Shandiin recognizes the power of using her voice in spaces where Native people are absent. Her role as a Diné woman, an advocate for Indigenous rights, and a policy student have influenced her passion for public service. She is dedicated to fostering the growth of Native students, to engage and advocate for policies that directly impact Indigenous people and wants to inspire her peers by engaging Native youth in the political process. Shandiin is a Gates Millennium Scholar, a Udall Scholar, a Chief Manuelito Scholar, and is a senior in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. She will graduate in May of 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and a minor in Cultural Anthropology.