Kayshel Trudell, born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and raised in Cape Coral, Florida, majored in Communication Studies during her time at UNC Chapel Hill and is a member of the Menominee tribe. She was a student ambassador at UNC’s American Indian Center during all four of her years in undergrad and absolutely loved her time here, as she had the desire to learn more about who she was and her tribe as she grew up without much connection to it. She said that working at the American Indian Center supported and grew her during her entire undergraduate career, it “helped develop me into the professional woman I am now,” stating that it gave her the connection to her heritage that she never had.
Throughout her undergraduate career Kayshel was highly involved in both her academics, fostering and maintaining great relationships with her professors, and also her extracurricular activities, serving as a student ambassador at the American Indian Center, a Resident Advisor for two years at Granville Towers, a member of UNC’s novice Crew Team her freshman year, as well as maintaining heavy involvement within the Air Force ROTC program here. She successfully balanced all of this, even graduating from the Department of Communication Studies recognized for academic excellence and from UNC with honors in 2016. She said the American Indian Center provided great emotional and mental support for her as she juggled all of her responsibilities.
After graduation, Kayshel continued to thrive, earning her masters in Strategic Communications from the University of Iowa in 2019 while on active duty as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force. He first assignment was as a public affairs officer at the 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, , Florida,. Currently she works for the 37th Training Wing, the largest training wing in the Air Force. Her time in the Air Force has taken her to many places, such as Tennessee, Maryland, Alaska, Japan, Korea, and Peru to name a few. In regards to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, it has made impacts on her work. She had to quarantine for two weeks in March after working in Peru to ensure she was not a carrier of the virus and keep others safety. Now that she is back to work she keeps busy executing her mission, stating that her approach is to make this “more of a marathon than a sprint.” We all appreciate everything that she has done for the community and look forward to seeing where life will take her next!
