Graduate finds her identity at UW-Stevens Point
Four years ago, she would have shared a very different story.
Growing up, Carufel struggled with her identity and wondered where she belonged. Until age 9, she lived in Lac du Flambeau as a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. After a move to Wittenberg, she spent her adolescence adapting to a predominantly non-native population.
“I assimilated to that culture and saw myself as white,” she said. “Then I came to UW-Stevens Point and realized I could no longer relate to other Native American students. I didn’t feel like I fit in with either group.”
Getting involved in UW-Stevens Point’s CRU, a Christian student organization, made her feel less connected to other native students as well. She felt they wouldn’t understand her religious beliefs. That feeling began to change after she attended a CRU conference for Native American Christians looking to reclaim their identity.
“I met a lot of people who had the same experiences I did,” she said. Realizing there was room in her life for both her faith and her culture, she started to connect with native students at UW-Stevens Point.
Another experience with CRU required what she called “a leap of faith.” Trying something out of her comfort zone, she became a volunteer mentor and Bible study leader at a CRU camp for urban youth in Denver the summer before her junior year. Realizing the difference she was making in their lives, she returned to UW-Stevens Point determined to add a sociology minor and find a career helping young people.
The change was a turning point. Her sociology classes helped identify the “internal oppression” she was feeling when she set aside her Native American culture. “Sociology helped me investigate diversity and see the benefits of it,” Carufel said.
Her
communication major and her
sociology minor overlapped as she studied gender in communication and intercultural communication, which helped her learn to express her identity issues.
“The intercultural communication class provided Iris a chance to get better at communicating with people from different cultures,” said Karlene Ferrante, her communication professor. “The hidden benefit is this: by being with people who are not American, we learn what it means for us to be American.”
“My professors created an atmosphere of openness,” Carfufel said. “I didn’t have to stay quiet about what I was feeling, and I learned from other students’ perspectives.”
She also realized her Native American background would help her in a diverse world, where different cultures work together.
“I learned we all communicate differently,” she said. “I hope to serve as a liaison between native students and the general public, and help native youth to express their concerns and opinions.”
Carufel became active with the
Native American Center on campus and took Ojibwa language lessons with the center director. She found expressing herself in writing was also helpful, so she wrote and recited her own poetry on campus.
Through the Native American Center, she has also helped recruit Native American students to UW-Stevens Point. This further influenced her decision to work with Native American or urban youth and encourage them to earn college degrees. Her late grandmother, Vernadine Longtail, a 1983 graduate of UW-Stevens Point, had done the same for her.
“I see many opportunities out there,” Carufel said of her future career. “I like being a role model. I like inviting people along for the journey, getting people to talk if they are shy.”
She looks forward to applying the skills she’s learned to students who are going through their own identity crises.
“The lessons I’ve learned from my professors, staff and countless others at UW-Stevens Point have shaped me for life,” Carufel said.
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