As University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) student association president, Dylan Young made headlines last fall after penning an open letter to U of M Board of Regents vice-chair Steve Sviggum. Young, along with many of his classmates, took issue with Sviggum’s comments suggesting that Morris was “too diverse” from a “marketing standpoint.” (Sviggum resigned as vice chair and chose not to run for re-election.)
For Young, the road to becoming a student leader with an eye on a future political career was long and somewhat unexpected.
We spoke with him about his path to UMM, what he learned from the Sviggum controversy, and his post-graduation plans.
Tell us about your background.
I was raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota in a three-generation household. I lived with my great grandma Betty, my grandma Diana, my mom, my auntie Bobbie, and my little sister Savannah. I think that everything that I am today is one way or another an extension of the four Native women who raised me. They were leaders in our community. My grandma was our community’s chairman, and my auntie was the first person in my house to get a college degree.
What brought you to UMM?
My senior year of high school, I had trouble even imagining a life off the reservation. I only knew a handful of people who’d gotten a college degree, and I knew a ton of people who’d tried and it didn’t turn out well.
Regardless, I planned on applying to college. Then January came, and I missed the deadline for just about every school. But luckily, I was still able to apply to UMM. Looking back at that four years later, it’s crazy to think that all that I’ve achieved, all that I’ve done, relied on this twist of fate that I missed the deadlines for other colleges.
You’re majoring in English and political science. How did you choose those fields?
I chose English because that’s what I understood that I had skills in and enjoyed doing. I landed on political science because I was interested in politics, and I was able to see myself in a career in politics at some point. Another reason I chose it is because it’s pretty Eurocentric, pretty white-centric, there are not many Native American voices in the field of political science.
How did you get involved in student government?
I had absolutely no interest in student government my first year. I got the impression that it was for white students who wanted a decent résumé builder.
Then in spring 2020, there were several national crises that had a unique effect on my campus community. As a Lakota person, you’re raised to know that there comes a moment where the world is calling on you and creating these moments where you have to take action to protect your community and be a positive force that helps people. And I think for me, that was my moment.
It’s been really empowering for me to use my voice to fight for a world that I want, and I think that’s going to be a valuable lesson that I’ll bring with me for the rest of my life.
What did you learn from the experience of writing the letter to Regent Sviggum?
I learned a lot about leadership. My experiences as a Native person on campus really inspired me to write that initial letter. I knew I could speak to the campus diversity from a very real place, from a lived experience.
Steve Sviggum’s comments created a lot of outrage on campus. Here on the Morris campus, it’s easy to feel welcome. It’s easy to feel included. And that’s partially because we have a pretty decent attitude towards race and diversity. So for a regent of our university to place that target on BIPOC students’ backs, it really changed a lot about how people perceived their safety and their belonging within this community.
I made it a point to act as quickly as possible to get that letter out. People told me they really appreciated the swift response. It taught me about the importance of responding to those kinds of moments and what it means to be a leader.
What do you hope to do after graduation?
My plan is to find an internship in Minneapolis, either working for the state or working within the Legislature.
My long-term goal is to start in a master’s program in public policy or a dual-degree program in public policy and higher education.
You received scholarship support. What has that meant to you?
When I realized Morris was the option I’d choose, I looked at my student account and saw that I was given a couple donor-funded scholarships, as well as one from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. I looked at my finances and realized that I could graduate debt-free. That is the moment I 100 percent committed to being a student at the University of Minnesota Morris. To receive scholarships and have so much of my education paid for already, that’s incredibly powerful.
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