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President Andrea Beyal, Board President, 4 Corners K9 Search And Rescue (4CK9SAR) defines the words empathetic, compassionate and resilient. As a lifelong resident of Arizona, Andrea and her twin sister were raised by their Aunt and Uncle in Fort Defiance, Arizona, and graduated from Window Rock High School. Upon graduation, Andrea was offered a 4-year Basketball scholarship at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. During her senior year, she decided to relocate to Masa, Arizona and graduated from Masa Community College with her Associate in Arts and General Studies. As an avid learner and believer in exploring and trying new things, she enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU) Tempe Campus. Andrea earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, along with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Justice Studies and American Indian Studies.
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Throughout High School and College, Andrea was intrigued with justice and protecting the rights of American Indians. In High School she worked at the Navajo Police Station as a Data Clerk and during college worked as an Intern at the National Congress of American Indians. While attending ASU, Andrea was navigating her own personal challenges as a victim of domestic violence and was involved in an ongoing custody battle, to get custody of her oldest son. “I was attending college, working full time at the ASU Campus Store, and navigating my way through the court system. This was a difficult time for me, but I knew that I needed to see myself though this stage of life. Due to my personal experiences, I tend to be non-judgmental and compassionate towards all human beings regardless of their circumstances and what they are facing.”
After graduation from ASU, Andrea continued to work at the ASU Campus Store for 6 more years working her way up-the-ladder to Team Lead and supervising up to 75 employees. When Covid hit in 2020, she needed to step away from work to homeschool her children. In 2021, Bernadine Beyale, Founder/Executive Director of 4CK9SAR, began sharing her desire to launch a nonprofit and asked Andrea if she would serve on the Board. Both Andrea and her sister are cut from the same cloth when it comes to serving victims and families with empathy, compassion, support, and respect.”
Andrea joined the Board in March of 2022, when the organization received its 501c3 Designation. She then completed the required Certifications from the National Association of Search And Rescue (NASAR) and from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) so she could participate in Search And Rescue (SAR) deployments. Andrea drove from Arizona to New Mexico to experience her first SAR deployment with Bernadine and the Team. “That’s all it took. From that day forward, I was all in!”
Although Andrea resides in Arizona, she is instrumental in responding to phone calls and interviewing families. Andrea works on SAR Cases in Arizona and drives or flies to New Mexico as needed, for SAR deployments. “We are progressive thinkers, and we want to serve more victims and families. We are working on a Droan Unit, an ATV Team, an Equine Team, and to add Canines to the team in Arizona. “Monthly we receive requests from Middle Schools, High Schools and Law Enforcement to conduct presentations on personal safety, human trafficking, and careers in Search And Rescue. “There is such a strong need for this type of awareness, education and proactive thinking to combat the Indigenous Crisis!”
As Andrea Beyal is interviewing the victim’s family, she listens and understands. She provides the family with immediate hope and relief, as they know that someone cares and will take action. As Andrea is known for asking, “If your loved one was missing, what would you want someone to do?”