2023-2024 Eve’s Fund Navajo Prep Scholarship Awardees

Top Row L to R:  Kierra Antonio, Laci Antonio, Thomacita Begay, Leannabah Cly, Luke Damon
Middle Row L to R:  Wallen Descheeny, Kamyra Goldtooth, Jerald Hardy,
Dominique Henderson, Orion King
Bottom Row L to R:  Nevaeh Lewis, Brooke Martin, Madilynn Mora, Winnie Morgan, Luke Smith

Eve’s Fund is pleased to announce that we have awarded $15,000 in scholarships to fifteen Navajo students attending Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico, for the current academic year.

Seven of the students are receiving the scholarship for the first time, and eight students are continuing from previous years.

These students were selected based on demonstrated financial need, scholastic potential, and leadership skills. Each recipient’s award fully covers the school’s required academic and residential fees.

Since Eve’s Fund established this scholarship program in 2011 with an initial funding of $3,000, we have awarded $116,500 to 72 individual Navajo Prep students, some of whom received the scholarship in each of their four years at the school. To qualify for the scholarship, students must also write a short essay on “What I want to do with my education” or “How a good education will help me achieve my goals.”

Navajo Prep thanks Eve’s Fund

Shawna Becenti, Head of School at Navajo Prep, had this to share: “On behalf of the Navajo Prep community, I am proud to congratulate our fifteen bright, hardworking students who have been awarded the 2023-2024 Eve’s Fund Scholarship! We are so proud of what you have accomplished in the classroom and beyond and are proud of you for being an example of our school’s mission—”Yideeską́ą́góó Naat’áanii—Leaders Now and Into the Future.” We are grateful that Eve’s Fund has partnered with Navajo Prep for the past 13 years. During this time, Eve’s Fund has supported the vision and mission of our school by funding our students with scholarships to attend Navajo Prep. We are thankful for the continued collaboration and support of our students and communities.”

Eve’s Fund Scholarship Program

The founders of Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives, the late Dr. Robert Crowell and Barbara Crowell Roy, established the scholarship program to honor the memory of their daughter, Eve Erin Crowell, who passed away in February 2005. By partnering with Navajo Preparatory School, Eve’s Fund helps address the significant financial needs of talented high school students served by the only Navajo-sanctioned college-preparatory high school for Native Americans. Through their hard work and with financial support, approximately 90% of Navajo Prep students graduate successfully, and of these, over 90% go on to matriculate at a four-year college or to serve in the military, including some accepted to the highly competitive military academies.

Meet these grateful, compassionate & committed Navajo Prep Scholars

Thanks to the growing generosity of the Friends of Eve’s Fund, with special acknowledgement to the Andrew Delaney Foundation for its ongoing, generous support of this educational initiative, we are excited to introduce the following impressive young men and women scholars for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Kierra Antonio, ­Sophomore

Hello, my name is Keira Antonio. My clans are the Towering House People and Born for the Salt People. My maternal grandfather’s clan was the Cliff Dwellers clan, and my paternal grandfather’s clan was the Red House People clan. I come from the small community of Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico, located between Cuba and Crownpoint. Through education, I am expanding my knowledge throughout my school years, and this scholarship will help me succeed and become a role model for kids in my community and around the Navajo Nation. I also want to help my elders, who have given us so much, and now many of them need our help. Thank you, Eve’s Fund, for my scholarship to attend Navajo Preparatory School for my sophomore year. This scholarship was a big help to my mother and to me. Thank you for all you do for me and the other scholarship recipients.

Laci Antonio, Junior

My name is Laci Antonio. I am a junior at Navajo Preparatory School. My clans are the Towering House People, I am born for the Salt Clan, and my maternal grandparents are the Cliff Dwellers People, and my paternal grandparents are the Red House People. I am from the small community of Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico. My parents are Woodrow and Latonia Curley.  My maternal grandparents are Grace Antonio and the late Emerson Curley. I hope my education can positively impact my community by setting an example for the youth and inspiring them to continue their education and pursue their goals.  Receiving this scholarship motivates me to remain committed to and passionate about my studies at Navajo Prep. I believe my education will help me achieve my goals and become a better role model and leader for my peers. I want to say thank you to the Eve’s Fund Scholarship committee for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and receive an education from Navajo Prep.

