UNITY Youth Highlight
A Healing Circle training at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute introduced Jamie Crowe to a new way of supporting Native youth as they entered college. The July 19–21, 2024 gathering in Albuquerque involved 12 incoming freshmen participating in a summer bridge program.
Crowe, from the Pueblo of Tesuque, served as Southwest Representative in UNITY’s 2024–2025 National UNITY Council Executive Committee cohort. The cohort connects regional youth councils and individual members, represents youth perspectives, and develops leadership through cooperation and service.
The training connected that representative role with an opportunity to mentor students in a new setting. Crowe joined UNITY, 25 Under 25 honoree Derek Capitan, and fellow executive committee leader Jalen Harvey in the experience.
“It was a wonderful time to experience and learn how to be apart of a healing circle training,” Crowe wrote. “It was my first time being apart of a training like this and I learned a lot of valuable skills.”
The setting mattered: the students were preparing to begin their studies at SIPI, and the summer bridge program gave them time to connect before the academic year. Crowe’s participation added a young mentor’s perspective to that transition.
In the report, Crowe identified speaking up and helping a group of youth become involved in their community as important areas of learning. Those responsibilities connect personal confidence with the ability to encourage participation in others.
“It made me happy to be a person who was a mentor to this wonderful group of youth!” Crowe shared.
The experience reflects the youth voice, relationships, and community well-being themes within UNITY’s Healing Indigenous Lives Initiative and Peer Guide work. It also shows how leadership development can happen through participation: a young representative learning a new approach while supporting other young people.
Crowe’s account makes room for learning alongside participants. The training offered practical experience in communication and engagement, grounded in the relationships forming within the group.
For Crowe, the weekend connected regional service with a college community and a new set of skills to carry into future youth leadership opportunities.
