
Gallup senior paves new path in design with Gates Foundation scholarship

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Sialim Benson is Áshįįhnii and Tohono O’odham. She was selected as one of 750 Gates Scholarship recipients from 48,000 applicants.
By Robert Bettis
Navajo Times
GALLUP
When an email arrived in April announcing the Gates Scholarship award, a Rehoboth Christian School senior and her family felt as if their world had transformed instantly.

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Backed by a prestigious Gates Scholarship, Sialim Benson is heading to the Savannah College of Art and Design in New York City to chase a bold, possibly historic dream.
As a recipient of the prestigious “last-dollar” scholarship, this star-eyed student will soon set out on a journey to Savannah College of Art and Design in New York City to reach for a feat that maybe no Navajo has accomplished before.
Sialim Benson is Áshįįhnii and born for Tohono O’odham. Her maternal grandfather is Tótsohnii, and her paternal grandfather is Oglala Lakota. The soft-spoken yet creative senior from Gallup stood out among 48,000 applicants as one of just 750 recipients nationwide. Her application highlighted both academic excellence and a unique vision for bringing Diné perspectives to interior design.
To read the full article, please see the June 19, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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