WGU Alumni Podcast
WGU’s alumni network now has more than 350,000 graduates living in all 50 states. The WGU alumni podcast highlights the incredible work that our alumni are doing in their local communities. We also share benefits, perks, resources and partner information to help our graduates stay engaged and get the most out of the alumni community.
WGU Alumni Podcast
Embracing and Thriving Through Change: Distinguished Graduate Skye Gilham's Journey
Discover the transformative power of education through the story of Skye Gilham, a WGU distinguished graduate who has dedicated herself to empowering her Blackfeet Native American community in Montana.
As Skye reveals her journey from academia to serving her community at Blackfeet Community College and beyond, she highlights the breathtaking beauty and challenges of life in Northwest Montana. Her story is a testament to the impact of education, showcasing how integrating online learning and technology can uplift communities.
Have you ever thought it's too late for me? Well, it turns out you have more time than you think. We're living longer, doing more and collecting more moments. On this new season of the WGU Alumni Podcast, we're sharing the inspiring stories of our distinguished graduates who went back to school to pursue a degree and better their lives. We hope their stories will inspire you to realize it's never too late to go after your dreams.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to another great episode of the WGU Alumni Podcast. We have Robert and Jeff here for more fun, and I introduced us. Jeff, that's new Robert. You're now the host and I'm the co-host. That felt pretty good. I'm not taking over host responsibilities, not at all. I'm just super excited about our guest today, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Another great, distinguished graduate. This would be the one and only Sky Gillum from Browning Montana.
Speaker 2:And I'm super excited. Sky has an amazing story. This part of Montana is amazing and I don't know if many of our listeners have made it this far north or this remote, but you get up to this part of Montana. It's one of the most beautiful places in the whole world.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it really is, and I love Sky's story because she is so committed to her community. She's up on the reservation. She knows how important education is and you're going to hear in this interview the different roles that she's had in the community but she really, really wants to give back and to be an example and to demonstrate firsthand how important education is to changing lives and providing better for one's family.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very committed to it. She's from the Blackfeet community and she went to Montana University to get her undergraduate and took that education back to her very small community there and started helping out at the local Blackfeet Community College as an adjunct professor and other responsibilities, but along the way realized that more education would help her, help her community more, and so it's never too late. She came back after nearly 15 years 15, 20 years, something like that, and and so that she could help her own community more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and one of the things that's important to her, as we've mentioned, is education, and she felt particularly online education and the technology that you know didn't exist even 20 years ago, I mean even five years ago, if you think about it. We have changed that rapidly and a great story and a great individual, again one of our 14 distinguished graduates that we continue to celebrate on this podcast and throughout. And, robert, what do you say? We toss to this interview now.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I want to hear more from Sky. Let's do that.
Speaker 1:All right, let's do it. Skye Gillum has made significant contributions to her Blackfeet Native American community in education and tourism, and economic development. She is a distinguished figure at Blackfeet Community College, where she serves as a role model for students, faculty and staff alike. As an instructor in the STEM fields, skye has delivered positive outcomes to the institution through the development of faculty training courses and her pivotal role as a liaison between WGU and BFCC. In 2021, skye earned a master's education in learning and technology, and in September 2024, skye was named a distinguished graduate of WGU. Hello, skye. Welcome to the Alumni Podcast. Hi, it's so great to have you on and we look forward to catching up and learning about all the good that you're doing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a beautiful morning in Montana, so I've been waiting to catch up with you guys.
Speaker 1:Well, let's jump in now. So are you from Montana originally.
Speaker 3:Yep, I'm from Northwest Montana. The Blackfeet Nation has always been my home. It's way up by Glacier National Park and it borders Canada too, so that's where I was born and I came home. I only left to get my education at university in Montana and I'm back here now, and I've been back here for quite some time. But it's a beautiful place, so it's where we call home.
Speaker 1:That's great. That's awesome. Yeah, I would imagine it's beautiful. I imagine it gets cold as well.
Speaker 3:I know, and you know, I'm looking outside it's going to be 80 degrees. It's October. I know, and you know, I'm looking outside it's going to be 80 degrees. It's October, so it's unusually warm here and it's the leaves are changing, so it's really beautiful place.
Speaker 1:And but the winters do get brutal here.
Speaker 3:I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's always a good time to travel and go see warmer places, but we all wait for summer here. It's so beautiful and all the stuff to do and we're lucky in October we still get to go outside and enjoy it without putting on 17 layers of clothes.
Speaker 1:That's too funny. So if you had to just pinpoint it, narrow it down to one thing, what would you say is the best thing about living there?
