She has long dark hair that even Rapunzel would envy. Her voice is stern yet soft when she speaks to students.

The tattoos on her wrists are usually in plain sight but are now peeking out from under her sleeves. Her right wrist is inked with the words “For my people.” Her left wrist is inked “For my family.”

Krystal Two Bulls is a 26-year-old Oglala Lakota woman who received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Montana. Two Bulls is among the few Native American mentors for Native American students on campus.

A student committee recently suggested that a lack of Native mentors for Native students on campus is partly responsible for low retention and graduation rates for Native students.

Compared to the 20 percent of non-native college student graduates only about eight percent of Native students graduate. After two years the retention rate for Native students is 46 percent, compared to the 60 percent of non-native students, according to the University office of planning, budgeting and analysis.

Two Bulls knows from experience the importance role models hold in a student’s life. She said she also knows what it’s like to be on the brink of failing in school.

“I was really crazy (in college),” she said. “I didn’t have a mentor. I didn’t have anyone to guide me toward a healthier path and so I ended up partying.”

Two Bulls said she joined the Army Reserve about a year after she arrived at the University, looking to steer herself away from the party lifestyle.

“I really needed some structure,” she said. “I needed something.”

Although Two Bulls found her structure and still works on a military base near Missoula, she realized the military isn’t for everyone. Two Bulls said she saw a need for Native American mentors.

“[Students] were hungry for something more than what they had already,” she said.

Fredricka Hunter, the director of American Indian Student Services at the University of Montana, said she also saw this need.

Last year Hunter created the Living Learning Community, an academic-based orientation class designed specifically for Native American freshmen students. The pilot project offered the students in class academic assignments but also brought them together outside the class.

“The LLC is not fully developed,” Hunter said. “My hope for the LLC was to build a strong cohort of students from various backgrounds who would build a supportive relationship.”

Two Bulls was in charge of bringing students who are in LLC together outside the classroom. The goal was to help the freshmen build a supportive network through movie nights and study sessions.

Hunter said she had Two Bulls in mind to co-facilitate when she created the LLC because of her traditional Native background as well as her service in the military.

“With Krystal’s life experiences, I think she is a natural role model,” Hunter said.

Two Bulls’ leadership came across for students like Thomasine Nadine, a freshman from the Blackfeet tribe.

Nadine said she enjoyed getting together with the LLC for fun activities and to develop a sense of Native community away from her home.

“I feel more comfortable around Natives,” Nadine said.

She said her favorite memory from the LLC was when all the students got together at Hunter’s house for hot dogs, a backyard campfire and some Indian laughs.

The LLC was only offered for one semester due to the loss of momentum, but Hunter and Two Bulls continue to bring students together for dinner or movies to maintain connection.

An estimated 800 Native American students on campus have access to only one Native American adviser.

Two Bulls said when Native students find a Native mentor on campus that becomes a crucial factor in retaining those students. She added that when she looks for her personal mentors she looks for individuals who are grounded in their Native identity but are also able to push forward in mainstream society.

“Walk in those two worlds--that’s what I look for in a Native mentor,” Two Bulls said. She said these types of individuals are excellent choices for Native mentors.

Hunter agreed and said Native students understand shared challenges like the cultural transition.

Most Native students come from reservations that are rural and poverty stricken. According to state statistics, the unemployment rate for Montana reservations reach up to 66 percent and 36 percent of them are employed but still below the poverty line.

Two Bulls said there is a lot of talk of support from the University but taking action to support programs like the LLC isn't there. She added that the University needs to help Native students find mentors because they do need mentors.

“The Native students and the Native population are ready for that,” Two Bulls said. “They’re pushing for it.”

Santee Ross (Hopi/Lakota) is from Lander, Wyo.