My work is to make sure the mission of the American Indian Graduate Program is fulfilled. Our mission is to conduct outreach, recruitment and student service activities in order to counteract barriers that prevent the full participation of American Indian and Alaska Native students in graduate education and encourage their development as scholars, educators, and professionals. AIGP is a culturally sensitive recruitment and retention program that has graduated over 500 American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students since its inception in 1971. The American Indian Graduate Program advances UC Berkeley's goal of fostering academic excellence through diversity.