Cronkite student uses strategic communication skills to serve tribal communities

After graduating from ASU in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communication, Kennedy Satterfield rose through management positions at Doordash. Eight years later, Satterfield is back at ASU, advancing her skills in Cronkite's Master of Arts in Strategic Communication program and serving Indigenous communities at the American Indian Policy Institute.

At AIPI, Satterfield focuses on marketing and communication, informing tribes of policy and legislation that may affect their communities. The Institute also helps tribal groups identify and nurture future leaders.

Satterfield, a Choctaw Native American, continues to find herself within her work. She has experienced discrimination, and wants to be a part of making change; she enjoys collaborating with Indigenous community members and partners, and feels like she's seen a shift in how Native Americans are treated.

"We're seeing a lot more representation across the board with Native Americans," Satterfield said. "That comes from more people from tribes joining these different industries and workforces, but also people not being afraid to self-identify as who they are, and being able to embrace that part of themselves."

As she hones her distinctive voice in her graduate program, Satterfield is transferring the skills she learned in class to her AIPI work in real time.

"I'm in a strategic writing class right now, and we're learning how to write press releases, how to do digital marketing, how to talk on LinkedIn versus Instagram versus in a news article," Satterfield said. "I've been able to take every single assignment and turn it into something I'm doing for my job."

AIPI executive director Traci Morris sees Satterfield's time at Doordash and her graduate degree pursuit as assets.

"I had a career before I ever went to college," Morris said. "I was a hairdresser for seven years, so I respected that, and I know what (going back to school) took, and I knew that I could work with somebody like that. Then I met her and was like, "'Oh dang, she's awesome.' A bonus was, she's from a tribe." 

Throughout her journey at ASU and AIPI, Satterfield said she's most proud of finding her unique voice. After graduating with her master's degree, she wants to scale her strategic communication skills and stay involved in tribal or nonprofit communities.