Learn more about Roben Itchoack (Inupiaq) MEd '19, a Sapsik'ʷałá Teacher Education and UOTeach program alumna, through our Alumni Spotlight series
Meet Roben, a Sapsik’ʷałá (MEd '19 Secondary Education) alumna who teaches high school social studies in one of the remotest regions in the United States, whose journey to becoming a teacher was an eighteen-year path away from her home state of Alaska.
Roben earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Oregon University and worked at the Jensen Arctic Museum for ten years after graduation. When the museum collection she was working with transferred to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon, she enrolled in her first master’s program and earned a degree in community and regional planning ('17).
Roben's decision to earn a second master’s degree through the Sapsik’ʷałá Teacher Education program and UOTeach was influenced by Elders discussing the need for Native teachers to assist in community development. She also credits Elders and mentors for weaving traditional and cultural knowledge into her life; and this cultural knowledge she incorporates in her own teaching practice.
Roben’s journey to teaching began by teaching reading and writing at the middle school level. She incorporates family, Elders, and a sense of responsibility to community and Indigenous people as a whole. Her life motto of “working to help redevelop healthy and vibrant Indigenous communities” was informed by mentors that modeled the values of loving and educating children. Her students credit her for the phrase, “you are my grandchildren’s Elders, I need you to be healthy!” And her explanation of why she provides the famed Sailor Boy Pilot Bread crackers and water to students in her classes is a lesson about teaching children accountability and generosity.
Quick to discuss reading strategies and the role reading comprehension plays in ensuring students maintain the skills to read and write before graduating high school, Roben says Sapsik’ʷałá’s support was a “breath of fresh air” in her educational journey. She credits fellow cohort members and University of Oregon College of Education staff and faculty for building the skills needed to be an effective teacher. She also credits her fellow teachers and administrators in the Bering Strait School District for providing support and guidance along her teaching journey.
In addition to providing crackers for students and teaching reading and writing lessons, Roben also coached members of an Academic Decathlon team that recently qualified for a national event held in Texas. She explains that Texas is a long way from in the Bering Strait region, and teaching in remote areas provides an opportunity to develop relationships and connections with students through family and other arenas outside of the school building.
Roben’s path in her own educational journey is a powerful story of Indigenous Brilliance, she states that “teaching was the right path for me, because everyone maintains a responsibility to teach.”
Sapsik'ʷałá, a Ichishkíin/Sahaptin word meaning "teacher", is the name of a program created by the University of Oregon College of Education in partnership with the nine federally recognized Tribes of the State of Oregon. The 12-month program allows participants to earn a master of education (MEd) degree and teacher licensure. The Sapsik'ʷałá Teacher Education Program supports American Indian and Alaska Native teacher candidates in becoming professional educators, provides funding for teacher candidates' cost of attendance, and provides two years of support services once in the field.