Hayle Trujillo

Arizona State University, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)

Major / Minor: Major: Microbiology Minors: American Indian Studies & Environmental Science With an emphasis in Soil and Water

Graduation Year: 2027

Hayle Bobbie Trujillo, whose Tewa name is Kopovi, meaning Buffalo Flower, is a member of Nambé Pueblo in Northern New Mexico, a village tucked away within a valley of pine trees and cottonwoods, and a first-generation college student completing her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Arizona, with minors in American Indian Studies and Environmental Science, emphasizing Soil and Water. Her path into environmental work began at home, working alongside her uncle in her tribe's Environmental and Natural Resource Department, where she learned traditional planting, irrigation, and water testing practices long before she ever set foot in a university classroom.
Hayle attended the Santa Fe Indian School, where she excelled not only academically but also through extensive involvement in extracurricular activities. Before graduating high school, she earned two certificates from Santa Fe Community College and was honored with the United States Senatorial Award of Merit alongside her diploma. That early grounding in Indigenous knowledge continues to shape her academic research today on water contamination, soil health, and the health disparities facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Hayle previously served as the O'odham Ki Resident Assistant for the Indigenous Living Learning Community at the University of Arizona, building spaces where Indigenous students felt supported and seen, work that took on new urgency after administrative changes led to the dismantlement of the university's living learning communities. For a semester, she mentored Native high school students through Native SOAR, helping them navigate the college access process and see higher education as an attainable goal. Hayle carries her community with her in everything she does, rooted in her connection to Nambé Pueblo and the people who raised her. She is honored to bring this grounding into the Ilíiaitchik Indigenous Correspondents Program, where she hopes to tell stories rooted in tribal water rights, environmental sovereignty, and the resilience of Indian Country.