Growing up on the Cattaraugus reservation, Dr. Naomi Lee was used to being surrounded by people who shared similar backgrounds and experiences to hers.
However, upon leaving the reservation for college at Rochester Institute of Technology, Lee struggled with her identity.
“But as a student, that self-identity and not understanding why I was different from the other students at my university, it was really a struggle at first, balancing self-identity and cultural identity,” says Lee, who is an assistant professor at Northern Arizona University.
Lee says although she didn’t experience any racism as a person of color, microaggressions were apparent to her.
Soon after graduating, Lee decided to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Rochester. However, after being unsure about her career path and both of her parents falling ill, Lee took time off school.
She decided to join the Army National Guard in hopes of eventually pursuing a career within the government, such as working for the FBI or CIA. But while she was in training and out of school, she realized how much she enjoyed science.
When her parents passed away, she decided to go back to school and finish her degree. Now, Lee chooses to honor both her parents and her community through the work she carries out within her career.
