(Navajo Nation)

Chance is the first person in his family to go to college, so when he started dreaming of becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy, he sometimes felt like he was setting his sights too high. It didn’t matter that his grades were excellent or that he had taken on various mentor and leadership roles throughout his bachelor’s program, he still felt surprised by his own aspirations. But between his experiences with accessing healthcare and the many times he saw his family members and Elders suffering unnecessarily, Chance saw the gap in Native representation in healthcare and he took it as a calling.

Last spring, Chance graduated with his degree in Kinesiology and immediately set to work on his applications for a doctoral program. He knows that his people need doctors and nurses who understand their cultural values, who can speak their language, and who will provide care physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also knows it won’t happen unless he makes it happen. For Chance, dreaming big and believing in himself is about the well-being of his people.