Summer is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and grew up on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation with her three sisters and two parents. She spent many of her birthdays at her tribe’s annual Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days Pow Wow and Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort. Summer earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Biology from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

As a Native and first-generation college student and pursuing a pre-med pathway, Summer developed a passion for supporting students as they navigate higher education and careers in healthcare. During her time as Brown, she volunteered as a student mentor, helping fellow students build confidence, access resources, and find community. Through her own experiences, she came to appreciate the importance of mentorship and the impact that supportive relationships can have on a student’s success.

After graduation, Summer continued to work with students as a Program Coordinator for the Stanford Anesthesiology Summer Institute, a program she had previously participated in as a student. In this role, she supported aspiring healthcare professionals through mentorship, program coordination, and student engagement. She also worked for her tribal health clinic as a COVID-19 Contact Investigator, where she connected with community members who had tested positive for COVID-19, helping coordinate resources and support for families during a challenging time.

Summer is excited to bring her experiences in student support, mentorship, and community engagement to the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, following recipes from cookbooks, and spending time with her partner and their nieces.