“For myself, education is a key component in helping to disable some of the things that keep us divided and unknowing,” continued Recountre. “I believe when we learn about other cultures and learn about one another once again, we have a better appreciation.” For 11 years, he ran the Ateyapi Program , a nonprofit for at-risk Native American youth in Rapid City, helping him not only understand and learn about some of the challenges currently present in communities, but to help lead sustaining solutions like accessible education. His leadership spanned across multiple boards of directors, some of which including Visit Rapid City and the South Dakota Humanities Council . Recountre grew into his current position as his involvement with the Crazy Horse Memorial ® expanded. He was asked to kick off the Run Crazy Horse Marathon with a drumbeat instead of the usual gunshot. From there, he continued to lead speeches and presentations for guests. He was eventually offered the position of associate director of Crazy Horse Memorial University ® . He then became the chief executive officer of the Memorial three years ago. “We've had over 500 students come through our University now,” said Recountre. “A lot of them are first generation college students, so we provide a team of support to mentor and coach them so after they leave our program, they’ll be successful in finishing their degrees at their home institutions.”
“There’s motivation to learn, and that's why I say we do better when we know better, because when we have all the facts, when we have the experience, that's when we can improve how we treat other people.” Whitney A. Rencountre, II
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