Blythe George’s ambitions are to help her community, her tribe

Saturday, June 13, 2020 - 03:00 in Psychology & Sociology

This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. For Blythe George, the road to becoming a scholar who studies the effects of poverty, unemployment, and crime among Native Americans began at home. Growing up in a working-class family in McKinleyville, a rural town along the north coast of California, 60 miles from the Yurok reservation, the tribe to which she belongs, George’s upbringing was marked by both her father’s substance abuse and her mother’s constant encouragement to strive for a better life. “My mother supported my pursuit of opportunities that at times neither of us could fully understand but that she wanted for me nonetheless,” said George via Zoom from her hometown, where she was hunkering down with family during the coronavirus quarantine. Enveloped by her mother’s love and support, George often imagined herself flying like an eagle, aiming high and nurturing big ambitions. After excelling in school,...

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