Sherri Berdine (BA, 2008) had a rocky start as a University of Washington undergraduate. She was the first in her family to attend college and struggled to find her community at the UW. All that changed when she joined First Nations @ UW, a student organization that focuses on cultural traditions and concerns in the Native community. Berdine also found support from a faculty mentor in the Department of American Indian Studies (AIS).
“I really think those things led me to where I am now,” she says.
Berdine is referring to her current role as the UW’s Director of Tribal Relations. Reporting directly to the UW’s President and to the Vice President for External Affairs, she manages the government-to-government relationships between the UW and the American Indian tribes throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest. All her previous experiences — including her UW education — have prepared her for this leadership opportunity.
Read more at UW College of Arts & Sciences News