the Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education Dept. at UNL. My dissertation title: Learning to Walk in Two Worlds: An Examination of Soul in My Pedagogy. My research interests focus on the relational issues of identity development for instructors and educators and the convergence of theory and practice for educators from underrepresented populations in education in predominantly white universities (PWUs). I am published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and Studying Teacher Education. My home is the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska, yet I am an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana. I am an active community member, and I devote a lot of time to multicultural issues in the city of Lincoln. Currently, I serve on the Mayors Multicultural Advisory Committee for the city of Lincoln.