As the daughter of a single mother, Cherrise Reyes moved around a lot."In the beginning, life was tough, because she had me when she was still in college," Reyes told Refinery29. "We didn’t have that family support system. So my grandparents would fly out to come see me, but I didn’t really get to see my cousins at much."As her mom moved across the country to pursue her degree and career, Reyes said she didn't have the opportunity to grow up around other members of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe , of which she is an enrolled member (some of her relatives are also part of the Colville Indian reservation ). But when the 22-year-old started college in Washington, she began to learn more about her heritage and connect more deeply with her culture."For me, bouncing around everywhere, powwows have been a big thing. I actually get kind of emotional when I attend them, just being around my people. It’s a spiritual thing," Reyes said. "We’re all gathered there and we dance, there is drumming and music and our foods. It’s just a good time to share our culture and be there with everyone. And everyone is welcome — it’s not just Native people, it’s non-Natives as well."But she was also taken aback by how little some of the non-Native students at her college, Washington State University in Pullman, WA, knew about Native Americans like her. That's why she's working to call attention to the real issues Native American youth face while also combatting some of the stereotypes. Recently, Reyes, a member of the Native American Women’s Association, joined other students from across the country in attending the Democratic National Convention to make their voices heard.Ahead, what Reyes wants to hear more of on the campaign trail and what she wants non-Native women to know.