Michael is always kind, honest and helpful. He is a role model for his fellow youth—He is respectful to everyone he encounters and is a joy for staff to work with. He stops to listen when adults speak and doesn’t need reminders to clean up or wash his hands during the hourly hand washing breaks.
Naomi is dedicated to Native Youth Olympics, group arts and crafts and caring for children and elders. She started a student newspaper, conducting interviews for a student and staff profile, and reporting on monthly activities. She utilizes electronic media, engages with youth writing groups by competing in writers’ conferences.
Sarah is a devoted volunteer for Anchorage Youth Court, where she serves as an attorney and judge for real court cases. She also served as Secretary of the Executive Board, Youth Treasurer of the Board of Directors and has been innovative throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure that AYC can continue to offer the community an outlet for restorative justice.
Lindsey helps improve the quality of life in her community. She coaches for the cheer gym she attends. She is dedicated to supporting and helping younger athletes achieve their goals while also participating in competition cheer. She has helped maintain a sense of normalcy by reading online, dressing up as the Easter bunny and delivering Easter eggs and baskets to children from the gym as well as to other children in her community.
Matthew has been coaching and teaching youth across his community traditional games, healthy living, running and Tlingit cultural values. He has coached the Boys Run Program at Glacier Valley Elementary and the Native Youth Olympics. He is passionate about his culture and passing down the knowledge to younger generations.
As a member of Anchorage Youth Court, Avery helps improve the quality of the lives of others in his community. By planning fundraising events during the COVID-19 Pandemic, he is working to give his peers and their families opportunities to do positive things during difficult times. He is present and engaged in every AYC Board meeting, every youth executive board meeting and every fundraising committee meeting.
The Native Leadership Council at East High School prepared 333 care packages for Alaska Native and American Indian Students to prevent feelings of isolation and help them connect with other teens. The bags will be delivered in the next three weeks.
Max is the Southeast Alaska representative for the Youth Alaska Action Board on Housing and Homelessness. He heard about this group and immediately asked how he could join and within a short amount of time was speaking at school board meetings, going to state-wide action meetings and encouraging Juneau youth with lived-expereince of homelessness to join and have their voices heard.
Donovan is an active member of the Boys and Girls Club of Fairbanks’ Keystone Club. Because of Covid-19, certain community service projects have come to a standstill, so Donavan and others have started to choose service projects based on preventing drug abuse and racism within the community.
Sharon helped start Mask Mission AK. She helped make 50o homemade masks within the first five or six months of the pandemic and donated them to the Alaska Native Medical Center, Alaska Regional Hospital, Beans Cafe and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Ian is part of Student Council and Native Dance group, and he helps and advocates for fundraisers and activities. Additionally, he helps to control the bullying in town. He’s one of biggest, oldest and most respected so most all the kids listen to him.
Starlyn is part of Native Leadership, Student Council, and Yearbook team. All of these require extra time, energy and dedication as well as respectful communication with outside organizations. Starlyn has experienced difficult life circumstances and has still remained hard-working, kind and dedicated.
Kayla is a leader for her peers, the captain of the basketball team and an Alaska Native dance leader. Additionally, her academic success is a model for other students.
During the Thanksgiving Basket food drive for needy families at Service High School, Anna Zerck took it upon herself to obtain more than 350 pounds of canned and non-perishable food. She donated half to the Anchorage Food Bank as well as to the Service High School Thanksgiving Baskets. It took her over four hours of going door to door to collect all the food.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Collin was evacuated from his dorm room in Washington and sent back to study remotely from his parent’s house in Eagle River, Alaska. During this time, he used his downtime to help small businesses in Anchorage who were struggling economically through his brand design abilities and social connections.
Being able to buy items for a reasonable price at the Eielson Thrift Shop is helpful to many airman and families at Eielson Air Force Base. Eielson Youth Group is helping keep Eielson Thrift Shop open on a regular basis by volunteering their time sorting, pricing and selling items to the community for a reasonable price. The money that is made at the shop goes directly back to the local community.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Delano devoted his personal time to equip local health care personnel with face shields at a time when personal protective equipment was difficult to obtain.
Shreya Sujith is one of the 2020-2021 performing directors on the Alaska Youth Orchestras Board. They worked with the Be An Arts Hero campaign, which is a nationwide effort to increase awareness around advocating for arts relief during the COVID crisis. They engaged in a letter writing campaign to reach out to state and nationwide legislators for inclusion in COVID relief packages. Their efforts have been success, as the newest relief package includes the arts.
Averyl Cobb is one of the 2020-2021 performing directors on the Alaska Youth Orchestras Board. They worked with the Be An Arts Hero campaign, which is a nationwide effort to increase awareness around advocating for arts relief during the COVID crisis. They engaged in a letter writing campaign to reach out to state and nationwide legislators for inclusion in COVID relief packages. Their efforts have been success, as the newest relief package includes the arts.
