Cruz Collin, a Renewable Energy Engineering and Honors Program student at Oregon Tech, has been selected as a 2025 Udall Scholar and is the recipient of a Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. Collin is the first Oregon Tech student to win this prestigious award and one of only two students from Oregon.
The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors pursuing careers in environmental studies, Tribal public policy, or health care conservation. Scholars are chosen on the basis of their leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment.
Originally from South Dakota, Collin is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation and is in his second year of Renewable Energy Engineering studies at Oregon Tech’s Klamath Falls campus. He was selected as a Udall Scholar pursuing environmental health.
“To me, receiving this prestigious scholarship is but another piece of evidence that my dedication to my extracurriculars and pursuit of my lifelong dream is paying off and inching closer more and more each and every year,” Collin said.
Collin says his Lakota Native American background is his driver for pursuing his academic and career interests. “Translated into English, Lakota roughly translates to ‘a friend and ally to all life,’ and I have found after a lifetime of hearing this that the field of sustainable energy is where I can best serve and fulfil this cultural mission.
“Renewable energy is a key component of transitioning to a sustainable future and helping to restore environmental health,” Collin said. “About half of our CO2 emissions as a world come from energy generation and distribution. Therefore, to fight climate change and restore environmental health, we need sustainable energy systems to become our main source of power.”
Collin learned of the Udall scholarship through Oregon Tech’s Office of National Scholarships (ONS), which was recently established to introduce students to prestigious, merit-based awards. Executive Director of the ONS Christopher Syrnyk, Ph.D., identifies scholarships that will complement Oregon Tech’s specific degrees, programs, and students.
“Part of my role directing the ONS is to understand the landscape of fellowships and scholarships, which includes learning selection criteria and historical outcomes for the many different scholarships and fellowships out there, as well as application cycles, and the different application processes,” Syrnyk said. “I approached Cruz about applying for the Udall Scholarship, and he was willing to try. I appreciated that the selection criteria also cared about the student's character.”
During the application process, Syrnyk challenged Collin to revise, rethink, and revise his answers again and to appreciate the specific points the many questions asked him to address.
“I would ask him to rethink an approach, or develop an answer further, or just to see if he could offer more nuance in how he expressed what he was saying,” Syrnyk said. “With every student who does apply for one of these high-level scholarships, that student is paving the way for future Oregon Tech students to try.”
In addition to receiving a $7,000 scholarship for academic study, Udall Scholars attend a multi-day Scholar Orientation Experience in August and gain access to opportunities for leadership, public service, and networking. Collin said he looks forward to meeting environmental policy leaders and like-minded people who want to make a positive difference in the world and partner on future work.
The Udall Foundation states that the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship honors the legacies of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.
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