Thomacita Begay, Senior

My name is Thomacita Begay. My clan is the Deer Spring, and I am from Tuba City, Arizona. Tuba City is not that big, but it is still a decent place to grow up and live in. My goal is to have a career in Family Law.  I want to be able to help those who need it, but cannot stand up for themselves, to help those who feel they cannot speak for themselves. I hope that my education will take me a long way and enable me to bring support to my community and the people who struggle with issues they are facing. I am determined to help those in need and to create positive change within the family law system. I am very thankful that I have received the Eve’s Fund scholarship to allow me to continue attending Navajo Preparatory School.

Leannabah Cly, Freshman

My name is Leannabah Cly. In the future, I want to help my people and make a difference in the world by inspiring Native communities to do things differently and break some of the ongoing destructive life cycles. Native communities have the highest rate of people living in poverty and also have a high incidence of alcohol and substance abuse. Every time something gets hard in life, these statistics motivate me.  As one who comes from a family that has dealt with these problems, I know it’s hard to stop the cycle. I also want to ensure that our people have nice homes.  My family back home right now is dealing with finding a decent home. Currently, the one we are staying in is in the process of breaking down, with our belongings inside. To see the elderly without adequate shelter and a place to feel welcomed is so heartbreaking. When I see my people struggling to get basic needs, it breaks my heart. To hear my mom cry and have a hard time trying to find a suitable place for us, my heart aches for her. Getting a good education, so I build a better foundation for mysel and my people can inspire others to do the same.

Luke Damon, Senior

Hello, my name Is Luke Damon, a senior at Navajo Preparatory School. My clans are Red Running Into Water, the Mud clan, The Hairy Ones, and the Coyote Pass clan. I am the middle child of five siblings and live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Where I am from, in my local community, many individuals seem to lack ambition and self-confidence, with many not believing in themselves or setting goals for their lives. This has inspired me to do my very best in my high school career. I am determined to pursue a degree in business and marketing, with the ultimate objective of owning and operating my own company someday. Education plays a pivotal role in my future aspirations, as I believe it to be the key to achieving success. While some might not recognize its significance, I understand the value of education and the discipline required to achieve one’s goals. I hope to serve as an example to my community, demonstrating that success is a product of individual effort and dedication. I am deeply grateful to the Eve’s Fund Scholarship for providing me the opportunity to attend Navajo Prep School again this year.

Wallen Descheeny, Senior

Hello, my name is Wallen Descheeny, I am a Senior at Navajo Preparatory School. First, thank you for awarding me an Eve’s Fund Scholarship for a third time. For the last two years, I have been fortunate to be one of the recipients of this scholarship, and my family and I are so grateful for the scholarship grant for my senior year as well. My clans are Bitter Water and born for Red Running into the Water People clan. Black Sheep clan (éí dashícheii) and Chiricahua Apache are my grandpa’s (nali’s) clan. I was raised in and currently reside in Klagetoh, Arizona. The area where I live is a very sad setting as there is alcohol and drug addiction and homelessness. Dropping out of school and teenage pregnancies are also common.  Seeing these problems in my community, I do not want to add to the problem, so my goal is to obtain my education and someday help my community heal in any way I can. I realize education is very important because, today, no one can succeed without an education.  Education allows us to grow and learn intellectually. I look forward to another challenging academic school year as a senior. I find it important not to give up and give it my all at one of the best high schools in the Four Corners area.

Kamyra Goldtooth, Sophomore

Yá’át’ééh my name is Kamyra Goldtooth. I am Within His Cover clan and born for Red Running into Water. My maternal grandfather’s clan is Yucca Fruit Strung Out clan and my paternal grandfather’s clan is Start at The Red Streak People clan. I am from Fruitland, New Mexico, a very small community, mainly consisting of my family.  My education helps me make a positive impact now, and I can do better for my community as I expand my knowledge. I am grateful to have been raised around strong, courageous, and smart individuals who taught me to observe and respect my community.  Those individuals helped me understand that getting a good education will enable me to be a better citizen, get a good job, and grow and develop. With a good education, I can help shape my community for a better society.  I want to express how thankful I am for the Eves Fund Scholarship. I am deeply touched and humbled by your generosity. It feels incredible to have individuals and organizations working within my community supporting my pursuit of higher education by helping with finances. Thank you so much!

