Spirit of Youth

Beginning at the age of 10, Lola decided to share her love for dance with the Seward community and began teaching classes to young people.  She started a business offering week-long summer camps, earning a reputation as a mature and talented youth teacher and leader who inspires her students to love dance.

Before Lola started offering dance classes and camps, there were inconsistent opportunities for young people in Seward to learn to dance. She has filled a need in the community. Recognizing that not all children can afford dance lessons, and determined to not let finances stand in the way of a young person’s desire to learn to dance, Lola formed a partnership with Seward’s Youth360 program to provide dance scholarships to families in need.

• Home Town Seward
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District 15
• Award Category Visionary, Dreamer

The Dimond NOAA Ocean Guardians have been involved for the past three years in remote beach cleanups near Whittier. The students have removed over 1,000 pounds of marine debris off of remote beaches in Prince William Sound over the last three years and worked with local engineer, Patrick Simpson, to learn how to sort the debris and grind some of it and extrude it to make recycled lumber.

They have also removed hundreds of pounds of trash from their school campus, performed weekly recycling of paper, aluminum, and plastic bottles, started a coral reef tank to teach their peers and students from nearby Chinook Elementary about the importance of coral reefs, and given out prizes of reusable water bottles decorated with student art and t-shirts decorated with student art to celebrate recycling and trash cleanups.

• Home Town
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Discovery
• Radio Story Listen to the Dimond NOAA Ocean Guardians' radio story here

Nora’s work with the Ocean Club has resulted in the removal of hundreds of pounds of marine debris from beaches near Whittier Alaska. She has contributed to college-level papers for the Tsunami Bowl including one on polymetallic nodule harvesting in the deep ocean, one on scaling up mariculture, and one on the impacts and mitigation of climate change on wild salmon fisheries and she helped present those papers to students and scientists at the Tsunami Bowl as well as competed in the quiz bowl.

Nora shared the results of her carbon sequestration experiment with the students in her ocean club and with teachers to share with other students in science classes. By working towards testing a possible solution for climate change, Nora is improving her own mental health as well as those she shares her experiment with. It was an inspiration for other students to see and hear about a youth-led experiment that was related to solving a global problem.

• Home Town
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Innovator, Discovery

Marysue is a teacher at the local tribal immersion school, Nikaitchuat. Marysue graduated from ANSEP in the spring of 2023 in Kotzebue. She stepped in as a relief teacher at the Nikaitchuat school in the fall of 2023 and has now moved up to teacher. As a young child Marysue, who goes by Manuyak, attended Nikaitchuat tribal school and as a young Inupiat lady she is immersed in a language that is being lost. Manuyak loves the kids and it shows in how they look up to her.  Manuyak carries on the Inupiaq language and her love for children.

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

Sara is a 16-year-old, fourth-generation Alaskan whose L.E.D. “Artwear” creations have been recognized by 3M, Discovery Education, and The Alaska Society for Technology in Education for her innovative fusions of science and technology with art and design. Her design company, “Vintage Train Case,” produces dresses, jewelry, and ballet-performance costumes. She is introducing her generation to the beauty and class of the past while encouraging conversations about STEM, fashion, and arts! Sara has also developed and implemented fundraisers for the dance non-profit, Peninsula Artists in Motion (P.A.M.), while also teaching and mentoring 7-12 year old ballet students.

• Home Town Soldotna
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Award Category Dreamer
• Radio Story Listen to Sara's radio story here

At the young age of 16, Emily Robinson is an inspiration to so many, old and young. She is an accomplished musher who has participated in and won two Junior Iditarods, the Alpine Creek Excursion, and the Willow 150. In January 2024, she bested defending champion Brent Sass to win the Knik 200. Emily is determined, dedicated, and very passionate about her dogs and mushing. However, what is so special about her is her bubbly and positive personality. She has a special connection with her dogs, and is a musher genius. She is also kind and friendly with her competitors and race volunteers.

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

Sean is a role model to those around him and he works hard for the things he wants and genuinely cares about his community. He is on the 15U Team Alaska Hockey, proving that fitness, control and healthy habits are key. Sean shows the younger teams at HCF these traits. He provides words during conflict and encourages the younger teams to not fall into peer pressure. 

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Role Model

Noah is what is known as a servant leader. He pushes his friends do to better and work harder, setting this example to participate and help where help is needed. Noah spends his time involved in AWANAS, Young Life, and his hockey team, Team Alaska. He encourages other youth to work hard, eat right, and train harder.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District FNSBSD
• Award Category Role Model

Sean is a role model to those around him and he works hard for the things he wants and genuinely cares about his community. He is on the 15U Team Alaska Hockey, proving that fitness, control and healthy habits are key. Sean shows the younger teams at HCF these traits. He provides words during conflict and encourages the younger teams to not fall into peer pressure. 

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Role Model

Collin is helping pedestrians on the street by clearing sidewalks adjacent to properties. He helps people out shopping, people going to church on Sunday, and travelers in and out of town. He does this by shoveling snow, which this year is setting records for most snow fall. Each night at 10pm, he goes out to clear snow from banks, a senior center, a church and more! This is a job many people don’t want but it is very necessary. If even one person avoids serious injury or property damage because of a property Collin has cleared, he will be a hero.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District
• Award Category Life Saver, Role Model

Keiren has been working since age 14 and sought out opportunities to connect with his Yupik, Inupiaq, and Athabascan cultures. This includes being an Alaska Native Heritage Center intern, Raise Program intern, and Ilakucaraq program participant. In these settings, Keiren applies himself, builds bonds with other participants, and learns as much as he can. He continues to look for programs to expand his knowledge and is currently taking welding and aviation classes.

