Spirit of Youth

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.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD)
• Award Category Life Saver

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.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska Susitna
• Award Category Humanitarian

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.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska Susitna
• Award Category Visionary, Role Model

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.

• Home Town Wasilla
• School District Galena City School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Role Model

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.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Mat-Su Borough
• Award Category Humanitarian, Role Model

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.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
• Award Category Phoenix, Role Model

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.

• Home Town Juneau
• School District Juneau School District
• Award Category Phoenix, Dreamer

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.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Dreamer, Role Model

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.

• Home Town Girdwood
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Visionary

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.

• Home Town Ketchikan
• School District Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

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.

• Home Town Wasilla
• School District Mat-Su Borough School District
• Award Category Role Model

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.

• Home Town
• School District Bering Strait School District
• Award Category Innovator, Dreamer

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.

• Home Town Unalakleet
• School District Bering Strait School District
• Award Category Innovator, Dreamer

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.

• Home Town Unalakleet
• School District Bering Strait School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

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.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Award Category Life Saver

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.

• Home Town Chugiak
• School District Anchorage School District

Tucker was voted Volunteer of the Year 2019 by Equine Assisted Therapy Alaska, for his dedication, passion and positive attitude and work ethic. He came to EATA with no knowledge of equine therapy and grew to be the most trusted and looked to volunteer of the summer. Tucker was responsible for horse care and training, working with people with disabilities and mentoring the other volunteers in the program.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School District

Sarah founded Alaska Kids for Kids in 2011 when she was nine years old. Alaska Kids for Kids is a registered non-profit organization which annually selects a youth focused organization to serve for the next calendar year through fund-raising and other donations. Under Sarah’s leadership, the organization, has raised over $20,000 in funds and other donations that directly benefit youth in Alaska. As a youth herself, Sarah understands and empathizes with those challenges at a peer level.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School Disrict
• Award Category Visionary

Eli has been a part of a number of youth-led activities including R.O.C.K Mat-Su, and Special Olympics as well as helping in his classroom.  Eli has been an assistant coach for Special Olympics snowshoeing for six years. He also worked on a community baby shower to support new parents who may not have the resources necessary to start parenthood off in a good place.  Eli is also a teacher’s assistant in the special education/resource room his school. In this classroom he helps coach and mentor students with special needs and abilities. The students in this classroom say that Eli is one the best parts of coming to school.

• Home Town Big Lake
• School District Mat-Su School District

Derek has learned how to produce professional looking traditional attire. He sews nightly with his aana, spending time with her and passing on traditions. Most of his garments, which are coveted by many in Kotzebue, are given away for free. He takes all his free time and spends it with his family, sewing, learning traditional sewing techniques, spending time learning the language, and simply being a constant companion for an elder.

• Home Town Kotzebue
• School District Northwest Arctic Borough School District
• Award Category Dreamer