Jerald Hardy, Sophomore

Hello, my name is Jerald Hardy and I am 17 years old. I am three-quarters Navajo and a quarter white. I am from Window Rock, Arizona. Window Rock is a border town between Arizona and New Mexico. There, I attended an elementary school called  Tséhootsoí Dine Bi Olt’a, where I learned to speak Navajo. I had been sent to school late due to the age requirement being five years old, though I would have turned five the same year. After that, I went to middle school in Fort Defiance at Tséhootsoí Middle School. I live with my mom who is a single parent so it’s just the two of us at home. My mom is a bus driver who works late hours so she can provide. During the summer before I started high school, I got a temporary job at the Navajo Nation Zoo to help my mom. My interests include drawing, wood working, and physical activities such as chopping wood. With those interests in mind, I am looking to be an architect and a carpenter so I am able to plan and build my own things, such as my own house in the future. This scholarship helps me get closer to my goal, and it also helps my mom. Thank you!

Dominique Henderson, Junior

Yá’át’ééh, hello my name is Dominique Henderson. I am of the Many Goats clan and born for the Many Hogans clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Black Streaked People clan, and my paternal grandfather is of the Tangled clan. I am from Little Water, New Mexico which has a population of about 2,000 people.  The name of the community I live in originates from a story from the past when there was an area with a ditch. The ditch is where water comes up from the ground, and that is how we have water in my community. I hope to use my education to become a veterinarian to help animals in need.  My education will benefit my community and enable me to help people with their animals’ hardships and help make any animal well. Thank you Eve’s Fund for your support.

Orion King, Senior

Ya’at’eeh, my name is Orion King; I am 17 years old and a senior at Navajo Prep. I am Tangled Clan and born for Red Bottom clan. My maternal grandfather’s clan is Towering House, and my paternal grandfather’s is Bitter Water clan. I am from Rock Point, Arizona, with paternal roots in Naschitti, New Mexico, and my nalis (grandparent) are from Cove, Arizona.  I come from a close-knit family, including my three brothers, parents, grandparents, and aunts, who are very supportive of me. My parents encourage me to make the best of my schooling at Navajo Prep, and we all believe Navajo Prep has been the best place for my high school education.  My years at Navajo Prep have been challenging because I come from a small community where the standards in education don’t compare to the vigorous academics here at Navajo Prep. It is what makes this place unique as I get to explore my knowledge and fill the gaps from my old school. I have enjoyed my four years at Navajo Prep, all the wonderful experiences, and the awesome educators who truly helped and guided me.  This is the fourth and final year I have been awarded the Eves Fund Scholarship, for which I am truly grateful. Eves Fund has been a blessing to me and my family.  Being a recipient of an Eves Fund scholarship makes me want to do my best because I want to make the donors and Eve very proud of me. I want to make my family proud, reach my highest potential and goals, and enjoy my last year at Navajo Prep. Thank you, Eves Fund, for your support of my educational endeavors these last four years. Receiving this prestigious scholarship and the affirmation that comes with it will continue to motivate me to reach my goals in life.

Nevaeh Lewis, Sophomore

Yá’át’ééh shí eí Nevaeh Lewis yíníshye. Hello, my name is Nevaeh Lewis, and I am a sophomore here at Navajo Preparatory School. My clans are Tódich’ii’nii (Bitter Water clan), Kinyaa’áanii (The Towering House clan), Hashtł́ishnii (Mud clan). I am from Torreon, New Mexico, located between Cuba and Crownpoint, but I live in Albuquerque. now. I am the oldest of three siblings, and I try to be a good role model for them and show them what Navajo Prep has to offer. I want to show them that you can succeed in anything if you set high standards and work hard.  I applied for this scholarship because I strongly believe that Navajo Prep will greatly impact my education. Not only will this influence my learning, but it could also allow me to make positive changes in my community. Throughout my hometown, few people have a good sense of the importance of education, and few have good jobs. I want to be one of the first to make a difference in my area and to achieve something important in my life. I want to be able to attend college and receive a degree that will allow me to achieve my career goals. After accomplishing that, I’d like to help my community, especially our elders in great need and lacking necessities. Education is a good discipline and very important in life, and with it, you can accomplish anything. Lack of education can interfere with your goals for a job, family, house, etc. I believe Navajo Prep will prepare me well for success in college and beyond. I’d like to thank Eve’s Fund for this scholarship that has allowed me to be a Navajo Prep student. Ahéhee’!

Brooke Martin, Sophomore

Hello, I am Black Streak Forest People and Born for Salt clan. My paternal grandparent is the Towering House Clan, and my maternal grandparent is the Bitter Water clan. I live in a rural area, Mulholland Well, which is about 15 miles away from Crownpoint, New Mexico. My community is very small, and most everyone knows the other families. Knowing my grandparents, when they run into neighbors, eventually, the talk of their grandchildren comes up and how they’re doing at school. I know that when my grandparents get to talking about their grandchildren’s education, they realize how proud they are of us. The importance of higher education has been stressed to each of us in my family. We believe education does matter. With my education from Navajo Preparatory School and college, I want to be someone my community sees as a role model, especially for the young people. I want to show them that someone from a small community can succeed at a challenging college, in or outside the Navajo Nation, and that education will pay off and allow us to return home and help our community with our knowledge. The Eve’s Fund scholarship will benefit my family, myself, and my community’s youth. I wanted to express my gratitude because this scholarship benefits my future in many ways that I can’t express.

Madilynn Mora, Sophomore

Yá’át’ééh, my name is Madilynn Mora. My maternal clan is the Big Water Clan and my paternal clan is the Mexican Clan. My maternal grandfather’s clan is the Mexican Clan, and my paternal grandfather’s clan is the One Who Walks Around Clan. I live in Arizona in the small community of Round Rock. My options for high school in Round Rock were not ideal, as my hometown schools were overcrowded, and I felt I wouldn’t get the best education possible. At Navajo Prep, the education offered is beyond what I wished for. Coming here was a good decision, not just for me but for my family. I hope I have started a new generation of my family members (siblings) who will also want to attend Navajo Prep. The Eve’s Fund Scholarship is a blessing to me and my mom. Knowing she won’t have to worry about my school fees is one less burden for her and for me. I’d like to thank Eve’s Fund and its donors for their support to me and my family. Thank you!

Winni Morgan, Senior 

My name is Winni W. Morgan. I am the Red Running into the Water People, born for the Over Hanging Ledge Rock People. My maternal grandparents are the Mexican People, and my paternal grandparents are the Bitter Water People. I am from the small community of Crownpoint, New Mexico. In the middle of town is Navajo Technical University, which provides numerous opportunities to increase my knowledge about my Native heritage. Even though my community is small, it has brought me big opportunities to gain knowledge.  Now, as a young adult, I hope my education will impact both my life and my community for the better in the future. I would like to use my education to help increase the chances of future generations obtaining their high school and college degrees, to help businesses grow in Crownpoint, or even to be able to help the people within my community. My goal is that my degrees, from both high school and college, in whichever major I choose, will enhance the advancements of my hometown.  I thank the Eve’s Fund Scholarship for providing me with financial assistance to attend Navajo Prep and more opportunities in life.

Luke Smith, Freshman

My name is Luke Smith, and I am 14 years old. I am a freshman at Navajo Preparatory School. My family resides in Standing Rock, New Mexico. When I received a notification about this scholarship, I was happily surprised that I was selected. This scholarship will be very helpful to me and my family.  As a recipient of this scholarship, I will go above and beyond with my schoolwork to better educate myself. I will also strive to increase the amount of time I dedicate to studying. This will help me achieve my educational goal of completing high school successfully.  I appreciate this opportunity to receive this scholarship. Thank you!

Congratulations to these 2023-2024
Eve’s Fund Scholarship Navajo Prep Awardees!
Warm thanks to our generous Eve’s Fund donors for your past support of this initiative and bringing hope and opportunities to
these wonderful young people

Would you like to help us in supporting quality education on the Navajo Nation?

In the coming years, Eve’s Fund would like to be able to expand our scholarship program to support additional Navajo high school students in graduating, pursuing higher education and embarking on worthy career paths.  We are grateful for the outpouring of generosity from our donors, as there is an increasing need to assist more students every year. Sadly, the children and families served by our programs are still suffering from the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please help these kids achieve their dreams and become leaders in their communities!

• For this program, we rely solely on the support of donations from individuals, corporations and other philanthropic organizations.
• Your tax-deductible gift in any amount will enable us to continue this important initiative in 2024 and beyond.
• Please help us continue this critical work which is transforming young lives and providing hope for a better future.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution for 2024, please click below to donate through our secure Donation portal below or you can send a check payable to Eve’s Fund to us at PO Box 3592, Newport, RI 02840. We would appreciate you making an quarterly or annual pledge so we can insure that we can support more young people in need.

We are grateful for your support and will put every dollar to good use.

P.S. Find out if your company will match, double, or even triple your gift to Eve’s Fund.

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