What are you going to do about it?

Melvin E. Monette-Barajas is the President and CEO of The Cobell Scholarship Program, which is administered by Indigenous Education, Inc. He is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. During his eight-year tenure as CEO, Melvin has successfully launched various scholarship programs, including those for graduate and undergraduate students, vocational and summer scholarship initiatives, a Summer Graduate Research Fellowship, and most recently, a PhD Dissertation Writing Fellowship.

Melvin's extensive professional involvement extends to his current role as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), his past presidency in 2015 for the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), his leadership as Chairman of the Native American Network at ACPA-College Educators International, and his dedicated service on the St. Paul Foundation's Two Feathers Endowment Committee.

Throughout his career, Melvin has held significant positions, including Director for Scholarships at the formerly named American Indian Graduate Center, Director of Recruitment and Student Diversity at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and as a Community Education Specialist for the State of Minnesota Office of Indian Education, where he was responsible for managing the MN Indian Scholarship Program and Success for the Future Grants. He has also fulfilled various program coordination roles at the University of North Dakota American Indian Student Services. Melvin holds both a BS and an MS in Education and Leadership from the University of North Dakota and has attended both Turtle Mountain Community College and Cankdeska Cikana Community College.

While the Cobell Scholarship offices are located in New Mexico, Melvin resides with his husband, John, in Grand Forks, where they enjoy summers on Devils Lake and spend all their free time with their four grandchildren.