AMBER RICHARDS, Alumna

"My experience at Heritage University has been life changing. When I first entered Heritage, I was hesitant to pursue higher education. I felt like a college degree was something for other people—not me. I was spiritually broken and struggling to survive. I was a teen mom with no education or marketable skills to get the type of job I needed to support my son.

Even though I was unsure that college was for me, I chose to attend Heritage University because I wanted to provide a better life for myself and my son. What I found was something more than an education; I found my belief in my own worth and an aspiration to succeed. My goals grew from earning a bachelor’s degree so I could get a decent job to earning my Ph.D. in Literature and becoming a college professor."

Today, Amber is one step closer to fulfilling her goals. She graduated with honors from Heritage in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She is now enrolled in a graduate program at another university where she is working towards a Master’s in English Literature.

MARIA MARTINEZ-ESCOBAR, Alumna

Heritage student Maria Martinez-Escobar is driven by a passion to help others find their own successes in life.

Maria is a junior majoring in accounting with plans to one day earn her law degree. While pursuing her academic goals, she divides her time between her children and her work with at-risk youth at a local high school. She is equally devoted to her community having served as a foster parent, domestic violence victim’s advocate, and Guardian ad Litem.

Maria’s background is not so different from those that she tries to serve.

“There are thousands of stories like mine in the Yakima Valley. I plan on reaching those kids,” she said. ”I tell them ‘if I can do it, so can you.’”

GARY PIERCE, Student

Heritage alumnus Gary Pierce, Jr.—a member of the Yakama Nation—is helping to make the world a better place for his people and his community. A 2006 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Gary is today using his education to create a more robust local economy that benefits everyone.

Gary heads up marketing for Yakama Nation Land Enterprises (YNLE), a company charged with rebuilding the Yakama Nation landscape. The company purchases lost tribal lands and develops ways to make a profit from those lands so that more property can eventually be purchased.

Prior to taking the job, Gary turned down several job offers from Fortune 500 companies because he felt it was more important to remain in the community where he grew up. He says he saw many unmet needs here and knew that his degree would empower him to help.

And so it has.

Under Gary’s direction, YNLE has become more profitable and is creating jobs and bringing much needed outside wealth to the community. Currently, Gary oversees a number of YNLE projects, including Toppenish Lockers (a frozen-food rental storage), Real Yakama Fruit & Produce (a thriving local fruit stand) and, most notably, the Yakama Nation RV Park, which has been in business now for over 17 years.

“Where we come from does not define where we go,” Gary says. “Heritage knew that about me and challenged me to reach higher. I want to make sure others like me know they can achieve a higher level of success, too.”

Gary truly is helping to rebuild the Yakama Nation.