For the past two years, Jayshawn Hudson has been actively involved in Link Crew, a program at Bartlett High School that partners upperclassmen with incoming freshmen. As a crew mentor, Jayshawn maintains personal mentoring relationships with the members of his crew. He is a patient teacher and is always focused on supporting student growth.
Ben is co-leading a coin drive to raise money that will go to support both the animal shelter and children with cancer in our community. He also helped to present and lead a drive to collect feminine hygiene products for the school district.
Katie is involved in a variety of volunteer opportunities. She volunteers as a math tutor twice a week. She founded and is a co-teacher for an after school guitar club once a week. She is also active in her schools Volunteer Club which has worked with Mobile Medics, The Salvation Army, and the Food Bank of Alaska. Outside of school Katie is the volunteer live sound engineer at Under 21 Open Mic, where she has also shares her talents as a singer/songwriter. She performs annually at the Anchorage Folk Festival and teaches a beginner guitar workshop for kids.
Grace raises hundreds annually for The Door Youth Shelter fundraiser “One Homeless Night” where she builds a box city and spends the night outside. She is her school’s co-anchor for the Hawk Hit News and is highly involved in the Arts Audiovisual program. She won the state National History Day competition for her research on Alaska Native boarding school history and traveled to Maryland to compete nationally with the project. She also helped start a youth group on a remote island in Iceland for three months and served in the Children’s and Youth ministry in the Philippines and Mexico.
When anyone needs help at his school, Joachim is the first student for the job. He lends a helping hand on a daily basis to his classroom peers and to the younger members of his student body. Beyond the classroom and the school property, he is readily available and interested in helping those in our small community with a variety of tasks. He counsels friends with troubles they may be experiencing.
Ali moved from out of state and quietly joined the student body and has done a remarkable job fitting in, like she was here from the start. Ali has moved frequently because she comes from a Navy family. She has become a role model and leader for the student body. Ali is one of the first to stick up for a student or come to their defense. She helps struggling peers with their questions and mentors others.
Trailmen ages 6-17 from Trail Life Troop AK-0226 conducted several service projects this past year, including serving Veterans at the State Veteran’s Day ceremony, helping reorganize a storage unit for the Pregnancy Resource Center in Eagle River, as well as preparing Thanksgiving meals for the needy as part of the Thanksgiving Blessing in Anchorage.
West Valley High Sources of Strength students made an informative presentation about the importance of being professional and positive on social media platforms in order to make our community stronger. The concept is for students and people from around Alaska to join in a campaign to create a more positive climate. The students also emphasize the importance of helping others who may be a target of cyber bullying. The students designed a public service announcement about using positive cultural norms.
Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (SDA) was created by and for teens and young adults, to help engage the power, energy and creativity of high school and college students in the fight against gun violence. The members have organized activities and events in their community to help spread the word about gun violence, particularly focusing on getting get gun laws passed in Alaska.
Hartley Miller is passionate about environmental advocacy. He is an active member of the Homer Chapter of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA). He was an inspirational speaker at the Homer Climate Strike and has been working to get the Homer City Climate Action Plan reinstated. He has volunteered in multiple civic actions and has helped the success of events and campaigns. He has also volunteered for KBCS and the Alaskans Know Climate Change education campaign at Salmonfest in 2019.
As the First Officer and youth leader of Trail Life Troop AK-0226, Duffy has helped lead several service projects this past year, including helping to reorganize a storage unit for the Pregnancy Resource Center in Eagle River, preparing Thanksgiving meals for the needy as part of the Thanksgiving Blessing in Anchorage. He also watches children in the church nursery for several hours every eight weeks and has helped raise awareness about pregnancy resource options.
Autumn Carlson is currently the school president of Sources of Strength, a group dedicated to helping with suicide awareness and prevention, as well as mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In addition, she has volunteered at her school, Coastal Studies, Pratt Museum, and the local Foodbank.
Genika took part in Alaska Theatre of Youth’s Mastery Series. This three month intensive was designed to mentor the advanced young actor into theatre leadership roles. The students were given short scripts on a theme of bullying and they directed, designed and starred in a fully-produced production. Genika starred in three of the five plays and directed a fourth. Genika is always the first one to memorize her lines, and the first one to arrive for rehearsals and meetings.
For the past five years, Margaret has volunteered as the childcare provider for an Anchorage area women’s AA meeting on Saturday mornings. She also helps with youth group activities at her church, assisting with service projects and youth activities. Additionally, she has volunteered to serve as host family for interns and exchange students, and has participated in the Points of Light Youth Leadership Program.
Love is very involved in her community. She recently held a fundraiser for her little brother to travel to New York for a journalism conference, for two years she has volunteered at Anchorage Youth Court, she worked as an intern at the University of Alaska Anchorage library to create an information learning module, and she is the youth leader at the Church of Tonga.
Ramese Unutoa works at the Boys & Girls Club of Utqiaġvik, where he continues to grow his passion for becoming a helpful and impactful leader to younger ones in his community. Many teenagers come to the club to check-in with Unutoa, and he does his best to make himself available to listen and offer healthy advice. He also continues to be an active volunteer in and around high school sports, including volleyball, basketball, and football.
Aura has always had a passion for plants, animals, and living things. She discovered a neglected fish tank in one of her high school classrooms, and jumped into action to took charge of the tank herself. When Aura finds an animal in need, she not only has the desire to help it, but she also takes the time to research how best to help it.
Kevin is a strong member of Facing Foster Care in Alaska. He mentors youth from all ages ranging from 13-25. Kevin fights hard to help foster youth around Alaska. While he is only 18, he has worked with political members like City Mayor Jim Matherly, Vice-Chancellor Keith Champagne, Former Governor Bill Walker, and others to spread his message.
Dustty Heckel volunteers with the Salvation Army and has helped with Operation Santa for the last 3 years by wrapping gifts, stuffing backpack with snacks, bathroom supplies, packing boxes and getting them ready for shipping. On an average week Dustty can log over 30 hours a week volunteering.
Shyanne Heckel volunteers with the Salvation Army and has helped with Operation Santa for the last 3 years by wrapping gifts, stuffing backpack with snacks, bathroom supplies, packing boxes and getting them ready for shipping. On an average week Shyanne can log over 30 hours a week volunteering.
