The Next Door Inc. Names Azariah Ozias 2024 Community Partner of the Year

Oct 20

Written By Columbia Community Connection

From The Next Door:

By
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 20, 2025 — Each year, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) honors individuals, businesses, and organizations whose collaboration and partnership make a lasting impact on our work and the people we serve. The Community Partner of the Year award highlights those who champion our mission and initiatives, going above and beyond to support and advocate for our programs, clients, and TNDI as a whole.

We are delighted to recognize Azariah Ozias as TNDI’s 2024 Community Partner of the Year for her unwavering commitment to Native youth, families, and cultural preservation throughout the Gorge!

As the Title VI Native American Home School Liaison for the Columbia Gorge Education School District, Azariah supports 17 schools across Hood River and Wasco Counties. In her role, she works tirelessly to connect Native youth and families to educational resources and culturally grounded programs, partnering closely with teams like TNDI's Native Supports team.

"It is clear to see how passionate Azariah is about this work,” says Kayla Berish, a Native American Youth Outreach Worker at TNDI. “She listens deeply to the community and then takes immediate action to start researching, planning, and collaborating to turn these ideas and goals into reality. It is truly an honor to collaborate with her on all kinds of projects.”

Azariah works under the guidance of the Johnson O’Malley (JOM) Indian Parent Committee to provide the services they request for their students who are enrolled in the 506/Title VI Indian Education program. She hosts committee meetings, offers support in their structure and understanding of the by-laws, and ensures priorities are heard and acted upon.

One of JOM’s main goals has been to restart a group for Native youth to engage in cultural activities and, thanks to Azariah’s leadership, that goal is becoming a reality through Eagle Quest, an after-school club for Native American youth to participate in weekly cultural activities, connect with Native peers, receive academic support, and gain more trusted adults in their lives. Participation in Eagle Quest has grown significantly among both Native youth and their parents, with new youth joining regularly.

But Azariah’s vision doesn’t stop there. She's now laying the groundwork to establish a new club for younger students in elementary schools called “Eagle’s Nest.” Working alongside Kayla and TNDI’s Native Supports team, Azariah has been collaborating to bring the club to fruition by meeting with school staff, planning activities, preparing permission slips, and more with the hopes of launching the club in the 2025-26 school year.

In addition to her work with younger youth, Azariah meets monthly with a group of high school students throughout the Gorge called the Columbia River Gorge Native American Youth Advisory Council (NAYAC). She provides a safe space for students to voice their concerns about issues they see in their community, as well as identifying opportunities for personal growth, learning, and leadership development. In March, Dufur School students asked Azariah for her help in educating their non-Native peers to better understand Native culture and powwows. She worked with students, parents, and staff to plan an assembly that explained powwow traditions and was followed by a powwow that evening, attended by students, families, and community members, and livestreamed on social media.

“I hope to play a bigger role in planning next year,” says Kayla. “The event was inspiring, healing, and is expected to become an annual tradition.”

Later in the spring, Azariah partnered with two of TNDI's Native American Youth Outreach Workers to organize a transformative trip to Washington, D.C. for 11 NAYAC youth from 5 different schools. In the months leading up, Azariah and Kayla recruited cultural teachers to support the youth in making their own ribbon skirts and shirts. For nearly an entire week, students visited various historical monuments and museums, connected with Native youth from 7 other states, and learned how to present issues and policies important to them. Throughout the Summit, youth were split into different workgroups to put together a policy proposal, which they presented to legislators on Capitol Hill.

During the summer months, Azariah also supports the JOM Indian Parent Committee in planning and executing a 2-week culture camp for Native American youth of all ages, now called Eagle Quest Culture Camp. TNDI's Native Supports team and Azariah provide support in this all-hands-on-deck project, heavily with planning, execution, and financial support.

Through every initiative, Azariah’s deep commitment to Native youth, families, and cultural preservation has made her an outstanding community partner, and we are so grateful for her support of The Next Door and our mission!