Her Story
About Delilah
I started my journey in higher education in 2022 after being a stay-at-home mom for over 10 years to my five children. When I became a single mother, I knew I needed to do something because I only had an associate's degree, so I applied for my bachelor's degree at Colorado State University. I started working at the Native American Cultural Center on campus at CSU, where I was the receptionist for 2 years during my undergrad and also served as a peer mentor to 17 Native American college students. We focused on creating a safe space and community for Native students who often experience culture shock when moving from reservations to a big city like Fort Collins. At the center, we recreate cultural activities like beading, host an annual powwow for ceremony and dance, and provide resources like computers and printers. I graduated in 2024 with my bachelor's degree in ethnic studies and a minor in Indigenous Studies, becoming the first student at CSU to get that degree because Indigenous Studies was newly offered. I'm now pursuing my Impact MBA with a focus on sustainability and am the first Native American in the program's 19th cohort. My goal is to shift the curriculum to include Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural differences within business so I can learn how to renew Indigenous economies on reservations, which lack resources and rely too heavily on government assistance. I want to help others become business owners and entrepreneurs so we can have economic prosperity and stability. I also work extensively on federal Indian boarding school research, serving on the Native American Steering Committee for History Colorado's research project and previously as a research assistant at CSU. I serve on the State of Colorado Department of Justice's Missing Murdered Indigenous Relatives Task Force, bringing visibility and resources to cases of missing Native women and relatives. I work with Native youth in Fort Collins through a camp for urban natives that teaches cultural history and language to children growing up away from their reservations.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Delilah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I definitely attribute my success to the things that I went through in life. A lot of people think that those were challenges or barriers that I had to overcome, but for me, that's where I get my strengths. I carry my sisters, my mother, my great-great-great-grandfather Chief Little Bear, and his father Chief Big Bear from our tribe with me. I carry that legacy of strength, of resilience, and their stories with me as well, and my people's stories. A lot of times I used to think they died in vain, or they died from overdose and from substance abuse, but I realize now that I carry them with me, and they are my success. That's how I enter rooms and that's what I take with me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to believe in yourself, and it's never too late. I'm 38, and I just turned 38, and I hear young students all the time saying they don't know what they want to do and they're worried, and I tell them to look at me. I'm 38, it's never too late, and you have to believe in yourself and have confidence and just go for it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely advise them to get their education and to constantly be looking for opportunities, and don't be shy. A lot of women don't tend to take initiative and ask for opportunities. For instance, with the research assistant job that I got before I graduated with my undergrad, I didn't have the skills, and I was like, but this is something I'm passionate about, so I really went and talked to the director and said, hey, I don't have the skills of being a research assistant, but I know that I can learn. So I would say take risks, don't be afraid to ask, and don't be afraid to take roles that you may not be fully ready for, because you can learn them on the job.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenges are that sometimes, like for me for instance, I need to have a career that's going to support me and my large family. A lot of times, we look at jobs thinking this doesn't pay well and I don't know if it's going to support me and my family, but it can lead to other jobs. There's room for advancement, and if you're passionate about something, definitely go for something that you're passionate about, because you will find roles or maybe even create one that will fit the pay and the needs that you have. I would definitely say always stay a student, always stay a learner as well, because you're constantly learning new skills and gaining more to add to your resume and skill set. So constantly seek more education and look for places where you can create change and maybe build your own space.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are community, responsibility, helping others, sharing, and integrity. These values guide both my professional work supporting Native American students and communities, and my personal life as a mother of five working to break intergenerational cycles and create positive change.
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