Student Reconnects with Anishinaabeg Heritage and Discovers Unlimited Potential at MSU

Student Reconnects with Anishinaabeg Heritage and Discovers Unlimited Potential at MSU

Every Spartan’s path to Michigan State University is different. There are many reasons students find themselves pursuing their future at MSU, but for Kaylin Casper from Los Angeles, California, the reasons were ambition and heritage.  

“I lived really far away from my Anishinaabeg family,” she said. “As the great-granddaughter of federal Indian Boarding School survivors, coming back to Michigan State was a way for me to be closer to my tribal community to reclaim my cultural knowledge.”  

Smiling person with long wavy hair stands with hands on hips in front of a green wall display reading “Michigan State University,” wearing a light-colored lace top and a bright pink skirt.
Kaylin Casper

Casper’s MSU experience has been all about growth as a scholar, a leader, and a community advocate. Early on, she got involved with the Honors College IMPACT program and quickly discovered that her opportunities were limitless at MSU. Her passion for sociology led her to the Social Science Scholars Program. “I just knew I would have opportunities to explore different passions and studies through that program.”

And she didn’t stop there.

“I had a lot of interests,” Casper said. “That worked out for me really well, pursuing three majors [Sociology, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Humanities-Prelaw] and three minors. I’ve been able to explore three research projects through the Social Science Scholars Program and get hands-on support.”

“I lived really far away from my Anishinaabeg family. As the great-granddaughter of federal Indian Boarding School survivors, coming back to Michigan State was a way for me to be closer to my tribal community to reclaim my cultural knowledge.”  

Casper also holds multiple campus leadership positions and credits donor support for opening educational doors and keeping them open through hard times. The support of MSU programs and scholarships allowed her to study abroad twice and pursue unique opportunities, such as the prestigious national Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. With the encouragement of her Anishinaabe professor, along with a friend who had won in a previous year, Casper took the leap and applied for the scholarship.

“I applied to the Tribal public policy route, as it really aligned with my interests,” Casper said.

And then, she waited.

smiling woman sitting at a table with her laptop in front of her. She is engaging with a person who is sitting across the table from her.
Kaylin Casper loves her work at The Writing Center, where she helps fellow students gain confidence in their writing and in themselves.

Ultimately, Kaylin became MSU’s 14th Udall Scholar in 2024. The minute she received the scholarship is something she will never forget.  

“I was in the library, working on homework, and I received an email. I just sat in silence. I was happy, but I was super shocked,” she said. “It was a big win for me, and definitely a highlight of my experience here.”

She celebrated the achievement with her mom and dad — a moment she will always be grateful for.

Smiling person wearing a teal winter coat and earmuffs holds a small white dog dressed in a purple vest and green sweater inside a building with green walls.
Outside of homework and campus activities, Kaylin Casper enjoys spending time with her dog and listening to music.

“My sophomore year, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and so that was really tough, navigating those two years, before he eventually passed away.” In that moment, Casper leaned into her Spartan community and reached out to Counseling and Psychiatric Services. She actively grounded herself in the fact that her father would have wanted her to keep going. And so, she did.  

Casper was a Homecoming Court member in 2025, she continues in her role as the Co-President of the North American Indigenous Student Organization, and she works at The Writing Center to support her fellow students.  

“Strong campus communities are built on strong relationships, and we have to mutually support each other in times of stress,” Casper said. To her it’s about, “taking care of the people who inhabit a place. While I’m here it is really important work for me, and it’s something that also keeps me joyful, especially during the hard times I’ve had.”

The generosity of Spartans has been a crucial part of Casper’s success.

“Strong campus communities are built on strong relationships, and we have to mutually support each other in times of stress…While I’m here it is really important work for me, and it’s something that also keeps me joyful, especially during the hard times I’ve had.”

“As someone who is Anishinaabe, who is queer, and wants to serve underserved communities, it means a lot,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s just supporting me. I feel like it’s really supporting my entire community.”

Spartan generosity motivates Casper to keep going and fuels her belief that change is possible if we show up for each other.  

As she prepares for graduation, she imagines a campus and a world where Indigenous justice is realized.  

Three people sit at a table in a bright room, talking and working on laptops during a small group discussion, with potted plants on a windowsill behind them.
Kaylin Casper working with other students at The Writing Center, which supports writers at all stages in their process by offering one-on-one consultations, workshops, and writing groups.

“I feel very strong in my work, in trying to make the world a better place,” she said. “I love America. I feel deeply patriotic in a way where I want to see this nation live up to its core ideals for everyone.”

To be a part of that far better world, Casper plans to pursue a dual JD/Ph.D. in Sociology and eventually be a part of influencing federal Native American policy.  

Casper says she would not have been able to have so many great, successful experiences anywhere besides MSU. Her imaginings of a far better world began here, along the Red Cedar, or in what the Anishinaabeg call “Nkwejong” (where the rivers meet).  

Interested in helping students like Casper or in supporting the kind of campus programs and organizations that help students have an incredible experience? Join Spartans near and far on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, for Give Green Day, which is a chance to make a difference and to impact current and future Spartans. Learn more at givingday.msu.edu.

By Amelia Shugar and originally published by Spartan website

Categories: Humanities-Prelaw / News / Student / Women’s and Gender Studies