Established to increase college access, persistence, and degree completion among Native American students, Native Student Outreach, Access, and Resiliency (SOAR) is a community-engaged program that combines a university-level undergraduate course with culturally responsive mentoring. The mentoring program serves Native American high school students in Tucson and surrounding communities, while also engaging UA undergraduate students as mentors.
UA, located on the ancestral homelands of the Tohono O’odham Nation (TON) and situated near both the TON and Pascua Yaqui Tribe, is committed to building reciprocal partnerships with Tribal Nations across Arizona and the Southwest. Guided by its land-grant mission, UA collaborates with Tribal communities to co-create knowledge, expand educational opportunity, and address community-identified priorities that benefit both Tribal Nations and the broader public.
Native SOAR is a key example of this commitment. Developed in response to Tribal priorities to increase Native student access, persistence, and completion in higher education, Native SOAR also advances UA’s goal of expanding postsecondary opportunities across Arizona.
Native SOAR includes two complementary components:
- An academic credit-bearing undergraduate course in which approximately 70 UA students (annually), representing a wide range of academic disciplines, develop knowledge and skills related to college access, student success, educational equity, mentorship, and working effectively with Native communities.
- A near-peer mentoring program in which UA undergraduates apply their learning by mentoring Native American high school students from Tucson and surrounding communities. Mentors support college exploration, academic preparation, and navigation of admissions and financial aid, while helping students build confidence in their postsecondary goals. The model fosters strong relationships that benefit both mentors and mentees.
Since 2016, 322 undergraduates have served as Native SOAR mentors, representing over 80 majors. 68% of our mentors identify as citizens and/or enrolled members of Native nations, and represent 32 tribes across the country. In addition to serving as college mentors for middle/high school students, our undergraduates also receive mentorship from Native graduate students, professionals, and/or community members. In this sense, Native SOAR is an intergenerational mentoring program, featuring familial and community values.
- CAMPUS VISITS: In the fall and spring, one-day events are offered to Indigenous youth and their families at UArizona. Participants learn college information that helps them prepare for their future. Open to all grade levels.
Felisia Tagaban Gaskin
Native SOAR Director
Felisia is Diné, Lingít, and Filipino. In addition to serving as the Native SOAR director, Felisia is a also doctoral student in the Center for the Study of Higher Education. Her work is grounded in advancing educational access and success for Indigenous students and communities.
Prior to her current role, Felisia served as a Native SOAR Graduate Assistant (2018–2021) and as the Sunnyside CATS (Connecting for Access and Transition Success) Coordinator (2021–2022), where she worked closely with American Indian and Alaska Native high school students and their families to support successful transitions into higher education. These experiences shaped her research interests, which examine the embedded—and often invisible—effects of settler colonialism within educational systems and institutions.
Her scholarship seeks to identify and challenge institutional practices, structures, and policies that perpetuate inequities for Indigenous students while advancing solutions that promote belonging, access, and success. Since 2022, Felisia has served as the Director of Native SOAR, where she continues to advocate for Native students and communities through collaborative partnerships with Native and non-Native campus colleagues, community leaders, and allies.
Kayleigh Paddock
(she/her/hers)
Native SOAR Program Coordinator
Kayleigh Paddock (Diné) is from Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. She is deeply committed to addressing healthcare disparities in Indigenous communities and aspires to become a primary care physician serving Native communities.
Kayleigh has been involved with Native SOAR in several capacities, beginning as an undergraduate mentor from 2021–2023, continuing as a volunteer, and joining the professional staff as the Outreach Specialist from 2024–2026. Coming from a family of educators, she has a strong passion for supporting Native students and creating pathways to higher education. Her own experiences with Native SOAR have made the program especially meaningful to her, and she is grateful to continue supporting the community that played an important role in her own undergraduate journey.
Kayleigh graduated from the University of Arizona in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Medical Sciences, where she completed the pre-medical track. Through her experiences in higher education and Native student outreach, she realized that her interests in medicine, education, and community advocacy could work hand in hand. This led her to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Dartmouth College, where she is currently a second-year student with interests in Indigenous healthcare delivery, diabetes prevention, and community-based outreach.
Through her work in public health and higher education, Kayleigh hopes to strengthen educational and healthcare opportunities for Native communities while continuing on her path toward medicine.
Keep up to date with Native SOAR on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
We are elated to share that The Chronicle of Higher Education has recently published an article highlighting the Native SOAR course and mentoring program at the University of Arizona College of Education.
Former Native SOAR Student Highlights:
- Native American Heritage Month Q&A: Shanae Dosela
- Omar Solís Acuña has a passion for both science and his Native American heritage
- Native Nations Institute
- First-generation Student Thrives in History Major: Monique Davila, '20
Native SOAR Mentor Highlights:
- Niko Sanchez celebrated by Native SOAR participants
- Lydia Jennings honored with Native American Student Affairs (NASA) Outstanding Graduate Service Award
Native SOAR in the news:
To donate online, please visit UA Foundation and select “Native SOAR” from the “I would like to support” dropdown menu.
To donate via check, please make payable to “The University of Arizona Foundation” and write “Native SOAR” in the memo line or supporting documentation. Please remit payment to:
The University of Arizona Foundation
Attn: COE/Erica Travassos
P.O. Box 210109
Tucson, AZ 85721-0109
Contact Us
Felisia Janice Tagaban Gaskin
Director, Native SOAR
Kayleigh Paddock
Program Coordinator, Native SOAR
Donate to Native SOAR
Native SOAR is a transformative program that empowers Indigenous youth and communities by fostering mentorship, cultural connections, and academic success. By supporting Native SOAR, you contribute to a brighter future for Native students, helping to nurture the next generation of leaders. Your support ensures the program can continue to expand its reach, strengthen its resources, and inspire meaningful change in the lives of Indigenous students and their mentors. Together, we can honor and uplift Indigenous voices and stories.
Donate Today!
(Please select “Native SOAR” from the “I would like to support” dropdown menu on the Donate Today processing page.)