RIVERSIDE, Calif. — State public school data show Native American students are one of the least likely groups to graduate high school, meet state university requirements and meet testing standards. Numbers from the 2018-2019 school year show the Native American graduation rate was about 75%, compared to about 85% for all students.

But, there’s a program at Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, attended by Native American youth from around the country, hoping to give its students a head start on a pathway to success. The Career Technical Education Pathways program gives students hands-on vocation training in fields such as firefighting, auto mechanics and more. Through the program, high schoolers can also earn certifications.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has invested about $10 million in the program during the past decade to provide not only vocation training but also leadership skills they hope the students can pass on to future generations back at home.

Dep Wunu Auguh, a student from the Pyramid Lake reservation about 45 miles from Reno, Nevada, recently graduated from the high school and shares his experience in the program.