Fireside Chat with Forrest Bruce '17
"Relationships are the roots that help you build a career." Forrest Bruce '17
Forrest Bruce '17 is a PhD student in the Learning Sciences at Northwestern. He is broadly interested in land-based education and the design of community-based learning environments that support Indigenous ways of knowing and being. He received a BS in social policy from Northwestern University in 2017 and worked in Chicago Public Schools’ American Indian Education Program (Title 6) for a year before joining the ISTEAM research project, first as a research coordinator then later as a graduate student.
"Trust in the work. As long as you're doing good work in the moment, trust that opportunities will come from that." Forrest Bruce '17
Forrest discussed his experience working within Indigenous communities across the Midwest. He emphasized the importance of humility but warned us not to do a disservice to our capabilities. "Take ownership of your skills and expertise," but "it's a balance." Forrest shared that communities have a different sense of time and different priorities than institutions, and he discussed how critical it is to remain "relationally grounded."
"It's okay to not have it all figured out." Forrest Bruce '17
Meadow Sophia Neubauer-Keyes '27 (right) agreed to moderate the discussion after participating in a class with Forrest about Indigenous methods of teaching!
This conversation came together after one of our students, Brandon Takahashi '26, reached out to us about wanting to learn from Indigenous alumni working in the environment. Brandon introduced Forrest at the beginning of the session.
"In the Northwestern Environmental Science and EPC programs, we are taught about the intersection between environmental issues and histories of discrimination and oppression, as well as the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and other historically undermined perspectives into contemporary environmental strategies." Brandon Takahashi '26
This program helped highlight and celebrate the individual achievements of unique alumni while also encouraging all students interested in these fields here at Northwestern! This event was open to all students across Weinberg College and beyond.
"The worst thing we can do is continue to remain stagnant; we all have a role to play in making sure that doesn’t happen." Brandon Takahashi '26
The overarching theme: don’t do it alone! Ask for help when you need it and utilize the many resources available at Northwestern!
Thank you, Forrest, for joining us last week!