Speaker 3:Probably the amazing landscape here. We have the Rocky Mountains just right outside the window. If I could show you I totally would. But it's beautiful here, being outside with all the outdoor recreation we have here. You know, it makes the brutal winters worth it when we get to be outside and have lake days and golf days and all the stuff you dream about all winter and there is winter stuff here. I'm not particularly a winter person, but skiing, all that kind of stuff we enjoy, enjoy football that's what I wait for in the fall. So it makes it all worth it when it gets warm and, like I said it's, the leaves are changing right now and it's so beautiful and it's still warm. So we have a really, really nice fall this year. So it made me extra thankful about being this being my home that's great.
Speaker 1:I know a lot of people in the country are enjoying a nicer, a little bit warmer of a fall, which is which is always good when you can do that, because sometimes it goes from hot to cold overnight, and so yeah spread that out and enjoy. It goes a long way.
Speaker 3:So one time here in the end of September I think it was like three, four years ago we were having a good September and we got like five feet of snow. So this October what is it the 15th or 14th, and it's it's like summertime. So yeah things aren't you know. They always say when you come to Montana you get a pack for all four seasons because you never know what we're going to get. But yeah, it's been super nice lately, so we're really thankful here.
Speaker 1:That's great Well way to represent us from the Rocky Mountains, from that beautiful part of the country, sky. I wanted to ask you what's the most exciting thing that you are working on right now?
Speaker 3:So I kind of took a leap recently and started working full time in a different capacity. But I've been an educator full time for the last five years. But for 20 years I've been an instructor at the Blackfeet Community College, which is our tribal college, and I've enjoyed that. I think education, especially with our Native people, is really important. I think education, especially with our Native people, is really important. But I took a job with a nonprofit to work in the Northwest region as a support specialist for tourism.
Speaker 3:I've worked in economic development previous to being in education full time for many years. So working in economic development with Indian country is also super important to me, especially living where I do. The Blackfeet Nation, like I said, borders Glacier National Park and to get a better foothold in the tourism industry for a lot of Native people would be amazing and something that would also be uplifting, like education. So it's not real different, but I'm still adjunct faculty at Blackfeet Community College. It's something I'll kind of always have my foot in the door because it's so important and it's something I've done since I returned home from college the first time. So it's a great change and it was scary, but it's a way for me to do bigger things in Indian country, especially in the Northwest region, which is where I call home, so it's been a good change.
Speaker 1:That's great. Well, we want to dive into that a little bit more, and that is actually perfect with kind of the theme that we're taking of it's never too late. Late because I think that I think you know we obviously touch on that with regards to uh, you know, education as it relates to WGU and kind of what brings us together, but it really is not just exclusive to going back to school, it's also on taking those career moves, it's on leaping in. Like you said, it takes a little bit of faith and it can be a little bit scary. And so tell me, like, with regards to this new change in your position, was there a moment that you knew that you wanted to make that change? Was there? Was there something holding you back, or was it something that you were like, nah, it's time let's make this change?
Speaker 3:I think it was. Really. I was just. I'm so invested in the education field and being at Blackfeet Community College was so amazing and it was one of the reasons I actually got my master's was so I could work in education full time and it was like a leap of faith. I had worked the last two years in research and had been an instructor throughout the whole time during that time at the college and so I was really busy, did a lot of different things there. Like he said, we worked on the WGU stuff with the college partnership, so I was very invested in it.
Speaker 3:But in the meantime I always wanted to do more on a bigger scale, so kind of putting my faith out there.
Speaker 3:I put in for this position, really didn't think I would get it and I actually did. And it allowed me to work at home, remote, which is a big benefit, especially when we get winter time here, and I'll get to travel a lot. And I'll get to travel a lot, which has always been a passion of mine, so I'll get to see a lot more of our beautiful country, especially Indian country. So you know, the benefits, I guess, outweighed any of the losses I kind of felt. But, like I said, I'm still in the education arena. I'm still I get to teach online, which is kind of right along with what my degree was in from WGU. So I get to teach outside my job when I want and it's been a good change. It's different and I I miss being there every day and seeing my coworkers but, like I said, it was a leap of faith and it's a way to do kind of bigger things in a bigger, on a bigger scale.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. So you kind of touched on this. You know there was a motive for you to go back to school, but tell us a little bit about getting the degree. It was a master's again in education and learning and technology. Tell us a little bit about why you went back. You referenced, you know, going to school at the university earlier on in your career and then you know what made you go back for a degree and how has it helped you.
