Welcome ... The O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West is a regional studies and public education program of The University of Montana in Missoula.  It focuses on the Interior West of North America – the region straddling the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada.  The University of Montana lies at the center of this region.  Through cross-disciplinary programs in research, teaching, and public education, the Center explores the region's rich history, current challenges, and emerging opportunities. What's New ... This week Clay Scott interviews Sapphire Carter, whose mother told her she would have to learn to "walk in two worlds."  That was before the Chippewa-Cree student from the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation had won the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship.  Sapphire surprised her parents by opting to enroll at Carroll College, a Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, Montana, where non-white students are rare. Join Mountain West Voices regularly on Wednesdays at 8:25 p.m. (MDT) on Montana Public Radio or on Sundays at 7:35 a.m. on Yellowstone Public Radio program or visit our website at MountainWestVoices.org.   Cabinet Mountains Photos courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz