\u201cI was honestly inspired, when I was in college myself as an Indigenous student,\u201d she said. \u201cI had two mentors, who were Indigenous faculty, who really sparked my passion for education and research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shotton is a citizen of the Wichita & Affiliated Tribes and is a Kiowa and Cheyenne descendant.<\/p>\n
She said she has both a curiosity and desire to understand the experiences of Indigenous students in college. Shotton said that is something she can bring to FLC, where almost half the student population is Native American.<\/p>\n
She looks forward to being involved with the work FLC has done with reconciliation considering the school\u2019s history of being a former Native American boarding school.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really critical work and work that I look forward to engaging with when I\u2019m on campus.\u201d she said. \u201cMore broadly, I\u2019m really excited about the commitment of Fort Lewis to creating a space for students of diverse backgrounds and thinking through the transformative capacity of higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coming from another college, Shotton said her new position will require a lot of listening to better understand specific issues facing FLC.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Fort Lewis has amazing staff, faculty and students already, and I see my role as someone who can come in and work from a position of shared leadership to really help think about the possibilities for Fort Lewis from curriculum and broader inclusivity to thinking about the specific communities that they serve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Shared leadership is a concept Shotton believes in. It is an approach of expanding the number of people involved in a decision-making process as it relates to academics and a school\u2019s organization.<\/p>\n
There were many factors that made FLC an appealing choice for Shotton. As someone who worked in Indigenous education her entire career, she finds the college\u2019s history interesting and is familiar with that history.<\/p>\n
She commends FLC\u2019s dedication to grow around diversity, equity and inclusion. Shotton is impressed by the intentional effort the school has made to be in partnership with tribal nations in the Four Corners.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth the stated and demonstrated commitment to DEI is all attractive to me,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s wonderful leadership at Fort Lewis and more importantly there are amazing students and I am so excited about working with the students that make up this great institution.\u201d<\/p>\n