Glenna Stumblingbear-Riddle is founder of Resilient Tribal Roots, PLLC, a Native American- and female-owned small-business that promotes overall well-being, resilience, and health equity through therapy, trainings, consultation, and community engagement. She is a health service psychologist and has used her role to serve “Indigenous, diverse and marginalized populations.” She is an alumna of the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) and obtained her Ph.D. in 2010 at Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Stumblingbear-Riddle was first drawn to the MFP after meeting Dr. Rockey Robbins, a Native American psychologist, who created a spark in her. Upon learning about the incredible things Dr. Robbins was doing with local tribes, she began to wonder if she could do something similar. The MFP provided her with the resources and support that she needed to actualize her dream and ultimately fulfill her passions. She explained that although she knew the Minority Fellowship Program was competitive, she decided to pursue it anyway, and is so thankful that she did.
Prior to joining the fellowship, Dr. Stumblingbear-Riddle envisioned a career that would allow her to help her Native American community “by addressing behavioral health disparities and working toward highlighting [their] innate resilience.” Since her time in the program, she has been able to realize her dream. By creating a private practice, she has been able to use “clinical work, presentations, publications, and trainings” to serve Indigenous populations. She remarked that she is “living [her] ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
Dr. Stumblingbear-Riddle remarked that the MFP has “helped [her] connect to many professionals with similar interests that inspired and supported [her] academic and career endeavors.” She credits her MFP colleagues for having helped build her leadership skills and encouraged her abilities “long before [she] realized them in [herself].”
When asked what career building advice she would offer current MFP fellows, Dr. Stumblingbear-Riddle had this to share, “Don’t be afraid to network and introduce yourselves to your peers. When opportunities arise take them and ask for support when needed. We are better together.” And for anyone who may be considering applying for the MFP, she says “I would strongly encourage them to apply and not wait… If they don’t get accepted I would encourage them to keep applying.”