Former Arizona State Women’s Basketball player, family medicine physician and activist Dr. Michelle Tom is the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award.

Growing up on the Navajo reservation, Michelle Tom was no stranger to “Rez Ball,” which cultivated her love for basketball from an early age. A successful high school basketball career propelled her toward a Division I spot on the ASU team, where Tom not only accumulated 300 career points in her two seasons with 48 three-pointers but helped to build the program to its current state.

Seeking to return to her people as a doctor, Tom earned her bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine and microbiology with an emphasis in infectious diseases from ASU. 

A year after completing her medical residency training, Tom entered the COVID-19 front lines, working in a medical center bordering the Navajo Nation in her hometown of Winslow, Arizona. One of a few Dinè (Navajo) doctors on the Navajo reservation, Tom prioritized her efforts for the Navajo Nation — even paying out of her own pocket for personal protective equipment. 

Throughout the pandemic, Tom has raised awareness for the lack of quality health care within the Navajo Nation by advocating before public audiences on NBC, CBS, PBS and NPR.

She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in PPE for front-line workers such as medical-grade N95 masks, face shields, and gowns. In addition, she allocated bottled water, sanitizers and face masks for the community.

When asked what fuels Tom each day, she says it is her people and Hozhò: the pursuit of harmony in mind, body and spirit. Dinè spiritualism, kinship, language and songs are central to her identity and inspire her to live for today and be blessed for tomorrow.