Naomi created a community service project called Sincerely, Little Su, in honor of her cairn terrier who died of canine cancer. The mission of the project is to provide owners with cats and dogs who have been diagnosed with cancer some comfort during a difficult time.
Ashley was born with a genetic disorder, with a one percent chance of survival, that requires monthly infusions. Despite her condition, she focuses on giving back to her community providing those in need with blessing boxes. She believes that there is so much to worry about already and the basic necessities of food and drink shouldn’t be one of those things.
Mekenna has been involved in marching band, science olympiad, hockey, roller derby, track and National Honor Society at Colony High school. She advocates for the teachers and students and she takes time out of her busy schedule to always remember the Mat-Su School District and all that it provided for her.
Jonas has donated hundreds of hours as a volunteer in his community. In addition to volunteering on the Youth Leadership Team at his church, he was a crew volunteer for S.A.L.T. (Servant and Leadership Training) for two summers and last summer was a volunteer on the activities staff. He also recently accepted a winter counselor position at Victory Bible Camp.
No More Mat-Su is a youth-driven organization that seeks to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the Mat-Su Valley. They spread their message of kindness, respect and fidelity to the practice of active consent through their social media and live events such as Rock the Resilience, which is a performance art-based event that draws on the talent of secondary school music departments, community vocalists, spoken art, dance and visual artists.
Breanna lended a helping hand by caring for a flock of chickens, a growing herd of milk cows and a group of hogs. She monitored the animals, reported any abnormalities, got food to the animals in a timely manner despite wind, snow, cold and other obstacles.
Madeline intended to plan and host a community Preparedness Fair, but because of the pandemic it had to be cancelled. However, she still plans to create a Fair in which people can learn about personal preparedness for natural disasters such as earthquakes. Her goal is to have booths with as wide a variety of educators as she can gather.
Ashley is a dedicated volunteer at the Heartreach Center. She has been volunteering at least once a week to help us process all donations. She plays a big role in carrying out the boots-on-the-ground work to make sure all items are prepared for distribution to the community of the Mat-Su Borough.
The LDS youth group has donated their time to Family Promise Mat-Su by assisting with yard work, moving office furniture, disassembling and reassembling bunk beds, and deep cleaning the Kari House where guest families stay.
Abby is highly involved in the Boys & Girls Club of Fairbanks and the North Pole High School student council. She goes out of her way to make sure new youth at BGC Fairbanks feel welcome and safe, and despite having faced many challenges throughout her life she always responds by standing up for herself and others.
Shane completed the Native Youth Olympics Coaches-In-Training program and is currently one of the middle school coaches in the Juneau School District. He proudly supports youth in the program and hopes to impart lessons of positive cultural self-identity, respect, teamwork and determination that helped him find his potential.
Nyche is involved in many groups that focus on advocacy for Native students and people. She created and is president of the Indigenous Student Union, the Vice Chairwoman of the Anchorage School District’s Native Advisory Committee, a member of the Equal Opportunities Program and is an intern at Southcentral Foundation’s RAISE program.
Becca recognized how much exercise helped her overcome her depression during the pandemic, so she created a website to raise funds to assist youth in getting outdoors more.
The Ketchikan Youth Alliance improves the quality of life in Ketchikan by providing young people with a platform to have their voices heard and the tools to create change. In addition to providing a source of social interaction and support during the pandemic, they are addressing the use of hate speech and slurs in the Ketchikan community and seeking to better the community through mental health education.
The Teeland Middle School National Junior Honor Society officers organize and lead activities that lead to the enrichment and positive culture of their school community. NJHS officers and members provide positive role models and are key in promoting involvement and a sense of belonging to their school community.
Olivia Mashiana is a powerful civic community service leader. She is an active and involved member of Youth Leaders, attending the annual Youth Leader Retreat and other conferences to brainstorm and plan ways to improve the school climate. She is also involved in Student Council and school leadership. As the 11th Grade Representative, Olivia is a voice for her grade concerning student interests and issues.
Victoria is a powerful civic community service leader. She is an active and involved member of Youth Leaders, attending the annual Youth Leader Retreat and other conferences to brainstorm and plan ways to improve the school climate. She is also involved in Student Council and school leadership. As the Spirit Chair, Victoria promotes a positive climate in school.
Chaleen Mixsooke is a humanitarian throughout her school and community. She volunteers as a classroom aide in Early Childhood Education, reading to and playing games with students. She also supports teams, wishing them luck and cheering them on.
Sheryl was recently involved in saving the lives of three teenagers. She was instrumental in the retrieval of the teenagers and taking action prior to when the paramedics arrived. Due to her quick actions and directions, the outcome of the event was not tragic.
The CVFRD Juniors are a group of motivated, dedicated, and community-minded youth who meet weekly for medical/firefighting/rescue/emergency response training. These youth are spending their personal time to obtain training in emergency response, and some are going so far as to become active responders to emergencies in the Chugiak community. They conduct themselves in a professional manner that is most impressive.
