Education

Sharlene Navaho began her career as a teacher in 1999 and now leads the Tuba City Unified School District as superintendent, a role she has held during a period of academic gains and continued financial strain for schools serving Diné communities.

Xiomara Hoover is a global security and intelligence studies student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. She expects to graduate this year and plans to pursue a career in security and intelligence. Her coursework includes intelligence writing, forensic accounting and fraud examination, geographic information systems and investigative interviewing. Hoover is Diné and wants to focus on investigating crimes that affect the Navajo Nation. She is seeking entry-level or internship opportunities in security or intelligence.

An inflatable planetarium touched down Jan. 30, 2026, at Puente de Hózhó Elementary School, offering students a view of the stars and a chance to hear stories of the universe told in Diné, Spanish and English.

Talia Yazzie learned early how to use time most people take for granted. Growing up in far-flung parts of Diné Bikéyah, she spent hours a day on a school bus, turning the long ride into study time and tutoring time while the miles rolled by.

Eight students at Ganado High School passed a professional welding certification test in December, earning credentials that typically take six months to years of training to achieve.