Spirit of Youth

Vanessa has many leadership qualities. She is creative in her ideas to solve problems in her community, she is self-motivated , dedicated, and hard working.  Vanessa organized, planned, and implemented the first homeschool prom in May of 2017.  She was able to secure a facility, delegate duties to the other student volunteers,  and held cookie sales and other fundraisers to make it all come together. It was a huge success with over 40 homeschool students participating.

• Home Town Nikiski
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Award Category Phoenix, Visionary

Hannah is a member of the North Star Youth Court where she serves as Defense Attorney, Board Member and Judge. She always seeks to find the best way to affect a positive outcome for the youth court clients. She takes her work seriously and is a positive role model to the new up and coming attorneys, who look up to her.

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

Carol is a member of the Future Problem Solving Program, North Star Youth Court, Girl Scouts, Be [You] Team and Barnette Middle School’s Mediators. In all her roles she seeks to bring about a better future for her peers and her community.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star Borough
• Award Category Dreamer, Visionary

Sierra is a leader among her peers. She is co-captain of rifle club, does fencing, was a host for Japanese student exchange, honor society, has a 4.1 GPA and is in the Japanese honor society. She is vice president of youth court, was elected this year as a student mentor at Lathrop high school, and is involved in after school art classes.

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

Gabe decided to transfer to a larger school in order to pursue his passion for science. The move added three hours to his school day. Yet, when he comes home he makes time, through Ninilchik Tribe Teen Center, to work with others to build clubs, programs and places for Ninilchik youth to go for peer support. Miller sees himself as a scientist who wants to study the micro-systems that keep our world running.

• Home Town Ninilchik
• School District Kenai Peninsula
• Award Category Innovator

Duncan shares his Yup’ik culture with the world every chance he gets. His songs and public speaking heals and strengthens people in his village. He has spoken and sang at numerous conferences. He is also involved in three different dance groups and is the leader of one of them. Additionally, he performs at his school, instilling pride in his peers and is a great role model for the young people of his village.

• Home Town Kotlik
• School District Lower Yukon School District
• Award Category Dreamer

Anonymous Teen (AT) has volunteered over 200 hours over the past at an organization providing direct services for other teens. AT is gender queer and noticed that a lot of the paperwork and forms at the organization were not gender inclusive and asked to update the materials. It took courage to call out adults and help them to do better for the next teen who walks in the door.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Private
• Award Category Phoenix

Katelyn joined the True North Church YTH group this fall. Her personality is loving and accepting. Most students that attend the local boarding house also come from villages and many tend to struggle with their grades and learning how to study. Katelyn is a prime example of a hard worker, and good example for her peers.

• Home Town Nenana
• School District Nenana School District
• Award Category Visionary, Role Model

Avery is involved in school’s state-winning Science Olympiad team. She traveled with the team to nationals in May. She is diligent inside and outside of class, she is also kind and respectful to everyone, teachers and students.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
• Award Category Innovator

Greg had some great personal and family situations this year that really affected him. He did his best to rise above them and do his best at school. He is an outgoing young man with a great sense of humor.

• Home Town Wasillla
• School District Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
• Award Category Phoenix

Sarah Churchill is an engaging and active youth in our Matanuska Valley community. Her youth led passion for service addresses some of the most common needs in her community. Across Alaska animals are abandoned and abused. Sarah works in small, powerful ways to combat animal abuse and neglect and to built positive relationships for animals and for the people who adopt them.

• Home Town Wasilla
• School District Matanuska Susitna Borough
• Award Category Humanitarian, Role Model

Women of West is a group of young women who are or want to be leaders in their school and community. The past 2 years, they have been very interested in raising awareness about domestic violence with an emphasis on teen dating violence. Their work is aiming to prevent this violence from happening by educating their peers about the warning signs of dating violence.

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

Erika and Hailey are part of a peer partnership. They are role models and advocates for students with intensive special needs. They assist in being role-models for students with intensive special needs, and raise awareness of special needs of individuals and how to include them in the community as valuable partners.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District MSBSD
• Award Category Role Model

Emma volunteered to help coach 6th grade girls basketball this year. She took the initiative to volunteer her time after school for six weeks in order to help. She was an excellent role model and went above and beyond teaching our players.

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

Isabelle helped coach 6th grade girls basketball this year at Colony Middle School. She came to every practice and every game. She was positive and respectful throughout the entire season and the girls truly look up to her.

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

Tyler puts endless amounts of positive energy into everything that he does, and always looks out for anyone that could use a helping hand. He has been involved in several extra curricular activities including Speech Competitions, School Plays, Science Olympiad, and National Junior Honor Society.

• Home Town Wasilla
• School District Matanuska Susitna Borough
• Award Category Role Model

Taralyn has recently started a new life with a loving foster family. She has also started attending a new middle school in the Valley. She shows great resiliency, and has developed strength and coping skills through adversity.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska-Susitna SD
• Award Category Phoenix

Charly always approaches all of her activities with all of her effort and charisma. She has been a member of National Junior Honor Society, Letters of Love, our CMS Morning Crew (announcement crew), MSBSD speech and debate competitions, Agents for Change, Tri-M (music honor society), and the school’s QPR (suicide prevention program) team.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District MSBSD
• Award Category Role Model

Lacie is great at delegating responsibility so those around her are able to shine as well. She is compassionate, and her passion for life is palpable. She is involved in Agents for Change, Tri-M (Modern Music Masters) Honor Society, and National Junior Honor Society as the Vice President. She tries to take leadership roles both in and outside of these activities whenever she is given the opportunity.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District MSBSD
• Award Category Role Model

Braiden always brings a positive attitude and smile on his face to school, along with his humorous personality. He is eager to help others and is a prime example for those in his grade.

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