NIC welcomes new Amer Indian student advisor

Carmelita Sharpback. Photo by Annie Vladovska.

NIC welcomed a new Amer Indian student adviser on Feb. 1. Carmelita Sharpback moved to Cd’A recently to start her job at NIC and said she has already been enjoying the generous welcome of NIC’s supportive community.

“I have been in professional settings before and never received such a warm welcome ever,” Sharpback said.

Sharpback earned an undergraduate degree in Business and Administration at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and a graduate degree in Master of Arts and Holistic Health Studies at St. Catherine University in  Minnesota. Prior to starting a job at North Idaho College, she has experienced being in the college environment while working at a little tribal college back in Nebraska.

Sharpback said that she knew that after graduating she wanted to work with American Indian students in a college setting.

“That’s the dream job for me,” Sharpback said. “The title was perfect and exact. As the process went along with the interview, I loved the feedback. The director-supervisor believes in transparency.”

Sharpback said the best part of her job is working with students and sharing life experiences and knowledge with them.

Carmelita Sharpback, the new Amer Indian student adviser, working with the student in the conference room. Photo by Annie Vladovska.

She said she is able to support students in achieving student success.

To help improve the NIC campus, Sharpback said she would like to see more videos to help students.

“I know for sure I loved the training video before I started working,” Sharpback said. “I’m usually visually dominant and the videos help to remember information better and I learn faster from them. So I wish we had more of these for a lot of different things.”

“Carmelita is passionate about her work and is ready to engage with students and colleagues in support of students and diversity on campus,” said Dodi Stilkey, director of ASNIC Student Involvement and SUB Operations.