Our Story · Meet IEI
Turning a legal win into a life-changing one.
Indigenous Education, Inc. (IEI) manages the Cobell Scholarship — connecting American Indian and Alaska Native students with the funding Elouise Cobell's settlement made possible.
Who we are
What IEI does, and why it exists.
Indigenous Education, Inc. was established to manage the Cobell Scholarship Fund created by the landmark settlement. We work alongside tribal communities, educational institutions, and partner organizations to ensure that every eligible American Indian and Alaska Native student has access to the funding they deserve, across university, graduate, vocational, and trade paths. This fund was born from a fight against broken trust, and our values reflect that origin: transparency, equity, and an unwavering commitment to Native students in everything we do.
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Community-Centered
Every decision is guided by the communities we serve. We listen to tribal leaders, students, families, and educators to shape a program that reflects their realities.
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All Paths Honored
University, trade school, graduate studies, vocational training. We fund every kind of post-secondary education because every path builds a stronger future.
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Student Success
Awarding a scholarship is the beginning, not the end. We work to connect scholars with resources, mentorship, and support that help them complete their education.
The team
The people who make it possible.
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John L. Garland
Citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. John holds a PhD in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland and leads the team responsible for scholar persistence, retention research, and the Fund's scholar success programming.
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Gabriel Bell
Member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and Chamorro. Gabriel holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Oklahoma Baptist University as a Gates Millennium Scholar. He leads the team that covers outreach strategy, stakeholder communications, campus connections, and scholarship review.
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Gary Pierce
Gary holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and a master's in Accounting. He manages the OASIS scholarship portal and the operational systems that move applications from submission through award disbursement.
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Julia Mosconi
Julia holds a B.S. in Community Nonprofit Leadership and an M.A. in Education Policy. She has been with IEI since just after its inception in 2016 and supports the Fund's scholar success programming and outcomes research.
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Michelle Van Pelt
Member of the Hopi Tribe. Michelle brings more than twenty-five years of experience in student services to IEI's outreach work, with a focus on reaching prospective scholars through tribal education departments and high school counseling networks.
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Olivia Trujillo
Member of the Diné Nation. Olivia holds a B.S. in Public Health and an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University and coordinates the wraparound support that helps Cobell Scholars move from award to graduation.
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Kathy Deeshchii'nii
Member of the Diné Nation. As an Administrative Associate, Kathy supports the day-to-day operations of the organization, helping ensure the programs and services run smoothly, and contributing to the success of the team and the student communities they serve. She earned her Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Central New Mexico Community College.
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Oscar Corona
Oscar holds a B.A. in Business Administration and joined IEI in September 2023, supporting the operations team across application review, award disbursement, and scholar records.
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Kyrie Sandoval
Member of the Pueblo of Taos and Oglala Lakota. Kyrie graduated magna cum laude from Haskell Indian Nations University and supports day-to-day operations of the scholarship and fellowship programs.
The board
The board that guides the work.
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Clint Carroll
Clint Carroll is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is an Associate Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder.
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Kelly Fayard
Kelly Fayard is a citizen of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. She is an Assistant Professor and Curator of Global Cultures in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Denver.
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Carmen Jimenez
Carmen Jimenez is a member of the Blackfeet Nation. She is a Certified Public Accountant and works for the San Francisco Bay Area firm of Abbott, Stringham & Lynch.
Next step
Built from a settlement. Driven by students.
IEI exists for one reason: to turn Elouise Cobell's legal victory into educational opportunity. The scholarships are funded. The support is in place. See what's available to you.