Stepping onto the graduation stage on Friday is the next step of Linda Begaye’s journey as a Lumberjack.
Next, but not last.
The early childhood education major, a transfer student from Many Farms on the Navajo Nation, has always wanted to go to NAU. But when her high school friends were making college plans, life took her in a different direction. She had her first child at 19 and stayed closer to home, working in early childhood education while attending Diné College. She always knew that she wanted more.
So Begaye moved to Flagstaff in 2023 and applied to NAU. She was in her late 20s, had three children and was away from her family, but she was ready.
“I wanted to be a part of NAU, and I was going to finish this,” Begaye said. “I got on campus and signed up for classes and immediately felt a sense of belonging.”
Creating a support system at NAU
One of her first classes was with Annie Watson, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. For the first time, surrounded by students a decade younger, Begaye felt a little unsure of herself. Watson quickly set her at ease, introducing herself to students by telling them about her children. After class, Begaye approached her professor and shared that she had kids too. You can do this, Watson told her. We can help you.
Throughout her years at NAU, Begaye saw that over and over again. When applying for a full-time job at the ELDC, she went to her advisor and opened up about her struggles balancing in-person classes, childcare and work. Her advisor helped her rearrange her schedule to online classes, but she also listened, pointed Begaye to other resources and provided moral support. She went to Watson more than once for help, and Watson watched her student grow with pride.
“Rather than fragmenting her roles and isolating her responsibilities, Linda stepped into all of them with all of herself,” Watson said. “Linda lives her life in a way that brings everyone and every effort together. I have watched Linda cheer for her children at soccer games and running club, and I have seen the three of them ‘cheering for mom’ through college with so much love and pride. This milestone and celebration, like all in their family, will be shared.”
Outside of the College of Education, Begaye found support at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF).
“There was a day that I needed to do homework, and I didn’t have anybody to watch my kids,” she said. “The CNAIF was open in the evenings during reading week, and they said I could bring my kids, we have coloring books and if you need help with them, a peer mentor can keep them busy. I remember telling my adviser that I was panicking, I was stressed, and the CNAIF welcomed me with open arms, saying, ‘we’ve got you.’”
She also had a support system at home.
“When I chose to move to Flagstaff—knowing it meant distance, change, and that he would stay behind to continue providing for us—he supported me with a strength and selflessness I will never forget,” Begaye said. “Through every setback, every late night of studying, and every step toward building my career, he has been my steady place to land and my biggest believer. This chapter of my life exists because he held us up while I learned to rise, and I am endlessly grateful for his unwavering devotion and partnership.”
Getting hands-on experience in her field
Begaye had heard of the Early Learning and Development Center (ELDC) before coming to NAU. As a student-parent herself, she loved that the college was proactively helping parents. She reached out to director Rebecca Cirzan for research she was doing for the Diné College provost on operating childcare centers on campus. Both loved the conversation on a topic they were passionate about and talking to the other person.
The more she learned, the more Begaye knew she wanted to work at ELDC. The more Cirzan learned, the more she wanted Begaye in her classrooms.
“I work with many students, and never have I seen someone so grateful for the opportunity to learn,” Cirzan said. “Linda represents what we want to see in future teachers: a passion for serving others and improving their teaching practice, the ability to ask questions and see the bigger picture and an interest in growing their leadership skills. She seizes opportunities to explore different aspects of education, even when they are out of her comfort zone.”
Begaye started as a part-time assistant teacher, a federal work study position, in summer 2024. She also enrolled her daughter. The hands-on learning the center offers allowed her to put what she learned in her classroom to use with the children. She also worked closely with the full-time teachers, observing their tactics and asking questions.
Then, when a full-time position opened up, she decided to apply. It was a stretch, both for her schedule and her experience level. But, she told herself, whatever happened, she couldn’t lose. If she got the job, she’d be thrilled. If she didn’t, she still had her job as an assistant teacher and would still be able to learn and grow herself while helping the children develop.
And “I didn’t get the position the first time.”
But months later, when another position opened and she had a year of experience at ELDC and more classes, after she went to Watson and her adviser to discuss classes and workload and whether this was all possible, she applied again.
This time, she got it.
“It has been such an amazing journey to see how the process went for me,” Begaye said. “Being able to find myself as a student-parent, being able to find myself as a staff member, and how that can work not only for me but also work for others—that’s something I’m very passionate about.”
Now that she’s at the end of her undergraduate journey, Begaye said stepping out of her comfort zone and using NAU’s resources were key to her success and for many other Lumberjacks, especially student-parents. People will help.
“That first step of just stepping on campus was the best decision I ever made,” she said.
Heidi Toth | NAU Communications
(928) 523-8737 | heidi.toth@nau.edu