Alyssa Two Babies of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Alyssa Two Babies is a member of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation, and her degree program is network management. Growing up and attending Weatherford High School in Oklahoma, Alyssa often kept to herself and maintained a small circle. She enjoyed sports and art, but her grades held her back from pursuing athletics more seriously. Without strong academic guidance at home, she didn’t see a reason to focus on schoolwork, especially since she wasn’t planning to go to college. Despite her coaches encouraging her to keep her grades up because they saw Alyssa’s potential, she didn’t consider academics important.

Ironically, the one thing that motivated Alyssa was art—field trips required passing grades, so maintaining at least a D allowed her to stay involved in something she loved. When Alyssa graduated, she felt a mix of pride and sadness. She hadn’t left a mark through sports, and although some of her art was recognized, she often felt invisible. Still, coming from a family where many had dropped out, including her mother, graduating high school became one of Alyssa’s biggest early accomplishments.

Shortly after graduation, Alyssa’s grandmother’s health worsened, as her kidneys failed. At the same time, her home became infested with bed bugs, requiring her family to remove carpet, repaint, and prepare for treatment. Her grandmother stayed elsewhere while she worked to clean and restore the house. She had many crafts and belongings, making her space the most difficult to organize. But when she finally saw the finished home, she loved it. Shortly after, Alyssa’s family received a call urging them to come to the hospital. Deep down, Alyssa felt a heaviness that something was terribly wrong. Watching her grandmother fade, holding her cold hand, and hearing the slowing monitor was one of the most painful moments of Alyssa’s life. Yet, as she drove home and saw the sunset, she felt some peace knowing her grandmother was no longer suffering.