Speaker 3:So you know, if you rewind almost 20 years ago, I got my bachelor's and it was in forensic anthropology and criminology. So a lot different than where my career has taken me, but it's been. I still actually teach about it and I sit on a board with the state of Montana for what I got my bachelor's in. But the whole goal when I was 22 and I graduated from University of Montana, I was going to take a couple years off and return and go to law school. Well, it ended up being a lot longer than that. I got home, got invested in my community my career, you know and knowing that I can grow without returning to school. So I worked in economic development, ran a business stuff for, I think, 14 years and I just realized one day that being an instructor and working in education made me really happy and it's something I wanted to do full time. So that was the motivation to get my master's degree in learning and technology. I had worked in the technology field too, along par with the economic development stuff, so it wasn't a big change and I seen the shift towards online education being completely on par with brick and mortar. So it's something I thought it would be beneficial for me and it's stuff I was already good at.
Speaker 3:So I jumped on board with WGU and it was amazing and it was kind of crazy because I started my other job gave me the okay. They actually had a program for me to kind of get some assistance. I started and COVID hit. But it actually was weirdly timed right Because our entire reservation closed down, including my job for the time being. So I had all this time at home alone and I just put that time into getting my master's and speeding through the program and I had heard good things about WGU and I jumped in. It was another scary moment where I wasn't sure you know, am I a lifelong learner or what's going to happen? And it ended up being really good and once things opened back up, I shifted into education full-time, which was a really rewarding, I think, last five years and it's something like I said I've done for 20 and I'll keep doing as much as I can.
Speaker 1:What would you say was the biggest unexpected surprise or bonus from going back to school?
Speaker 3:Kind of like I just said that I'm still smart, that I'm a lifelong learner, that you're never too old to start something new or embrace change, and like for me, really personally, change is super scary. I get comfort in being home, having, you know, a comfortable career, the same stable environment, and so change was scary and even though it was online and I didn't have to pack up and move to return to school, it was still something I wasn't too sure would work out, if it would be a right fit. And it actually worked out great and it was a good fit, with WGU allowing me to be home and get my master's, especially during a tumultuous time in the world, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, I'm glad the timing worked out, I'm glad the program worked out and allowed you to do the things that you're passionate about. I just want to pause and acknowledge something, sky, you've shared this in just this interview a couple of times that change is hard for you, right that it's difficult, that it is scary, and yet you've highlighted two really major things that you've done to embrace change, to kind of take a step out into the unknown, and so I just want to commend you for that, because I think you're a wonderful example of putting yourself out there. Like I highlighted in what we're talking about, in this season of, it's never too late If it's something that's important to you and you want to go for it, even if you don't know how it's going to happen or what that's going to look like, that you still move forward and you still make it happen. Can you think of another time in your life when you decided it wasn't too late for something maybe a hobby, an interest or another passion that you've had?
Speaker 3:So an interest or another passion that you've had. So you know, just like I just said, changing pivoting careers has been something that was really scary for me, especially leaving my 14-year job and deciding I want to be in education full-time. That was another big change. It was scary, but it worked out and wasn't too late to do something new. And I also, a couple of years ago at the college, after being an instructor full time, I started working in research, which was amazing, rewarding, learned a lot.
Speaker 3:Research in Indian country is also something that's really important. That's really important. And then changing again, getting kind of back into my economic development tourism passion that you know, especially here, being able to make a bigger difference in Indian country, has been a scary change, but something hopefully will be just as rewarding. As you know, changing throughout my life. Every time I thought, oh, this is scary and I'm not sure if I should do it. It seems like in the end it usually works out and ends up being something really good and another tool belt or another tool to put in my tool belt with my career and experience.
Speaker 1:Sky. That's really great. I want to ask you next kind of some advice that you would share with me or with others, and that is in your career in education and tourism and economic development and running business, things like that and being such a passionate and active member of your community there, what career or life advice or life hack have you learned that has helped you be so successful?
Speaker 3:So I guess I would say and I feel like I've said this already it's never give up and embrace change, even if it takes you out of your comfort zone, because change is always good and it's how we grow and that was, you know, kind of been my theme of you know, going back to school and that was a huge change and deciding I wanted to work in education and pivoting back and working in research. So change has always been really good for me and it's something I think I should say, like with Native people, it's hard to leave home, it's hard to, you know, get your education and especially with WGU being able to do it online, that made it a lot easier for me to still stay home and put into my community while I'm getting and, you know, make it a lifelong learning. And I guess that's my biggest life hack. Career advice is always do what you think is the right thing, but embrace change.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, skye, first and foremost for your time today, but more importantly for your example, for the words that you've shared and just all that you continue to do. You continue to be a force to be reckoned with and have a huge impact within your community, and I know again, you're instrumental in helping folks learn about WGU and expand their educational opportunities as well. So thanks again for all that you're doing as well.
Speaker 4:So thanks again for all that you're doing. Thank you for listening to the WGU alumni podcast. To learn more about the WGU alumni community, visit wguedu backslash alumni. Thank you to our alumni now 300,000 strong and growing WGU a new kind of you.