Keiren currently lives in Anchorage but stays connected to his family’s home community of Marshall. He understands the challenges of rural Alaska and is actively making a difference by meeting with politicians in Alaska and Washington DC to advocate for foster youth and their medical needs, for sexual assault victims, and for increased quality rural housing. He also serves as a positive role model for and caretaker of his foster siblings. Keiren shows youth voices matter and that involving themselves in their communities can happen in many different ways.

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

Jamie is a stand-out alum of a year-long Ilakucaraq cohort, a program that brings together Alaska Native youth in 9-12th grades. This program is designed to form friendships, learn and share about Indigenous cultures, and build confidence in their cultural identities. Although Jamie would never call herself this, she is a great example of an “elder-in-training.” Despite her young age, she is already sharing her Yup’ik culture with pride and embracing her Indigenous heritage.

She yuraqs (traditional dances) and has made her own traditional regalia including a qaspeq, nasqerrun (head dress), dance fans, and uyamik (dance necklace). Jamie brought this regalia on an Ilakucaraq trip and shared them with other participants. She designed and developed a uyamik craft kit so that other youth can learn about and make their own uyamiks. Jamie is helping to reclaim cultural activities suppressed by colonization and to counteract the pressure youth sometimes feel to assimilate into mainstream “western” culture. She is a role model to other youth and is contributing to keeping her culture vibrant. 

• Home Town Kasigluk
• School District Lower Kuskokwim School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Dreamer

Tristan is a kind and insightful deep thinker. He connects with Elders and learns cultural practices while working at his family’s fish camp in Nondalton. Additionally, he has interned at a culture camp held on indigenous lands in partnership with Lake Clark National Park. He is stand-out alum of the year long Ilakucaraq cohort, a program that brings together teens from around the state to learn and share about their cultures and build confidence in their cultural identity. Tristan serves as a role model to other youth as someone who lives in the Anchorage area embracing his culture. 

• Home Town Eagle River
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Dreamer

Lily is a founding member of Ketchikan Youth for Change, a group of youth who are dedicated to substance misuse prevention. Additionally, she serves as the student body president and serves on the school board as the student member. She has volunteered on the Lords Table, a program serving home-cooked meals to community members experiencing homelessness. Lily works as an intern at the Women in Safe Homes Organization and as member of their peer education team.

• Home Town Ketchikan
• School District Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
• Award Category Humanitarian
• Radio Story Listen to Lily's radio story here

Jayden is the Parliamentarian for Barrow High School Student Council. She has been thee Youth Representative for the North Slope at the First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference. Additionally, Jayden involves herself  heavily in the North Slope Borough Mayors Youth Advisory Council.  She also encourages her peers to do volunteer work and join community projects through the council. She has a vision for her future and the future of the region and is working to pave the way for future success. 

• Home Town Barrow
• School District North Slope Borough School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Role Model

Charlotte has the greatest involvement in two youth led activities, serving as the current President of Partner’s Club at Dimond High School, and the lead facilitator of MHATS (Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling). She also plays Varsity softball and volleyball, is President of Zonta International Club and Mu Alpha Theta Math National Honor Society Club and is former President of her Class in Student Government and Model United Nations Club. She has accumulated over 700 community service hours throughout high school.

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

Wally, as part of Seward Prevention Coalitions Peer Leader team, created and implemented youth led campaigns to foster connection, highlight resilience and increase help seeking behaviors in their school and community. He works to normalize conversations about struggle. He leads his peers on how to recognize resilience in their own lives and connects them to resources to get the help that they need and deserve through stories of strength. Wally is incredibly strong and is a wonderful public speaker. He takes a leadership role in SPC efforts and draws other kids in with is charisma.

• Home Town Seward
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Award Category Life Saver, Role Model

Bianca is an active player in the Anchorage community. She volunteers with several local organizations like The Arc of Anchorage, Beans Cafe, Food Bank of Alaska and even donates her birthday to a different charity/nonprofit each year. Bianca was a volunTEEN at  Z.J Loussac Library for 4 years. She also won a National Volunteer Service Award in Chicago at Nationals with the Miss Amazing Pageant 2023. Additionally, Bianca was the youth volunteer for Stone Soup Group at Sou per Gaming Night. She created new flyers, promotes in the community and brings zest and positive energy.

• Home Town Chugiak
• School District
• Award Category Role Model

Nolan has been a member of the Kenai Peninsula Native Youth Leadership (KPNYL) team way before being an official member, his freshman year. That is, because his Auntie has been the leader for the last 10 years, which allowed Nolan to grow up with what leadership skills. Nolan has been on many sport teams-football, baseball, wresting, swimming. Yet none of the team awards have been a bigger honor for him and his family, then his personal achievements when Nolan chose to help another person in his community. 

Nolan recently had to make a very difficult decision regarding his dog who needed help to move to the Ancestor world. Despite this, he went to his Elders to ask for support making the arrangements with the family Vet. Their relationship and connection to nature is why Nolan made the career choice to become a Wildlife Rescue Law Enforcement Office with the Canine Unit.

• Home Town Sterling
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Award Category Life Saver, Role Model

Anamanu is an exceptional young person. She currently works with children at the Hmoob Cultural Center of Alaska. Anamanu has volunteered by cleaning Anchorage, contsructing a blessing box to feed homeless. She’s spent time volunteering with Clare House, Beans Cafe, Food Bank of Alaska and Suicide Prevention Awareness. Additionally, Anamanu has gone on two missions, one to clean up ocean waste in kodiak and another to serve those living on Navajo Land.

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