For many students, the path to a college degree is filled with fog. Uncertainty surrounds whether attending is the right direction, or even if they are up to the task.
After graduating from Kamiah High School on the Nez Perce Reservation, Jonas Oatman followed a vague interest in computer science to University of Idaho. He had learned how to build websites in high school, and he was good at it, his teachers told him.
Good enough to major in it, they said.
At U of I, Oatman graduated in Spring ’26 with a double major in computer science and math, all while completing student research using generative AI to delve into microbiology. His growing interest in emerging technologies, including robotics and automation, are leading him to pursue graduate study at U of I this fall. For Oatman, it was the support he found at U of I that propelled him in directions he hadn’t thought possible.
“In high school, I never felt pushed to do anything. When I came to U of I, that definitely changed,” Oatman said. “The classes were harder. I didn’t know what I was capable of until I was challenged to do hard things.”
Oatman was recruited to U of I through the Tribal Nations Student Affairs (TNSA) program (formerly known as the Native American Student Center). TNSA addresses the needs of U of I students connected to tribal nations, with a specific commitment to 11 regional Memorandum of Understanding tribes that collaborate with U of I.
“It was the Native American Student Center that drew me in — being with people who grew up in a similar background,” Oatman said.
Dakota Kidder, TNSA program coordinator, visited Kamiah High School to meet Oatman and worked with him and his family to ensure his admissions, housing and financial aid information was in order.
At U of I, Oatman participated in the Indigenous Nations Training for Excellence Program (INSTEP), which requires students to attend events, spend regular study hours in the TNSA office and meet with program advisors in addition to their academic advisors. Through the program, Kidder saw him daily as he worked toward his degree.
“Retention is the focus of this office,” said Kidder, who is Lakota and Dakota enrolled with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. “We make sure they are doing OK. We ask them how they are doing at their dorm, if they are homesick. We help them navigate the two worlds.”
The two worlds are the rigors of academic life and the responsibilities students bring from home. Native students often balance family, community and cultural commitments while navigating college life, Kidder said. Tribal identity and values provide the framework for U of I’s Native student retention efforts, which emphasize kinship, connection and belonging. By reinforcing kinship systems and building a Native Vandal family, TNSA works to create a home away from home where students can learn, grow and support one another.
Creating that sense of belonging begins as soon as students arrive on campus. For many Native students, the transition to college can feel like a culture shock as they adjust to being away from family, community and familiar support systems.
“We have a sensitivity to that. When they’re experiencing hardships within the academics, it’s not because they can’t understand the work or are not capable of doing it, but because they often have other things on their mind,” said Kidder, whose office works closely with the dean of students to help guide students forward. “When they come to U of I, they come with a built-in family. We’re the campus aunties. We’re on top of them about completing work. We’re not afraid to do the tough love.”
In high school, I never felt pushed to do anything. When I came to U of I, that definitely changed.
Jonas Oatman
Spring ’26 math and computer science graduate
Attending U of I was an adjustment, Oatman said. He faced a low point when he found himself struggling financially and academically. TNSA staff helped him create a plan for success by connecting him with tutoring resources and helping him locate scholarship money.
TNSA also provided a built-in community. He participated in annual events such as the Tutxinmepu Powwow, where he worked behind the scenes setting up vendors and selling concessions.
“That gave me the sense I belonged there. Socially, it really helped having people to hang out with,” said Oatman, who eventually declared math as his second major and participated in research using artificial intelligence to identify strains of killer yeast.
He presented his project at U of I’s spring 2026 Engineering Design Expo.
“The students’ identities as Native people don’t have to be separate from whatever field they are going into,” Kidder said.
INSTEP continues to grow. The program enrolled 52 students in 2025‑26, including a record 22 first‑year Vandals. There will be 75 participants in Fall ’26.
Oatman lives in Moscow and commutes to Lapwai for his job with the Nez Perce Tribe’s Department of Technology Services.
As tribal leadership shifts to a younger generation, people like Oatman play a key role in advancing their communities and helping them adapt to global changes, Kidder said.
“He does play a critical role within his tribe,” she said.
If he chose two words to describe his time at U of I, Oatman said they would be “late nights.”
He spent a lot of time at the library.
“It was fun, challenging myself to see what’s possible,” Oatman said.
In Fall ’26, he will begin work on a master’s degree in computer science through the university’s 4+1 Master’s Program, which offers a path to a graduate degree in just one additional year. He is also weighing pursuing U of I’s robotics automation certificate, which explores how systems from basic controls to advanced AI processes work together.