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Lynette Stant Highlight
My 'Plan B'—little did I know—was my calling.
About Lynette
- I was raised on the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona.
- Growing up, my parents didn’t speak the Navajo language to us because they were trying to adhere to the school system, which wanted everyone to conform and exclusively speak English.
- I didn’t initially plan to become a teacher—I originally went into college thinking I’d become an attorney.
- When my daughter was born and I became a single mom, I decided to pursue my backup plan and become a teacher.
- Within a few years of teaching, I had developed a passion for it and knew that it was my calling.
- In 16 years of teaching on the Salt River Indian Reservation, I’ve been focused on positively impacting and showing representation for Indigenous students and our community and culture.
- I was honored as the 2020 Arizona Teacher of the Year—I’m the first Indigenous woman to hold this space in the history of the award.
