Sherry enjoys working with children and participating in Alaska Native events. She has a passion for helping Alaska Natives in her community and hopes to be a nurse when she’s older. She was part of the Early Childhood Education program and King Career Center and has become a role model to young students.
Shantina is committed to helping her community. She has volunteered with Providence Medical Center, the Salvation Army Family Center and church food drives. She also participated in the Color of Justice community program, which promotes diversity in the legal profession.
Sara is an aspiring filmmaker and completed a gifted mentorship in video production at the Alaska Teen Media Institute. Her culminating project was a documentary film on girl wrestlers, which was shown at the King Career Center youth film event at the Bear Tooth Theatre. Sara is an explorer and a freshman she spent a year living in Malaysia. This taste for travel has given her the goal of reaching people around the world with her cinematography.
Miranda loves to read and write. She also enjoys volunteering and participating in Alaska Native dancing. She has overcome tremendous obstacles in life and would like to use her experiences to increase the number of shelters and programs for Anchorage families in need. She is willing to stand up for peoples’ rights and is a strong advocate for youth who are experiencing family hardships.
Marilee is active in her church. She helps out each summer at Vacation Bible School, is a youth leader during youth retreats, and volunteers throughout the year. Through her participation with her church she has learned to love all people regardless of their differences.
Karen is a listener. As one of eight siblings, she knows the value of mediation. She enjoys working out problems between her peers and would like to be a therapist or a sonographer when she is older. She has experienced bullying because of her cultural differences, but that doesn’t get in her way of personal achievement. Her struggle with learning English as a second language has only made her a stronger person who is determined to be self-reliant and successful.
Jocelyn is a teen assistant at Fairview Elementary School and is a positive role model for young children. She worked in a preschool classroom for one semester where she supervised young children in various activities and projects. She helps empower youth with her enthusiastic attitude and encourages them to do their best.
Diana is an ambassador for the University of Alaska Anchorage Educational Talent Search program where she mentors other students. She embraces her education with gusto and empowers other students to reach their full potential regardless of their race or gender.
Cleonik is active with his Russian Orthodox Church as a volunteer where he’s helped with citywide clean ups, church renovations and assisted at Bean’s Cafe. He promotes treating everyone with dignity and respect and teaches his siblings to take pride in themselves and where they come from.
Brianna moved to Alaska as a child and had a difficult time adjusting to the change. She transferred to several different schools over the years and struggled with making connections with people. When she settled into Service High School she was inspired by the school’s nurse to pursue a career in nursing. She has completed 250 hours in the Certified Nursing Assistant program through the Anchorage School District and plans on attending the nursing program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Ben participated in the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute and has goals to provide medical services to disadvantaged communities. When he moved to the U.S. from Korea at age eight he overcame many obstacles from learning English to being bullied in school because of his ethnicity. He uses his life experiences to inspire other youth who face discrimination and lack of support.
Brandy was severely bullied as a child but overcame this personal obstacle and now uses her experience to become a voice and advocate for those who are afraid to speak up. As an attorney for Anchorage Youth Court she reaches out to youth victimized by bullying and promotes peace and justice for all.
Jane has worked with the Kenai Assembly to implement a composting facility at the Homer Transfer Station. Her vision will not only help farmers and gardeners but it will also reduce the amount of garbage shipped out of Homer.
Teens Acting Against Violence created a video for their peers for Green Dot Bethel, a program dedicated to ending violence in their community. The group voluntarily participated in the Green Dot effort and presented their project to Public Health Nursing and other community partners. TAAV is committed to promoting a safer community through domestic violence prevention.
Mariana Hererra and brothers German and Francisco Badillo created Mariachi Agave Azul, the only official Mariachi band in Alaska. The 15-member group of teens and young adults performs cultural music from Mexico at special events around Anchorage. Despite their cultural differences, all members of the band are passionate about their music and understand the deep connection of those who hear them play.
Sammie is an environmental advocate and attended the 10th Annual World Wilderness Congress in Spain. She was inspired to design an educational kiosk at Worthington Glacier to show visitors how the glacier has receded and to distribute information about climate change and its effects on the environment.
The East Anchorage High School Ukulele Society for Better Living is a fun and vibrant group that performs around Anchorage throughout the school year. Many participants are new to the ukulele and they are eager to play and improve their musical skill. The group present a positive image of teens in Southcentral Alaska.
Gage is active in his community in several ways. As president of the JBER Keystone Club he has provided assistance to wounded warriors in need. He also helped start “Random Texts of Kindness,” which helps teens be resilient in the face of bullying and suicide.
Winter is concerned about homeless youth in the Fairbanks area, especially during the colder months. She started a club at her school called “Knitting for the Kneedy,” where students make winter wear for the homeless. Her creative drive has inspired many of her peers to use their talents to help those in need.
The Hydaburg City Schools Youth Leadership Group went to a Ketchikan elementary school to train on peer mediation and anti-bullying techniques. Students were then involved in implementing these techniques in their school.