Alicia McLelland

Alicia is the youngest assistant instructor in the HIT (Hunter Information and Training) Program as well as the executive secretary on Soldotna High School Student Council. Alicia is always one of the first to stand up for what is right, be it a rule or a person having a hard time.

  • Home Town Sterling
  • School District Kenai Peninsula Bourogh
  • Award Category Service To Community, Service To Peers

Destiny Lytle

Destiny has grown up learning the process of dog handling and training. She teaches classes on how to handle dogs in and appropriate manner, and helps with training service dogs.

  • Home Town Palmer
  • School District MatSu
  • Award Category Overcoming Challenges, Service To Community

Kendra Brush

Kendra has taken it upon herself to work with youth and teens in a positive way. She is deeply committed to introducing the sport of archery, bowhunting and the great outdoors with others. She has volunteered to teach numerous Women On Target archery classes over the past three years as well as lead archery classes in her previous school.

  • Home Town Soldotna
  • School District Soldotna
  • Award Category Service To Peers

Evelyn Rose Rush

When Evelyn Rose’s mother battled cancer last year she decided to take that experience to raise awareness in her community. She singlehandedly raised more than $3,000 for Anchorage’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk by selling candy at school events.

  • Home Town anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Service To Community

East High School Interact Club

East High School Interact Club worked on several community projects this year. From creating healthy meals for children to crocheting sleeping mats out of plastic bags for the homeless, they are fully engaged in making their community a better place.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage School District
  • Award Category Service To Community

Sarah Newlun

Sarah has worked for the Forest Service for two summers improving trails and building trails. She also volunteers with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and is a trained emergency trauma technician.

  • Home Town Yakutat
  • School District Yakutat School
  • Award Category Science & Environment, Service To Children

Brandon Thomas

Brandon is deeply involved in Anchorage Youth Court as well as his school’s JROTC program, both of which give back to the community through peer intervention, leadership training and volunteerism. Through this, Brandon has amassed more than 600 hours of volunteer time in Anchorage and around the state.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Business & Government, Service To Community

Jackson Blackwell

Jackson has been a volunteer attorney, Judge and Bar Association President for Kenai Peninsula Youth Court. He trains new volunteers and as president of the Statewide Youth Court Association he fully embraces the concept of restorative justice.

  • Home Town Soldotna
  • School District Kenai Peninsula Borough
  • Award Category Service To Peers

Zachary Bordelon

After years of struggling to find venues for all-ages bands, Zach organized an event called Spacefest at Anchorage Community Works. He fronted the $650 it took to reserve the venue, booked the bands, promoted the event, sold tickets and more.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District
  • Award Category Service To Peers

Marguerite and Evangeline Cox

Cousins Marguerite and Evangeline used their own money and funds collected from the community to donate 17 pet emergency oxygen mask kits to fire stations across the Kenai Peninsula. Their goal is to provide these life-saving tools to every fire station in the state.

  • Home Town Kenai
  • School District Kenai
  • Award Category Lifesaver & Prevention, Service To Community

Dolly Ann Zharoff

Dolly Ann is a leader in her small community of Igiugig. She guides her classmates in fundraising activities, banking and finance, service learning projects, caring for elders, and organizing after school activities. Dolly Ann takes pride in her home and has volunteered with a community beautification project.

  • Home Town Igiugig
  • School District Lake and Peninsula School District
  • Award Category Overcoming Challenges, Service To Community

Hannah Soplanda

Hannah spent three months in India helping disadvantaged orphans. From this deeply moving experience she now understands how inequalities play out in her own community, state, nation and world. She teaches others how the power of an individual can make a difference.

  • Home Town Anchor Point
  • School District Kenai Peninsula Borough
  • Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Service To Children

Dimond and South High Hockey Teams and Cheerleaders

This winter Dimond and South High hockey teams asked players and their fellow students to donate goods and funds to Brother Francis Shelter as a part of their scheduled hockey game. They raised nearly $5,000 and donated more than 1000 items.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Service To Community

Bailey Lesslie

Bailey has overcome many challenges in her life. She uses her experiences to mentor other teens who suffer from depression and anxiety. She doesn’t let her health problems get in the way of her extensive community service with HOPE worldwide.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Overcoming Challenges

Naasha Tallman

Naasha is a leader in helping others reach their potential in STEM programs. She is a member of a robotics team that provides outreach to the community. She loves to dance and participates weekly in the Unangan Dance Group.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Overcoming Challenges, Service To Community

Konaa Tallman

Konaa is a member of the Anchorage Maker Space Robotics Program where he leads outreach programs to teach the community about STEM activities. He is also a dancer and drummer in the Unangan dance group.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Science & Environment, Service To Community

Baahii Tallman

Baahii is a member of a robotics team where he leads an outreach program to teach the community about STEM programs. He is also part of a Native dance group where he revitalizes his culture and language.

  • Home Town Anchorage
  • School District Anchorage
  • Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Science & Environment, Service To Community

Michael “Sonny” Cruger, Jr.

Michael has volunteered with the Arctic Winter Games, Salvation Army, Love Inc. and Food Bank of Alaska. In addition to volunteering for school activities he also mentors a kindergarten student.

  • Home Town Fairbanks
  • School District
  • Award Category Service To Community, Service To Children

Jamal Murphy

Jamal helps elders in his small village of Kotlik. There are no roads and people have to walk to get from here to there. Jamal picks up elders in his 4-wheeler and takes them where they need to go.

  • Home Town Kotlik
  • School District Lower Yukon
  • Award Category Service To Community

Kiara O’Neill

Kiara spent a year abroad in China and now helps students back home with learning about exchange student programs. By sharing her experiences of living, traveling and going to school in another country she inspires her peers to seek a global cultural education.

  • Home Town Fairbanks
  • School District Fairbanks North Star Borough
  • Award Category Service To Peers, Service To Children