Devyn J. Kazhe (L) and Benjamin Cuevas (R) have won the Eve’s Fund Tribal Adaptive Female and Male Student Athlete of the Year Scholarships
Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives, in partnership with Tribal Adaptive Organization, is proud to announce the winners of our third Tribal Adaptive Student Athlete of the Year Scholarships. This scholarship was introduced in 2021 to recognize a top male and a top female student-athlete with a physical disability.
The individuals selected for the 2024 awards each received a $1,500 scholarship from Eve’s Fund, a framed certificate, and a customized hand-crafted beaded medallion, made possible by Tribal Adaptive Organization.
Noah Blue Elk Hotchkiss, founder of Tribal Adaptive presented the awards on August 8, at the organization’s residential training camp focusing on advanced wheelchair basketball in Kirtland, NM. Anyone interested in participating in future sports training should contact Tribal Adaptive Organization at (970) 306-9951.
Tribal Adaptive Female Student Athlete
The 2024 Tribal Adaptive female student-athlete honoree is Devyn J. Kazhe, a 26-year-old member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe who hails from Paguate, New Mexico. Devyn was injured in an automobile crash in 2021, shortly after her 23rd birthday, resulting in complete paralysis from the chest down. She has been training to compete in hand cycling and wheelchair basketball for a year. Devyn will continue participating in these sports at a competitive level when she begins her studies at San Juan Community College in Farmington this fall. Devyn particularly enjoys English classes, reading poetry, and writing. She commented, “The Tribal Adaptive Student-Athlete Scholarship will enable me to further my mission to amplify Indigenous voice and perspective, creating awareness among individuals who may not understand the life or views of a person living with a disability within Indian Country.”
Tribal Adaptive Male Student Athlete
Benjamin R. Cuevas is the 2024 Tribal Adaptive male student-athlete honoree. The 29-year-old member of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe from Mesa, Arizona, will transfer to Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, this fall. A former College National Champion basketball player at Phoenix College who has coached pro and college athletes out of Arizona, Ben lost the functioning of his legs following the removal in 2021 of a benign tumor that wrapped around his spine. Ben has been playing wheelchair basketball for a year and is thrilled to be back in the game he’s loved since childhood. Ben’s favorite courses have been psychology and criminology, and he hopes to eventually earn a PhD in psychology and open his own practice. He also hopes to return to coaching basketball. Ben shared, “Thanks to adaptive athletics, I have big goals and aspirations once again. I’m so grateful for this scholarship and for having opportunities in life despite my disability.”
Helping tribal adaptive athletes attain their goals.
Thanks to support from our Friends of Eve’s Fund, with special mention of the Andrew Delaney Foundation, we are helping tribal adaptive athletes attain their goals.
The awards recognized the students’ hard work and perseverance in overcoming obstacles to achieve their potential, both as athletes and students, redefining the possibilities for individuals with physical disabilities. The 2024 awardees have demonstrated success in the classroom, competitive arena, and future potential. These hard-working individuals, both of whom are non-traditional students, are inspiring examples for others to follow. They will be considered ambassadors for the missions of Tribal Adaptive Organization and Eve’s Fund in Indian Country and wherever their futures take them.
Join us in congratulating these amazingly resilient athletes by sharing this news whenever possible. Now, more than ever in our 19th year, we feel a powerful unity with all our friends, partners, and the young people our programs serve. We are indeed bringing hope and making a difference in the lives of so many!
Thank you for helping us give tribal adaptive athletes hope and opportunities for a future!
Our work to positively influence young lives depends upon the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support our mission and work, please consider a gift in any dollar amount. We have recently added the possibility for donors to set up monthly recurring donations to assist us in sustaining our programs and supporting a seamless donation process and we hope you will consider making your gifts in that manner.
Your acts of kindness and dedication are crucial to our mission’s success.Thank you for helping us save and transform young lives and giving hope and opportunities for a future.
To Donate, you can mail us a check to: Eve’s Fund, PO Box 3592, Newport, RI 02840 or click the Donate button below to give securely online.
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