“I honestly don’t know where I would be at right now or what I would be doing if it wasn’t for BH,” Lara No Braid said.

No Braid is currently the East Complex Director for Residence Life at Black Hills State University (BHSU) and a recent graduate. No Braid is originally from Denver, Colo., but moved to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 2012. She graduated from Red Cloud Indian School in May of 2016 and is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. No Braid attended Oglala Lakota College for a year before transferring to BHSU.

When choosing where to transfer for college, No Braid said BHSU was an easy choice. Her brother also attended BHSU and
was a member of the track team. He graduated in May of 2019. BHSU’s study abroad program caught her attention as well and she was also very interested in the art program.

“What helped me the most was being very active on campus as a student,” No Braid said. “I got many opportunities from being
involved and working with my professors and advisers.” During her time as a student,

No Braid was a part of many organizations and worked on-campus as well. She was treasurer of Shutterbuzz, co-president of Lakota Omniciye and vice president of AISES during her time as a student. She received ‘Outstanding Member’ awards for Lakota Omniciye and Shutterbuzz. She was also TRIO Student of the Month in September of 2022.

No Braid held many jobs on campus including working as a photography dark room lab assistant, working for the Center for American Indian Studies (CAIS) and working for Residence Life. She was also a part of the CAIS Mentoring Program and Crazy Horse Memorial’s 7TH GEN Summer Program.

No Braid also pursued her initial interest in studying abroad. She studied in Seoul, South Korea, in the fall of 2019 at Konkuk University. Her classes consisted of generalized language and Korean culture courses.

“I loved getting to experience a new culture and lifestyle that was very much different from my own culture,” No Braid said.
She enjoyed the different way of teaching and how South Korean faculty formatted their classes compared to BHSU classes. Her
time there included a lot of traveling. She toured the east and west coast, many islands and a few amusement parks.

“My favorite part was interacting with random people,” No Braid said.

While she didn’t speak the language, she was still able to communicate with others. One time there were a few older women
that touched her hair. At first, No Braid was concerned but turned around and noticed them smiling at her and showing their love for her hair. It made No Braid happy and very thankful. While she had an amazing and memorable time studying abroad, once COVID-19 hit she returned home and continued her art degree.

No Braid graduated in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design with a minor if psychology and a certificate in international studies. After graduation, No Braid didn’t have a set plan for what  was next for her. Her degree is in a very competitive field which made her plans difficult. The previous person who held the East Complex Director position had recently left and the position opened up. No Braid decided to apply.

“Honestly it was literally ‘right time right place’ type of thing,” No Braid said. “I had no job or even a place to live and I was getting really worried.”

She felt that she had a good idea of what the position would entail because she worked in a work study position for three years in Residence Life. She was relieved when she found out shegot the position. She had a job set and it was the right decision as she already knew the area and school.

“It’s weird but not in a bad way,” No Braid said. “It’s weird in a good way.”

No Braid feels it’s weird being at BHSU but not taking classes, having exams or spending all of her time at the CAIS, although, she likes seeing BHSU from a new and different perspective. She loves working with her students and seeing how much progress they have made throughout the semester.

“I’m learning how to balance out my life in a new way,” No Braid said.

While she loves her job, she is finding ways to learn the boundaries between work, personal and social life. She wants to make sure she makes time for her mental health and relaxation.

“Be open to any opportunity and don’t be stuck in one mindset,” No Braid said. “You never know what kind of opportunities you’ll get.”