Scholarships awarded to Monument Valley seniors

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Northern Arizona Native American Foundation (NANAF) recently awarded two $1,500 college scholarships to Deidra Succo and Alexandra Clitso, both Monument Valley High School graduates, in a recent ceremony at the base of Piestewa Peak.

Succo was raised in Tonalea and is the daughter of Delores and Henry Succo. She is from of the Red House clan, born for the Water-Flow-Together clan. Her maternal grandparents' clan is the Mountain Cove clan and her paternal grandparents' clan is the Reed clan.

Succo will pursue her degree in science at Fort Lewis College. Her long-term goal is to work in the medical field.

Connie Jay, a teacher at Monument Valley High School said, "I admire Deidra for her calm demeanor and determination to do an outstanding job on any task which has been given to her. She led by her example rather than persuasion."

Clitso, raised in Kayenta, is the daughter of Lena and Edward Clitso. She is of the Bitter Water clan, born for the Under His Cove clan. Her maternal grandparents' clan is the Ute-Salt People clan and her paternal grandparents' clan is the Salt People clan.

She attends Northern Arizona University where she hopes to prepare herself for medical school by majoring in biology. Randall Ellis, a teacher at Monument Valley High School described her as, "driven, intelligent, and insatiably curious. She is mature well beyond her years and possesses a strong voice and unwavering work ethic."

Founded in 2005, this is the fifth year NANAF has granted scholarships to Native American high school students in the northern Arizona region. In that time it has granted more than $20,000 in scholarships to Native American students on their way to college.

For more information about donating to the NANAF and applying for scholarships, go to

www.tnanaf.org. The deadline for the next round of applications is May 1.