Mikala was accepted to Utah State University (USU) in Logan Utah, to their APA‑accredited Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology PhD program, one of the most competitive doctoral programs they offer. She was also accepted to Arizona State University, and all programs extended offers with full tuition funding, an extraordinary accomplishment.

Throughout her undergraduate research journey, Mikala was deeply intentional about working with and being mentored by Indigenous faculty here at the University of Arizona. This value strongly shaped both her UROC (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium) experience and her pathway to doctoral study as her doctoral mentor will be an indigenous scholar as well.  She specifically asked that I extend her heartfelt appreciation to UROC and to Christina, with whom she has already shared this news personally, in gratitude for the mentorship, support, and guidance she received.

Mikala is committed to serving and uplifting her community and looks forward to opportunities to share her story with other Indigenous students who may draw inspiration from her journey. We are incredibly proud of her, not only for her academic success, but for the intentionality, purpose, and clarity with which she has navigated her path to graduate education. Her accomplishments are a powerful reflection of the impact of intentional mentoring and the collective work of this community.

Mikala’s success is a true testament to what programs like UROC make possible. UROC is administered by the University of Arizona Graduate College. UROC is an umbrella for a number of undergraduate programs and provides participants with research training and graduate (Master's and PhDs) school preparation.