Artist/Educator, DDAT Management | San Juan College

Discipline: Music

Delbert Anderson is a Diné jazz trumpet artist, composer, educator and culture bearer. Anderson performs music inspired by his Diné heritage with the Delbert Anderson Quartet. Anderson also composes music inspired by Navajo Nation landscapes and historical events in hopes to educate and preserve the truth of Diné history. 

Anderson also created Build A Band, an educational program teaching jazz improvisation to young students through a Diné and Family curriculum. Anderson’s musical projects keep Indigenous knowledge and wisdom  at the forefront. Along with researching Diné historical figures and events, Anderson developed wellness programs and community outreach programs to evoke change for the wellbeing of all humans.

 “I am a healing artist. I heal communities and individuals with my Diné way of life, knowledge and wisdom so that everyone can live their lives through Hózhó (Beauty, Balance, Harmony).”

Denali Arts Council

Denver Jazz

Devin Hursey is a writer and graphic designer, with a passion for telling stories about people living with HIV and public health. Hursey, from Kansas City Missouri, holds dual master’s degrees in public health and strategic communications from the University of Missouri Columbia. In 2019, Hursey was honored as one of the 40 under 40 in public health by de Beaumont, as well as a 2023 Public Health Thought Leader by the Boston Congress of Public Health. His local and state work includes a featured columnist of the Next Page KC, leadership of the Real Justice Network contributing to campaign related to local politics, and board membership of Blaqout KC. Formerly: an appointed member of the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV and Viral Hepatitis, and many other roles related to the health and rights of people living with HIV.

Discipline: Crafts

Devine Pua, a Spondylus shell collector, restorer, and carver, was born on Saipan to Chamorro and Carolinian parents. Though born in the Northern Mariana Islands, she spent most of her life in the mainland U.S., growing up primarily in Kent and Vancouver, Washington. Being away from her homeland for so long left her feeling lost and disconnected from her roots.

Discipline: Multidisciplinary

Chef Devynne Fuga Ah-Mai is a community-rooted chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Samoa Food Security, an initiative dedicated to preserving Samoan food traditions while addressing the urgent need for accessible, healthy, and locally grown food. Through her work, she bridges culinary arts with community well-being, hosting food demonstrations, cultural events, and educational programs that uplift local farmers and promote sustainable food systems in American Samoa. Her culinary storytelling highlights the connection between heritage, health, and the environment, making food not just nourishment but also a vehicle for cultural preservation and resilience. As a recipient of the PJAF grant, Chef Fuga continues to champion the intersection of art, food, and culture to strengthen her community’s future.

Discipline: Literature

Dr. Marcela Rodriguez-Campo was born in Cali, Colombia, and immigrated to the United States at the age of five. Her early childhood was shaped by the legacy of narcoterrorism in Colombia and the family separation she experienced during her journey north. She found healing and empowerment through painting and poetry, which became central to her advocacy and passions as an educator. When language failed her, painting and poetry gave her the tools to name her lived experiences. These early memories inform her writing, which takes a synesthetic approach by exploring memory through texture and embodiment.

In 2021, Rodriguez-Campo earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in cultural studies, international education, and multicultural education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UNLV and a bachelor’s degree in English from Washington State University. With more than 10 years of experience in K-20 education, she has served as a local educator, DEI director, and consultant.

Rodriguez-Campo’s writing blends poetry, prose, and research to explore themes of immigrant experiences, belonging, education, identity, and healing. As a writing instructor, she draws on her educational expertise to help participants tap into memory and uses inquiry-based learning techniques to foster exploration and creativity. Her approach is expansive, community-informed, and research-based, using writing as a tool for healing and empowerment. She is the founding director of Co-Libre Education.

Dual Language Education of New Mexico

Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle

Edra “EJ” Stephens is a writer, cultural advocate and community leader whose work bridges storytelling, heritage preservation and social equity. Stephens illuminates the enduring traditions and voices of the Lowcountry, weaving narratives that explore identity, race, culture and belonging. A Watering Hole fellow and a graduate of the University of South Carolina Beaufort with a bachelor’s degree in English, her poetry and essays have appeared in multiple anthologies.

Her work embodies the belief that storytelling is both art and activism—an instrument of healing, empowerment and transformation. Currently, she serves as a consultant and project lead for heritage-based initiatives across South Carolina, including programs that promote cultural education, economic sustainability and intergenerational storytelling.

Previously, Stephens served as director of business services for Beaufort County, where she strengthened partnerships between local government, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Beyond her professional life, Stephens embraces her most cherished role as “Gigi,” nurturing creativity and cultural pride in the next generation.

El Dorado Institute, Inc.