This blog post contains events that took place over the month of June at the Labriola Center. Some of the events include INSPIRE, a residential summer program that helps Indigenous students get acclimated to life as a student at Arizona State University, Labriola Center Book Club on The Whistler, and Elev8 Gila River Healthcare Scrubs High School Visit.
Office of the Chairman Emerging Leaders Youth program - San Carlos Apache Tribe
Friday, June 12
A group of 20 San Carlos Apache students from the Office of Chairman Emerging Leaders Youth Program visited the Labriola Center at Hayden Library and learned about resources available to them as tribal members and as students at Arizona State University. The Emerging Leaders Youth program is "four weeks long and is an immersive experience into the induction of young developing leaders who collaborate to gain knowledge, enhance skills, and strengthen the San Carlos Apache Tribe." This program strengthens educational pathways for San Carlos Apache students by filling unemployment gaps with comprehensive training. Learn more about the program on their website.
Terry Rambler, Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, is an advocate for cultural survival and flourishing through education and activism, like the fight to Save Oak Flat. Learn more about Save Oak Flat.
After the Labriola Center presented, the students were given a tour and explored the Center in 204, played chess, guitar, and looked through vinyl records, and explored our open stacks.
INSPIRE: Resource Fair
Tuesday, June 23
INSPIRE is a residential summer program that helps Indigenous high school and middle school students experience student life at Arizona State University. Some of the resources explored by INSPIRE participants include academic support networks, relationship building among peers and mentors, and community engagement through activities and hands-on projects.
On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, the Labriola Center participated in a resource fair by tabling with INSPIRE, where students had the opportunity to engage with departments and resources available to them at ASU.
INSPIRE: Indigenous Careers Future Networking Day
Wednesday, June 24
The following day, the Labriola Center hosted Indigenous Careers Future Networking Day in 236, and had the opportunity to present about the Labriola Center and open students' eyes to Indigenous Librarianship as a career possibility.
Youth Employment Program Visit
Friday, June 26
The Labriola Center had the opportunity to share career paths in libraries and information sciences to Indigenous high school students. The students also heard from current ASU Indigenous students in a panel where they shared their experiences at ASU and what careers they are pursuing.
Labriola Center Book Club
Sunday, June 28
For the month of June, I led my first summer book club for the Labriola Center on an Indigenous horror titled, The Whistler, by Nick Medina. The Whistler incorporates a Takoda cultural story that reveals the central moral of the novel as we follow the story of Henry as he navigates his newfound challenges of being a paraplegic. The novel bounces from past to present to slowly unfurl the horrors Henry has experienced after breaking a traditional superstition by whistling at night, uncovering his deep rooted insecurities. As the story progresses Henry is thrown into a state of self-reflection, forcing him to face his fears head on.
I loved Nick Medina’s incorporation of a cultural story and how it paralleled Henry's journey and thought process. As the cultural tale was told in parts, different pieces of Henry’s accident were revealed to unveil the dark truth behind it. The conclusion of the tribal story went hand in hand with the end of the novel beautifully and even inspired some of my own self reflection.
- Written by Talia Porras
Elev8 Gila River Healthcare Scrubs High School Visit
Wednesday, July 1
In partnership with the Office of American Indian Initiatives, high schoolers from the Elev8 Gila River Healthcare Scrubs program visited the Labriola Center and learned about the resources and services available to them as an ASU student. After a presentation by Sr. Program Coordinator Eric Hardy, the students were given a tour of the Labriola Center. When inside, they dispersed across the Center, some headed for the musical instruments, games, or the button making station. All in all, there were about 50 high schoolers who visited.
Learn more about our events by going to our blog homepage. See events happening at the Labriola Center on our events page.