“My Indigeneity shapes the way I walk in the world”: Paradise Gladstone’s story

Paradise Gladstone ’25 nearly dropped out to become a mortician.

That wasn’t the plan when she started at PLU, but between helping raise her younger siblings, working over 30 hours a week, and juggling 16-credit semesters, the idea of switching paths crossed her mind more than once.

“I didn’t think I’d make it,” she says. “I’ve wanted to give up so many times, but I’m really proud to be here.”

Through it all, Paradise (Blackfeet name Kátoyiss’aakii) is here now: graduating with a degree in global studies, plus minors in religion and critical race studies. Her journey through PLU has been anything but linear or conventional. It’s Paradise-specific and driven by her many passions.

What makes Paradise stand out isn’t just her academic achievements — it’s her multidimensionality. She’s an activist, a makeup enthusiast, a newlywed who honeymooned in Olympic National Park, a gamer, a global thinker, and a former ASPLU President. 

Paradise’s willingness to say yes to what she loves has defined her time at PLU and beyond. So when the opportunity arose, she studied away in South Korea — twice! As a global studies major, she was drawn to South Korea’s rapid economic growth and soon found herself delving into U.S.-Korean relations and uncovering historical dynamics that have helped shape global politics. 

She studied in Seoul in 2022 and again in Busan in 2024. Each experience had its own feel and focus. “In Seoul, every minute outside of class was spent at museums, music festivals, and cafe-hopping,” she says. “Busan had a slower pace. Class in the morning, then afternoons studying, bouldering, or at the beach.”

Reflecting on the areas of interest she cultivated while abroad, Paradise shares, “The Korean War is one of the leading interests of my studies. In the U.S., war is often glamorized. But in South Korea, I saw war framed honestly, as something horrific. That changed everything.”

It’s not just war and policy that interest her; it’s power, resistance, and the stories that don’t get told. She explored those topics in South Korea, but it’s also grounded in her own history. “My interests are based on my decolonial lens as an Indigenous scholar. The fact that Korea has never occupied another country, but still competes on the world stage as an economic powerhouse, is compelling to me.”

Gladstone is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation and the Kainai Blood Band in Alberta, Canada. “My Indigeneity shapes the way I walk in the world,” she says. “I was always taught that the winner or the oppressor tells history, and that’s how I have always navigated the material I encounter; whether academically, professionally, or personally. In a way, I have a completely different perspective of America, its history, and its founding that challenges the narrative pushed by academia.”

She brought that lens for diversity and justice to her leadership on campus, serving in several roles within Associated Students of Pacific Lutheran University (ASPLU). “I started as a Class At-Large Senator, then a Class of 2024 Senator, and then was the Social Justice Director until running and being elected ASPLU President in the Spring of 2024.” Through her four years with ASPLU, she had the chance to advocate for her peers, shape campus policy, and organize initiatives that support equity, inclusion, and student well-being.

Her work was bolstered by strong, steady support from faculty, like Dr. Ami Shah. “She gave me the tough love I needed when I was struggling,” Paradise says. “More than anything, struggling students of color need someone who believes in them and holds them accountable.”

With a foundation of support, and a jam-packed 4 years of experience at PLU, she’s stepping confidently into what’s ahead. Next up? She’s applying for a Fulbright to return to South Korea, and is eyeing graduate programs in law or international affairs. Even with these ambitious plans, Paradise is staying open-minded and lighthearted. “I want to learn and make as many mistakes as possible,” she says. “Our 20s are way less serious than people make them out to be.”

What she’ll miss most about PLU is the community. “There’s something beautiful about living alongside other people and figuring life out in real time,” she says. “I’ll miss that, especially the DJS lounge. The community of queer students of color creates joy that will be hard to replace.”

Paradise Gladstone has never been one to pick just one lane. She makes space for all the parts of who she is, and the world gets someone who shows up caringly, fully, and authentically.