A member of the United Houma Nation, Jessica grew up in Dulac, a small Bayou community in Louisiana. While studying at Stanford, she participated in a program in Native American education that piqued her interest in tribal public policy.

“After this program, I thought about graduate school. I found that there were few schools doing research on Native American issues. Then I found the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies, which offered a unique combination of research and course work. That’s why I applied to Brown.”

Jessica is working as a student researcher at the Buder Center, where she collaborates with the Brown School’s Center for Social Development to understand asset development within tribes.

“We want to understand what an asset means within a Native American community. The opportunity to work with the faculty at these two research centers has been very rewarding.”

Jessica recently was selected for the prestigious Udall Congressional Internship. This summer she will join other Native American students in Washington, D.C., to learn more about tribal policy, education, health, and economic development.