Katie has spent four years raising money to donate school supplies to students in a rural town outside Nan, Thailand. With her hard work and coordination she was able to donate more than $1,000 worth of school supplies and treat the students to lunch when she visited there in March.
Lillionna is a reindeer apprentice in the Native village of Port Heiden. By caring for and establishing the reindeer herd in her community she is continuing the cultural tradition of providing a natural, sustainable food source.
Jake is a reindeer apprentice in the Native village of Port Heiden. By caring for and establishing the reindeer herd in his community he is continuing the cultural tradition of providing a natural, sustainable food source.
The Sitka Youth Leadership Committee serve as positive influencers for their peers through peer education, developing media campaigns, administering surveys, and coordinating workshops on identity, diversity, and positive leadership. They are making positive changes to end racial stereotypes and bullying in their community.
Anna McDonald, Levi Purdy and Kyle Ruotsalainen are working with real-world scientists on earthquake research. They created four Global Earthquake Forecast Systems platforms, which have been installed in different areas on Kodiak Island. They are the first high school team in the world to be accepted to compete in the international university and business level Europa Challenge.
Jenevia Jetaun has collected and donated more than 13,000 pairs of jeans for Covenant House as part of DoSomething.org’s “Teens for Jeans” initiative. She has volunteered with Special Olympics Alaska and Kids Kitchen for several years. Jenevia Jetaun also started the “You Are Not Alone” club at her school, which raises awareness for Alaska suicide prevention.
Thomas is a creative and inspiring force in the Mat-Su community. He has been a band section leader, band council member, drum major and mentor to younger students. Last year Thomas wrote an original score for the Colony High School performance of “The Tempest.”
Makiyan has been a Native Youth Olympics participant for six years. In 2014 he competed in four major Native Games events. His dedication to NYO, self improvement and supporting others in the games makes him a great role model to other young people in his village of Unalakleet.
Byron sings and drums traditional Yup’ik songs and writes his own pieces as well. He showcases his performances on his Facebook page, “I Sing. You Dance,” which has nearly 20,000 fans. His original songs inspire youth to embrace their cultural identity.
The Capitol City Fire Rescue Cadets learn the necessary skills needed to assist the fire department in basic fire ground operations. As members of the Capitol City Fire Department, cadets respond to emergencies such as fires, medical situations and vehicle crashes.
Kenisha is one of seven siblings and has overcome many obstacles in life to become a successful student and community member. She is the student council president in Manokotak and represents the student body on the School Community Committee. Kenisha is part of the Community planning committee working on a five-year village improvement plan.
Reba is an active member of Sitkans Against Family Violence and speaks out in her community against issues affecting teens such as bullying, substance abuse and sexual violence. As a member of the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee, she participated in the “Choose Respect” March and is passionate about building a community of respect and nonviolence.
Archie tried to save a neighbor’s life by performing CPR. Since this traumatic experience, he has dedicated himself to educating his peers about suicide prevention. He has become a role model to his friends and classmates by helping them understand that they are not alone and help is always nearby.
Annett is president of West High School’s Hearts of Oceania Club, which provides support to Pacific Islander youth. She helps organize events, teaches traditional dances and finds ways for the group to get involved in the community. She is a mentor and role model to her peers.
Neni is a member of West High’s Hearts of Oceania Club where she is a dance instructor. She is well educated on all the Pacific Islands and contributes her knowledge to teaching the club members. She is passionately involved with insuring the Pacific Islander culture is shared and represented within the community.
Sera is a member of West High’s Hearts of Oceania club where is a role model and tutor to other club members. She was the only high school students to attend the Pacific Islanders Leaders Of Tomorrow program at USC where she learned how to influence change through governmental structures when assisting her community.
Henry joined West High’s Hearts of Oceania club after experiencing personal challenges. He has embraced the mission of the group, having become a leader in organizing club events and teaching cultural dances that help perpetuate the Pacific Islander culture. Henry is a role model and mentor to his club members.
Kassidy and Samantha spent the summer tending to Eagle River’s Town Square flowerbeds. The girls put in 40 hours each, pruning flowers, picking up trash and making sure Town Square looked wonderful for all of Eagle River and its visitors to enjoy. They also helped plant flowers in spring with the Chugiak High School Key Club and helped pull the flowers out in fall.
THAT Team visits schools to promote robotics education. They hosted a “build-a-bot” workshop to show younger children how to build a robot and program it to perform tasks.
